Alert archive / North Carolina / Tornado Warnings in 1990

Tornado Warning 5, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

February 10, 1990Cleveland County, North Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this tornado warning at Feb 10, 1990, 8:46 AM EST for Cleveland County, North Carolina. It was in force for 29 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Feb 10, 1990, 8:46 AM EST (13:46 UTC)
Expired
Feb 10, 1990, 9:15 AM EST
In force
29 min
Issued by
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area
Whole counties

County Cleveland County, NC

The radar

The WSR-88D network and its archive begin in 1991, so there is no radar volume for this alert.

The nearest sounding before it

Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC (KGSO), launched 12:00Z, 1.8 hours before the alert went out and 171 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC at 12:00Z on 1990-02-10Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC at 12:00Z on 1990-02-10The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 368 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
NaN m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
65 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
368 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
365 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
TTAA00 KCLT 101346
TORCLT
NCC045-101415-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLOTTE NC
846 AM EST SAT FEB 10 1990
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHARLOTTE HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  915 AM EST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
 
IN WEST NORTH CAROLINA
          ...CLEVELAND
 
A FUNNEL CLOUD WAS REPORTED AT 839 AM BY A MEMBER OF A CLEVELAND
COUNTY RESCUE SQUAD. RADAR SHOWED THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN
AND THE POTENTAIL FOR SEVERE WEATHER IN THE SOUTHWESTERN PORTION OF
CLEVELAND COUNTY WITH VERY HEAVY STORMS EXTENDING NORTHEAST THROUGH
THE CENTRAL PORTION OF CLEVELAND COUNTY. MOVEMENT OF THIS SEVERE
WEATHER CONTINUES TO BE TOWARD THE NORTHEAST AT 65 TO 70 MPH.
 
EVERYONE IN CATAWBA... LINCOLN... AND GASTON COUNTIES SHOULD SERIOUSLY
CONSIDER THE RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER THROUGH 930 THIS MORNING.
 
 
 
 
THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM SITUATION.  ACT QUICKLY.  IF YOU ARE
IN THEw PATH OF THIS TORNADO MOVE TO A SHELTER BELOW GROUND IF
AVAILABLE.  OTHERWISE...GO TO A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST
FLOOR POSSIBLE.  AVOID WINDOWS.  ABANDON CARS AND MOBILE HOMES
FOR A REINFORCED BUILDING OR GET INTO A DITCH OR CULVERT.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this tornado warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Feb 10, 5:27 AM EST, 3 hours 19 minutes before
SCZ001-002-003-101010-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREER SC
525 AM EST SAT FEB 10 1990

...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT FOR OCONEE...PICKENS...ANDERSON...GREENVILLE
   SPARTANBURG...AND ABBEVILLE COUNTIES OF UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA UNTIL
   10 AM EST...
...SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS MOVING ACROSS UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA...

AT 518 AM EST WEATHER RADAR INDICATED AN AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS...SOME
WITH VERY HEAVY RAINFALL...MOVING INTO SOUTHERN ANDERSON...AND WESTERN
ABBEVILLE COUNTIES. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING EAST AND NORTHEAST AT
45 MPH.

A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINFALL WAS MOVING ACROSS
NORTHERN GEORGIA AND WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND SHOULD BE MOVING INTO
EXTREME WESTERN PORTIONS OF UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA DURING THE NEXT HOUR.

PEOPLE IN UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA SHOULD BE ALERT FOR VERY HEAVY
RAINFALL...STRONG GUSTY WINDS...INTENSE LIGHTNING...AND POSSIBLE
FLOODING OF SMALL STREAMS AND LOW LYING AREAS THIS MORNING AS THESE
STORMS MOVE THROUGH THE AREA.

LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...TV...OR LOCAL RADIO FOR FURTHER
STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

ROBBINS/GSP
Special weather statement, Feb 10, 6:09 AM EST, 2 hours 37 minutes before
SCZ001>004-101100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREER SC
605 AM EST SAT FEB 10 1990

...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT FOR OCONEE...PICKENS...ANDERSON...GREENVILLE
   SPARTANBURG...AND ABBEVILLE COUNTIES OF UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA UNTIL
   10 AM EST...
...THUNDERSTORMS MOVING ACROSS UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA...

AT 600 AM EST WEATHER RADAR INDICATED AN AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS...SOME
WITH VERY HEAVY RAINFALL...MOVING ACROSS SOUTHERN AND EASTERN ANDERSON
NORTHERN ABBEVILLE...AND NORTHERN LAURENS COUNTIES. THESE STORMS WERE
MOVING EAST AND NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH.

A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINFALL EXTENDED FROM NEAR
ASHEVILLE IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA ACROSS WESTERN AND NORTHERN OCONEE
COUNTY OF UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA AND EXTENDED IN NORTHERN GEORGIA.
ATLANTA HAS REPORTED WIND GUSTS TO 68 MPH AT 6 AM EST WITH THUNDERSTORMS
IN THIS LINE.

PEOPLE IN UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA SHOULD BE ALERT FOR VERY HEAVY
RAINFALL...STRONG GUSTY WINDS...INTENSE LIGHTNING...AND POSSIBLE
FLOODING OF SMALL STREAMS AND LOW LYING AREAS THIS MORNING AS THESE
STORMS MOVE THROUGH THE AREA. IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES SEEK
SAFE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY.

LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...TV...OR LOCAL RADIO FOR FURTHER
STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

ROBBINS/GSP
Special weather statement, Feb 10, 6:10 AM EST, 2 hours 36 minutes before
NCZ008-013

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLOTTE NC
945 PM EST FRI FEB 09 1990

...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MOVING NORTHWARD INTO THE SOUTHERN
PIEDMONT OF NORTH CAROLINA...

AT 945 PM EST THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR IN CHARLOTTE SHOWED
WIDESPREAD LIGHT AND MODERATE RAINFALL...WITH PATCHES OF HEAVIER
RAINFALL...THROUGHOUT THE SOUTHERN PIEDMONT OF NORTH CAROLINA AND
ACROSS PORTIONS OF UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA.

HEAVIEST ACTIVITY WAS ACROSS UNION COUNTY OF NORTH CAROLINA...WHERE
THUNDERSTORMS WERE DUMPING HEAVY RAIN. ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAINFALL CAN
BE EXPECTED UNTIL AT LEAST 1015 PM ACROSS UNION COUNTY...AS MORE
THUNDERSTORMS MOVE INTO THE COUNTY FROM UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA.

A CHECK WITH THE COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS CENTER IN UNION COUNTY
REVEALED MANY WEATHER RELATED AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENTS SO MOTORISTS
SHOULD USE CAUTION ON THE WET AND SLIPPERY ROADS.

IN ADDITION TO TRAFFIC PROBLEMS...THE HEAVY RAIN COULD CAUSE SOME
STREET FLOODING ACROSS PORTIONS OF UNION COUNTY...ESPECIALLY FROM
MONROE TO MARSHVILLE.

THIS WILL BE THE LAST STATEMENT UNLESS WEATHER CONDITIONS BECOME
WORSE.

JK
Special weather statement, Feb 10, 7:52 AM EST, 54 minutes before
NCZ007-008-DDHHMM-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLOTTE NC
750 AM EST SAT FEB 10 1990

...VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO THE NORTHERN FOOTHILLS...

AT 746 AM EST WEATHER RADAR SHOWED A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WITH
VERY HEAVY RAIN ALEXANDER COUNTYSOUTH TO NEAR HICKORY IN CATAWBA
COUNTY. THIS AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE AMOVING INTO CATAWBA...
CLEVELAND AND LINCOLN COUNTIES.

HEAVY RAIN...STRONG WINDS AND HEAVY RAIN AND POSSIBLE HAIL WILL
ACCOMPANIED THESE THUNDERSTORMS.

CONTINUE TO MONITOR YOUR LOCAL RADIO...TV OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION. THE NEXT STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED BY
9 AM OR SOONER.

JPW
Special weather statement, Feb 10, 8:26 AM EST, 20 minutes before
NCZ 007-009-010-011-012-013 - 101700 -

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ASHEVILLE NC
830 AM EST SAT FEB 10 1990

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WATCH VALID UNTIL
NOON FOR MCDOWELL...POLK...BURKE...CALDWELL AND RUTHERFORD COUNTIES
IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA.

A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR TORNADOES AND
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. PERSONS IN THESE COUNTIES SHOULD BE ON THE
LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING W^EATHER CONDITIONS.

BE PREPARED TO MOVE QUICKLY TO A PLACE OF SAFETY IF A TORNADO IS
SIGHTED OR A WARNING ISSUED.
AS
Local storm report, Feb 10, 8:28 AM EST, 18 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREER SC
826 AM EST SAT FEB 10 1990

THERE IS A PATTERN OF SIGNIFICANT HIGH WIND OR TORNADO DAMAGE ACROSS
PARTS OF OCONEE...PICKENS...ANDERSON...AND GREENVILLE AREAS.  SPOTTER
AND LAW ENFORCEMENT INITIAL REPORTS INDICATE WORST HIT AREAS MAY BE
ANDERSON COUNTY...EASLEY...AND EAST SIDE GREENVILLE.  THE LAST REPORTED
DAMAGE WAS IN EASTSIDE GREENVILLE ABOUT 816 AM.  SPECIFIC DETAILS WILL
BE GIVEN AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

WAJ

The office that day

Everything else NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Feb 10, 9:07 AM ESTTornado WarningGSPGaston38 min
Feb 10, 9:23 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPMecklenburg52 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in North Carolina, 1990Every tornado warning in 1990Tornadoes in 1990

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.