Alert archive / North Carolina / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1990

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 37, NWS Wilmington, NC

July 6, 1990Craven County, Jones County, North Carolina

NWS Wilmington, NC issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 6, 1990, 8:13 PM EDT for Craven County, Jones County, North Carolina. It was in force for 62 min. 1 report came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
Jul 6, 1990, 8:13 PM EDT (00:13 UTC)
Expired
Jul 6, 1990, 9:15 PM EDT
In force
62 min
Issued by
NWS Wilmington, NC
Area
Whole counties

Counties Craven County, NC, Jones County, NC

The radar

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

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Jul 6, 8:20 PM EDTHail 1.75Craven, NC

NCEI Storm Data entries that began inside the alert's area while it was in force. Before 2003 the local storm report archive is thin, so this is the record of what happened rather than what was phoned in. Storm Data before 1996 records only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail.

The nearest sounding before it

Cape Hatteras, NC (KHAT), launched 00:00Z, 0.2 hours before the alert went out and 158 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, Cape Hatteras, NC at 00:00Z on 1990-07-07Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 543 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Cape Hatteras, NC at 00:00Z on 1990-07-07The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -5 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
543 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-161 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1271 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
21 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-5 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
36 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
-0.9

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KILM 070014
SVRILM
NCC049-103-070115-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC
813 PM EDT FRI JUL 6 1990
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WILMINGTON HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  915 PM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
 
IN EAST NORTH CAROLINA
          ...CRAVEN...JONES
 
AT 8:10 PM A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS OVER CRAVEN COUNTY NORTHWEST OF
NEW BERN MOVING TO THE SOUTH AT 20 MPH.
 
 
PEOPLE IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM SHOULD BE ALERT FOR LARGE HAIL AND
DAMAGING WINDS. FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN CAN OCCUR
WITH ANY THUNDERSTORM.
 
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WINDS CAN REACH SPEEDS OF 60 MPH TO OVER 100
MPH. THESE WINDS BLOW DOWN TREES...POWER LINES...AND SEVERELY
DAMAGE MOBILE HOMES...SOMETIMES BUILDINGS. VERY LARGE HAIL CAN
INJURE ANYONE CAUGHT OUTSIDE.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm 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, Jul 6, 4:44 PM EDT, 3 hours 29 minutes before
NCZ001-002-003-017-062200-
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CAPE HATTERAS NC
435 PM EDT FRI JUL 06 1990

AT 425 PM EDT...A CLUSTER OF THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED TO DEVELOP...AND
INTENSIFY OVER NORTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MAINLY
IN HALIFAX COUNTY MOVING INTO MARTIN AND BERTIE COUNTIES.

THUNDERSTORMS WERE ALSO DEVELOPING ALONG THE NORTH BANK OF THE
ALBEMARLE SOUND NEAR EDENTON AND SOUTH OF ELIZABETH CITY.

DURING THE REMAINDER OF THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING...THESE
THUNDERSTORMS HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS...HAIL
...FREQUENT LIGHTNING...AND HEAVY RAINFALL.

RESIDENTS OF NORTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA...ESPECIALLY THE AREAS NEAR THE
ALBEMARLE AND PAMLICO SOUNDS...SHOULD BE ON THE ALERT FOR RAPIDLY
CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND TAKE PRECAUTIONS IF THREATENING
WEATHER APPROACHES.

MARINERS ON THE ALBEMARLE...CURRITUCK...AND PAMLICO SOUNDS SHOULD
ALSO REMAIN ALERT AND BE PREPARED TO SgEEK SAFE HARBOR QUICKLY.

THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR.
Special weather statement, Jul 6, 5:42 PM EDT, 2 hours 31 minutes before
NCZ001-002-003-017-062230-
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CAPE HATTERAS NC
535 PM EDT FRI JUL 06 1990

AT 525 PM EDT...A CLUSTER OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE ALONG THE
ROANOKE RIVER IN NORTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA...MAINLY BORDERING THE
COUNTIES OF HALIFAX...EDGECOMBE...MARTIN...AND BERTIE.

STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE ALSO DEVELOPING ALONG THE NORTH CAROLINA
COAST AT ONSLOW COUNTY AT NEW RIVER INLET.

DURING THE REMAINDER OF THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING...THESE
THUNDERSTORMS HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS...HAIL
...FREQUENT LIGHTNING...AND HEAVY RAINFALL.

RESIDENTS OF NORTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA...ESPECIALLY THE AREAS NEAR THE
ALBEMARLE AND PAMLICO SOUNDS...SHOULD BE ON THE ALERT FOR RAPIDLY
CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND TAKE PRECAUTIONS IF THREATENING
WEATHER APPROACHES.

MARINERS ON THE ALBEMARLE...CURRITUCK...AND PAMLICO SOUNDS SHOULD
ALSO REMAIN ALERT AND BE PREPARED TO SEEK SAFE HARBOR QUICKLY.

OFFSHORE...SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WERE 50 TO 125 MILES OFF THE
COAST BETWEEN CAPE FEAR AND OREGON INLET.

ALL THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR.
Special weather statement, Jul 6, 6:04 PM EDT, 2 hours 9 minutes before
NCZ -016-062300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC
605 PM EDT FRI JUL 6 1990

AT 6 PM...RADAR SHOWED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE COASTAL
AREAS OF PENDER AND ONSLOW COUNTIES IN SOUTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA.

PEOPLE SHOULD EXPECT BRIEF PERIODS OF HEAVY RAINFALL...DANGEROUS
LIGHTNING...STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND POSSIBLE SMALL HAIL.

BOATS ALONG THE COAST SHOULD SEEK SAFE SHELTER IF THREATENING
CONDITIONS APPROACH.

THE STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE SOUTH AT 20 MPH.

CH
Special weather statement, Jul 6, 6:43 PM EDT, 1 hour 30 minutes before
NCZ001-002-003-017-062330-
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CAPE HATTERAS NC
645 PM EDT FRI JUL 06 1990

AT 625 PM EDT...A CLUSTER OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED OVER
EDGECOMBE...MARTIN...AND PITT COUNTIES OF NORTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA.

STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE ALSO ALONG THE NORTH CAROLINA COAST IN
ONSLOW COUNTY AT NEW RIVER INLET.

THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING SOUTH EAST AT 20 MILES AN HOUR.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS...HAIL
...FREQUENT LIGHTNING...AND HEAVY RAINFALL.

RESIDENTS OF NORTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA...ESPECIALLY THE AREAS NEAR THE
ALBEMARLE AND PAMLICO SOUNDS...SHOULD BE ON THE ALERT FOR RAPIDLY
CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND TAKE PRECAUTIONS IF THREATENING
WEATHER APPROACHES.

OFFSHORE...SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WERE BEYOND 100 MILES OF THE COAST
BETWEEN CAPE LOOKOUT AND OREGON INLET.
Special weather statement, Jul 6, 6:45 PM EDT, 1 hour 28 minutes before
NCZ-016-072330-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC
645 PM EDT FRI JUL 6 1990

AT 630 PM...RADAR SHOWED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG THE COAST AND
JUST OFFSHORE FROM ONSLOW AND CARTERETT COUNTIES. PEOPLE SHOULD
EXPECT BRIEF PERIODS OF HEAVY RAINFALL...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...
STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND POSSIBLE SMALL HAIL. BOATERS ALONG THE
COAST SHOULD SEEK SAFE HARBOR IF THREATENING CONDITIONS APPROACH.

ELSEWHERE OVER THE CAROLINA'S...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE OVER THE
CENTRAL COASTAL PLAINS WITH WIDELY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE
SOUTHERN COASTAL PLAINS OF NORTH CAROLINA.

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WERE OVER THE MIDLANDS AND THE NORTH COAST
OF SOUTH CROLINA.

THE STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE SOUTH AROUND 20 MPH.
CH

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in North Carolina, 1990Every severe thunderstorm warning 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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.