Alert archive / North Carolina / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1990

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 73, NWS Raleigh, NC

August 14, 1990Greene County, Pitt County, North Carolina

NWS Raleigh, NC issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 14, 1990, 7:26 PM EDT for Greene County, Pitt County, North Carolina. It was in force for 64 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Aug 14, 1990, 7:26 PM EDT (23:26 UTC)
Expired
Aug 14, 1990, 8:30 PM EDT
In force
64 min
Issued by
NWS Raleigh, NC
Area
Whole counties

Counties Greene County, NC, Pitt 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

Cape Hatteras, NC (KHAT), launched 12:00Z, 11.4 hours before the alert went out and 186 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 12:00Z on 1990-08-14Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1420 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 12:00Z on 1990-08-14The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 3 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
1420 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-9 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
732 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
23 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
3 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
46 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.4

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KRDU 142328
SVRRDU
NCC079-147-150030-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH/DURHAM NC
726 PM EDT TUE AUG 14 1990
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN RALEIGH/DURHAM HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  830 PM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
 
IN EAST CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA
 
   ...GREENE COUNTY...PITT COUNTY
 
 
 
AT 725 PM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED A LINE OF
THUNDERSTORMS FROM JUST NORTH OF SNOW HILL IN GREENE COUNTY TO PITT
COUNTY JUST SOUTHEAST OF FARMVILLE. RADAR INDICATED THAT SOME OF THE
THUNDERSTORMS COULD PRODUCE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS.
 
 
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.

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, Aug 14, 4:21 PM EDT, 3 hours 5 minutes before
NCZ006-142115-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENSBORO NC
420 PM EDT TUE AUG 14 1990

...THUNDERSTORM WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN OVER NORTHERN DAVIDSON
   COUNTY IN THE NORTHWEST PIEDMONT OF NORTH CAROLINA...

AT 415 PM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED A THUNDERSTORM WITH
VERY HEAVY RAIN OVER NORTHERN DAVIDSON COUNTY IN THE NORTHWEST
PIEDMONT OF NORTH CAROLINA. THE STORM WAS MOVING EAST AT ABOUT
15 MPH.

ALONG WITH THE VERY HEAVY RAIN THIS THUNDERSTORM MAY PRODUCE...
...FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...GUSTY WINDS AND SOME MINOR
URBAN FLOODING.

IF YOU ARE IN NORTHERN DAVIDSON COUNTY THEN BE ON THE ALERT FOR
THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND TAKE SAFE SHELTER WHEN THE STORMS
APPROACH.
WHB
Special weather statement, Aug 14, 5:54 PM EDT, 1 hour 32 minutes before
NCZ003>005-014-142230-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH/DURHAM, NC
553 PM EDT TUE AUG 14 1990

...SCATTERED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE OVER THE PIEDMONT...

SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE OVER MUCH OF CENTRAL
NORTH CAROLINA. AS OF 545 PM WEATHER RADAR INDICATED THE STRONGEST
STORM JUST NORTHEAST OF CREEDMOOR IN SOUTHERN GRANVILLE COUNTY.
OTHER STRONG STORMS WERE SCATTERED ACROSS VANCE AND WARREN COUNTIES...
THESE WERE AFFECTING THE KERR LAKE AND WESTERN LAKE GASTON AREAS.
ANOTHER CLUSTER OF STORMS STRETCHED FROM CENTRAL LEE COUNTY
NORTHEASTWARD THROUGH EASTERN WAKE AND NORTHERN JOHNSTON COUNTIES.
FINALLY..AN ISOLATED STRONG STORM WAS LOCATED IN CENTRAL PITT COUNTY
JUST NORTHWEST OF GREENVILLE.

ALL STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE EAST SOUTHEAST AT 10 TO 15 MPH.
THEY CONTAIN LOCALLY HEAVY DOWNPOURS AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING.
^
OTHER THUNDERSTORMS...SOME QUITE INTENSE...WERE DEVELOPING FARTHER TO
THE WEST IN GUILFORD AND ALAMANCE COUNTIES TO THE SOUTHEAST OF
GREENSBORO...AND NEAR CHARLOTTE.

ALL PERSONS SHOULD BE ALERT FOR CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN
FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

GAF
Special weather statement, Aug 14, 6:05 PM EDT, 1 hour 21 minutes before
NCZ006-142300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENSBORO NC
604 PM EDT TUE AUG 14 1990

...THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN OVER RANDOLPH AND ALAMANCE
   COUNTIES IN THE NORTHWEST PIEDMONT OF NORTH CAROLINA...

AT 655 PM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED THUNDERSTORMS WITH
VERY HEAVY RAIN EXTENDING FROM NORTHERN ALAMANCE COUNTY SOUTHWEST
TO ABOUT 10 MILES NORTHEAST OF ASHBORO IN RANDOLPH COUNTY. THE STORMS
WERE MOVING EAST AT ABOUT 15 MPH.

ALONG WITH THE VERY HEAVY RAIN THESE THUNDERSTORMS MAY PRODUCE...
...FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND SOME MINOR
FLOODING OF STREAMS AND ROADS.

IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS THEN BE ON THE ALERT FOR
THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE SAFE SHELTER
IF STORMS APPROACH.
WHB
Special weather statement, Aug 14, 6:27 PM EDT, 59 minutes before
NCZ005-014-142315-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH/DURHAM, NC
626 PM EDT TUE AUG 14 1990

...VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER CHATHAM COUNTY...

AT 625 PM WEATHER RADAR SHOWED A VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORM IN NORTHWEST
CHATHAM COUNTY ABOUT 5 MILES NORTH OF SILER CITY. THIS STORM CONTAINS
VERY HEAVY RAINS AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...AS WELL AS SMALL HAIL.

THE STORM WAS MOVING TO THE EAST SOUTHEAST AT 15 TO 20 MPH AND WILL BE
HEADING TOWARD PITTSBORO BETWEEN 630 PM AND 700 PM.

OTHER STORMS WERE SCATTERED ACROSS THE NORTHEAST PIEDMONT AND
SANDHILLS REGION.

PERSONS SHOULD REMAIN ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS
AND BE PREPARED TO SEEK A PLACE OF SAFETY:.
^
GAF
Special weather statement, Aug 14, 6:45 PM EDT, 41 minutes before
NCZ006-142330-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENSBORO NC
643 PM EDT TUE AUG 14 1990

...THUNDERSTORM WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN OVER SOUTHERN ALAMANCE
   COUNTY IN THE NORTHWEST PIEDMONT OF NORTH CAROLINA...

AT 640 PM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED A THUNDERSTORM WITH
VERY HEAVY RAIN OVER SOUTHERN ALAMANCE COUNTY NEAR THE CHATHAM COUNTY
LINE. THE STORM WAS MOVING EAST AT ABOUT 15 MPH.

ALONG WITH THE VERY HEAVY RAIN THIS THUNDERSTORM MAY PRODUCE...
...FREQUENT DEADLY LIGHTNING...GUSTY WINDS AND SOME MINOR
FLOODING OF STREAMS AND ROADS.

IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM THEN BE ON THE ALERT FOR
THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE SAFE SHELTEQR
IF THE STORM  APPROACHES.
WHB
Special weather statement, Aug 14, 6:55 PM EDT, 31 minutes before
NCZ005-014-142330-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH/DURHAM, NC
650 PM EDT TUE AUG 14 1990

...VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER PITT COUNTY...

AT 640 PM WEATHER RADAR SHOWED A VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IN WESTERN
AND NORTHEAST PITT COUNTY. THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE BETWEEN FOUNTAIN
AND JUST WEST OF GREENVILLE.

THESE STORMS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAINS...DANGEROUS
LIGHTNING...HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS.

AT 642PM ^PITT COUNTY SHERIFF REPORTED THAT MARBLE SIZE HAIL COVERED THE
GROUND IN THE TOWN OF STOKES.

THESE STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE EAST SOUTHEAST ABOUT 15 TO 20 MPH. THE
STORMS ARE MOVING INTO MARTIN COUNTY.
RA

The office that day

Everything else NWS Raleigh, NC issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 14, 6:58 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRAHWayne47 min

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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.