Alert archive / North Carolina / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1990

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 79, NWS Raleigh, NC

August 21, 1990Cumberland County, North Carolina

NWS Raleigh, NC issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 21, 1990, 5:47 PM EDT for Cumberland County, North Carolina. It was in force for 43 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Aug 21, 1990, 5:47 PM EDT (21:47 UTC)
Expired
Aug 21, 1990, 6:30 PM EDT
In force
43 min
Issued by
NWS Raleigh, NC
Area
Whole counties

County Cumberland 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, 9.8 hours before the alert went out and 150 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 1990-08-21Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 211 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, Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC at 12:00Z on 1990-08-21The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 118 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
211 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-130 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
550 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
12 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
118 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
153 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 KRDU 212149
SVRRDU
NCC051-212230-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH/DURHAM NC
547 PM EDT TUE AUG 21 1990
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN RALEIGH/DURHAM HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  630 PM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN SOUTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA
 
   ...CUMBERLAND COUNTY
 
AT 545 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR DETECTED A SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM JUST TO THE SOUTHWEST OF FAYETTEVILLE. THE THUNDERSTORM
WAS MOVING TO THE EAST AT ABOUT 15 MPH. PEOPLE IN THE VICINITY OF
FAYETTEVILLE SHOULD ALSO BE ALERT FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF VERY HEAVY
RAIN.
 
 
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 21, 2:51 PM EDT, 2 hours 56 minutes before
NCZ006-007-009-212000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENSBORO NC
250 PM EDT MON AUG 20 1990

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH UNTIL 10 PM FOR THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS..
   NORTHERN FOOTHILLS AND PARTS OF THE NORTHWEST PIEDMONT OF NC...

AT 245 PM RADAR SHOWED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR HIGH ROCK LAKE AND
DENTON IN SOUTHERN DAVIDSON COUNTY.  A FEW OTHER STRONG STORMS WERE
NEAR LENOIR IN SOUTH CALDWELL COUNTY AND WERE MOVING TOWARD SOUTHERN
ALEXANDER COUNTY.  THE STORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 25 TO 30 MPH.

THESE STORMS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING VERY HEAVY DOWNPOURS..FREQUENT
DEADLY LIGHTNING..HAIL AND STRONG WINDS.

PERSONS IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR
THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND SHOULD TAKE SHELTER IF STORMS
APPROACH.
RBN
Special weather statement, Aug 21, 3:32 PM EDT, 2 hours 15 minutes before
NCZ003>005-014-015-212010-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH/DURHAM, NC
330 PM EDT TUE AUG 21 1990

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 667 REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS
OF WESTERN AND CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA UNTIL 10 PM EDT. THE WATCH
NOT INCLUDE THE NORTHEAST PIEDMONT...NORTHERN COASTAL PLAIN...AND
CENTRAL COASTAL PLAIN. MOORE AND RICHMOND COUNTIES ARE THE ONLY
SANDHILLS COUNTIES IN THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH.

AT 330 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED A LINE OF SHOWERS
EXTENDING FROM THE VICINITY OF KERR LAKE SOUTHWEST ACROSS PARTS OF
VANCE...GRANVILLE...DURHAM...ORANGE...NORTHERN WAKE...AND CHATHAM
COUNTIES.

A SMALL CLUSTER OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WAS OVER MONTGOMERY AND
SOUTHERN RANDOLPH COUNTIES. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TO THE
EAST AT ABOUT 15 MPH. IF THE THUNDERSTORMS MAINTAIN THEIR STRENGTH
AND SPEED...THEY WILL MOVE INTO NORTHWESTERN MOORE COUNTY BY 4 PM.
LGL
Special weather statement, Aug 21, 4:36 PM EDT, 1 hour 11 minutes before
NCZ003>005-014-015-212110-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH/DURHAM, NC
435 PM EDT TUE AUG 21 1990

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF
CENTRAL AND WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA UNTIL 10 PM. THE WATCH INCLUDES
MOORE AND RICHMOND COUNTIES IN THE SANDHILLS.

AT 435 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED SCATTERED
THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO THE WESTERN PORTION OF THE SANDHILLS.
HEAVY RAIN AND GUSTY WINDS HAVE BEEN REPORTED IN MOORE COUNTY BY
THE SHERIFFS DEPARTMENT. RADAR SHOWED THE HEAVIEST RAIN WAS OCCURRING
IN AN AREA BOUNDED APPROXIMATELY BY SOUTHERN PINES...ABERDEEN...AND
PINEBLUFF.

RADAR ALSO INDICATED THAT HEAVY RAIN WAS OCCURRING IN NORTHERN MOORE
COUNTY NEAR THE CHATHAM AND LEE COUNTY LINES. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE
MOVING TO THE EAST AT ABOUT 15 MPH. RESIDENTS OF LEE...HOKE...
AND HARNETT COUNTY SHOULD BE ALERT. IF THE THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE
THEIR MOTION AND MAINTAIN THEIR STRENGTH...THEY WILL AFFECT PORTIONS
OF THOSE COUNTIES BEFORE 530 PM.

THE SLOW-MOVING THUNDERSTORMS HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE LOCALLY
HEAVY RAIN.

LISTEN TO RADIO...TELEVISION...OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR ADDITIONAL
STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLY WARNING5S.

LGL
Special weather statement, Aug 21, 4:50 PM EDT, 57 minutes before
NCZ006-007-009-212000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENSBORO NC
450 PM EDT MON AUG 20 1990

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH UNTIL 10 PM FOR THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS..
   NORTHERN FOOTHILLS AND PARTS OF THE NORTHWEST PIEDMONT OF NC...

AT 445 PM RADAR SHOWED MOST OF THE STRONG STORMS IN THE STATE ROUGHLY
BETWEEN ASHEVILLE AND CHARLOTTE AND BETWEEN CHARLOTTE AND FAYETTEVILLE.
NOT MUCH WAS GOING ON IN ALLEGHANY..WILKES..SURRY OR ALEXANDER COUNTIES
IN THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS AND NORTHERN FOOTHILLS OR ANY OF THE NORTHWEST
PIEDMONT.

THE POSSIBILITY STILL EXISTS THAT SOME STRONG STORMS COULD DEVELOP OVER
THE AREA.  PERSONS IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT
FORH THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND SHOULD TAKE SHELTER IF STORMS
APPROACH.
RBN
Special weather statement, Aug 21, 5:04 PM EDT, 43 minutes before
NCZ003>005-014-015-212200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH/DURHAM, NC
503 PM EDT TUE AUG 21 1990

HEAVY RAIN CONTINUES TO DRENCH SOME PARTS OF THE SANDHILLS.

AT 5 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED AN AREA OF SHOWERS
AND THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN IN LEE COUNTY AND HOKE COUNTY.
THE PRECIPITATION WAS MOVING TO THE EAST AT ONLY 15 MPH. DUE TO THE
SLOW MOVEMENT OF THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...LOCALLY EXCESSIVE
AMOUNTS OF RAIN ARE POSSIBLE.

PEOPLE IN HARNETT COUNTY AND CUMBERLAND COUNTY SHOULD BE ALERT FOR
RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS. IF THE THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE
MOVING TO THE EAST...HEAVY RAIN AND POSSIBLY GUSTY WIND COULD AFFECT
PORTIhONS OF THOSE COUNTIES BEFORE 6 PM.

LGL

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.