Alert archive / North Carolina / Tornado Warnings in 1991

Tornado Warning 4, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

April 29, 1991Cleveland County, North Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this tornado warning at Apr 29, 1991, 7:14 PM EDT for Cleveland County, North Carolina. It was in force for 61 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: Apr 29, 1991, 7:14 PM EDT (23:14 UTC)
Expired: Apr 29, 1991, 8:15 PM EDT
In force: 61 min
Issued by: NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area: Whole counties

County Cleveland County, NC

What was reported inside it

Time	Report	Where	Remark
Apr 29, 7:45 PM EDT	Thunderstorm Wind 0	Cleveland, 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

Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC (KGSO), launched 12:00Z, 11.2 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 24 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 83 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 141 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 292316
TORCLT
NCC045-300015-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLOTTE NC
714 PM EDT MON APR 29 1991
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHARLOTTE HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  815 PM EDT
FOR EVERYONE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN WEST NORTH CAROLINA
 
   ...CLEVELAND COUNTY
 
AT 710 PM EDT WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A POSSIBLE TORNADO IN
SOUTHERN CLEVELAND COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA. AT 711 PM A FUNNEL CLOUD WAS
REPORTED BY AN AMATEUR RADIO OPERATOR. THIS REPORT WAS NEAR LATTIMORE
WHICH IS ABOUT 6 MILES WEST OF SHELBY. THIS STORM WAS MOVING NORTHEAST
AROUND 25 MPH.
 
 
 
PEOPLE IN OR NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM SHOULD TAKE IMMEDIATE
ACTION TO PROTECT THEIR LIVES. GO TO A BASEMENT...THE CENTER OF
BUILDINGS...COVER YOUR HEAD. DO NOT GO NEAR DOORS OR WINDOWS. GET
OUT OF MOBILE HOMES AND VEHICLES. GET INTO A STURDY BUILDING OR A
DITCH.
MATT

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, Apr 29, 5:32 PM EDT, 1 hour 42 minutes before

NCZ007-009-010-011-012-013-292230-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ASHEVILLE NC
532 PM EDT MON APR 29 1991

...TORNADO WATCH TIL 11 PM EDT FOR THE MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS OF NORTH
CAROLINA INCLUDING THE COUNTIES OF...ASHE...AVERY...BURKE...BUNCOMBE...
CALDWELL...HENDERSON...JACKSON...MADISON...MCDOWELL...MITCHELL...POLK...
RUTHERFORD...TRANSYLVANIA...WATUAGA AND YANCEY...

AT 530 PM EDT...SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED OVER THE
MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS OF WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA. THE STRONGEST STORMS
WERE LOCATED IN THE FOOTHILLS FROM 15 TO 25 MILES NORTHEAST OF TRYON
MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MILES AN HOUR.

VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS...POSSIBLY SEVERE WERE MOVING THROUGH UPSTATE
SOUTH CAROLINA. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MILES AN HOUR.
THIS PATH WILL TAKE THESE STORMS INTO SOUTHEAST TRANSYLVANIA COUNTY AND
ALL OF SOUTHERN HENDERSON COUNTY BY 6 PM EDT. PEOPLE ALONG THE NORTH
CAROLINA-SOUTH CAROLINA BORDER AND IN HENDERSONVILLE SHOULD SEEK SAFE
SHELTER UNTIL THESE DANGEROUS THUNDERSTORMS HAVE PASSED.

REPORT ANY SIGNIFICANT WEATHER TO YOUR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY FOR
RELAY TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO
FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

REMEMBER...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR TORNADOES
AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. HEAVY RAIN
ASSOCIATED WITH THESE STORMS CAN QUICKLY FLOOD URBAN STREETS...SMALL
STREAMS AND OTHER LOW LYING AREAS.
CARPENTER

Special weather statement, Apr 29, 6:30 PM EDT, 44 minutes before

NCZ007-008-014-292330-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLOTTE NC
630 PM EDT MON APR 29 1991

...A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR A LARGE PORTION OF NORTH AND
SOUTH CAROLINA UNTIL 11 PM TONIGHT...

AT 625 PM EDT WEATHER RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE
NORTH CAROLINA COUNTIES OF GASTON ... CLEVELAND ... AND LINCOLN.
THESE STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

WEATHER SERVICE RADAR ALSO INDICATED CLUSTERS OF STRONG PERSISTENT
THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE SOUTH CAROLINA FOOTHILLS ... FROM NORTH OF
SPARTANBURG SOUTH CAROLINA EXTENDING SOUTH. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING
NORTHEAST AT AROUND 30 MPH. IF THESE STORMS CONTINUE THEIR PRESENT
MOVEMENT THEY WILL MOVE ACROSS THE NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF
RUTHERFORD AND INTO CLEVELAND COUNTY BY AROUND 700 PM.

OTHER THUNDERSTORMS SOUTH OF THE SPARTANBURG AREA WERE CONTINUING
THEIR NORTHEAST MOVEMENT AND WILL LIKELY MOVE INTO THE SOUTH CAROLINA
COUNTY OF CHEROKEE BY AROUND 730 PM EDT.

THESE STORMS HAVE HAD SEVERE WEATHER ASSOCIATED WITH THEM AND WILL
LIKELY CONTINUE TO PRODUCE HEAVY RAINS ... STRONG GUSTY WINDS ... AND
DEADLY LIGHTNING.

EVERYONE IN THESE COUNTIES ARE ADVISED TO SEEK SAFE SHELTER IF
THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES.

YOU ARE ENCOURAGED TO STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR COMMERCIAL
RADIO OR TELEVISION FOR ADDITIONAL UPDATES ON THESE STORMS.

THE NEXT STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED AROUND 730 PM EDT.

MATT

Local storm report, Apr 29, 6:46 PM EDT, 28 minutes before

STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
644 PM EDT MON APR 29 1991

640 PM EDT   HAM RADIO OPERATOR REPORTED PEA SIZE HAIL NEAR
             COOLEY SPRINGS IN NORTHERN SPARTANBURG COUNTY
             SOUTH CAROLINA.

Local storm report, Apr 29, 6:48 PM EDT, 26 minutes before

STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
647 PM EDT MON APR 29 1991

647 PM EDT   HAM RADIO OPERATOR REPORTED THREE-QUARTER INCH
             HAIL NEAR COOLEY SPRINGS IN NORTHERN SPARTANBURG COUNTY
             SOUTH CAROLINA.

Local storm report, Apr 29, 6:55 PM EDT, 19 minutes before

STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
655 PM EDT MON APR 29 1991

650 PM EDT   NWS EMPLOYEE REPORTED GOLF BALL HAIL FINGERVILLE
             NORTHERN SPARTANBURG COUNTY.

JONES

Local storm report, Apr 29, 7:11 PM EDT, 3 minutes before

STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
710 PM EDT MON APR 29 1991

700 PM EDT   GOLFBALL HAIL ASSOCIATED WITH FUNNEL SOUTHEAST OF
             GREENWOOD BY LAW ENFORCEMENT MOVING EAST SOUTHEAST.
             ALSO SHINGLES BLOWN OFF RESTAURANT AND DAMAGED CAR
             IN GREENWOOD.

JONES

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Apr 28, 8:20 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	GSP	Watauga	55 min
Apr 29, 4:32 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Catawba	58 min
Apr 29, 6:01 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Polk	44 min
Apr 29, 6:49 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Rutherford	26 min
Apr 29, 7:42 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	GSP	Lincoln	48 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in North Carolina, 1991 Every tornado warning in 1991 Tornadoes in 1991

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.