Alert archive / North Carolina / Tornado Warnings in 1992

Tornado Warning 16, NWS Raleigh, NC

November 23, 1992Edgecombe County, North Carolina

NWS Raleigh, NC issued this tornado warning at Nov 23, 1992, 5:20 AM EST for Edgecombe County, North Carolina. It was in force for 55 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Nov 23, 1992, 5:20 AM EST (10:20 UTC)
Expired
Nov 23, 1992, 6:15 AM EST
In force
55 min
Issued by
NWS Raleigh, NC
Area
Whole counties

County Edgecombe County, NC

The nearest sounding before it

Cape Hatteras, NC (KHAT), launched 00:00Z, 10.3 hours before the alert went out and 203 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 1992-11-23Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 131 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 1992-11-23The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 80 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
131 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-53 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
711 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
27 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
80 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
97 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KRDU 231019
TORRDU
NCC065-231115-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH/DURHAM NC
520 AM EST MON NOV 23 1992
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN RALEIGH/DURHAM HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  615 AM EST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN NORTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA
 
   ...EDGECOMBE COUNTY
 
AT 519 AM WEATHER RADAR INDICATED A TORNADO NEAR WILBANKS IN EASTERN
WILSON COUNTY. THE CITY OF WILSON POLICE DEPARTMENT REPORTED A POSSIBLE
FUNNEL CLOUD NEAR THE CITY OF WILSON AT 512 AM. THE STORM PRODUCING THE
TORNADO WAS MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH.
 
 
PEOPLE NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM SHOULD ACT NOW TO PROTECT THEIR
LIVES. GO TO THE LOWEST FLOOR...A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM OR CLOSET.
COVER YOUR HEAD. STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. GET OUT OF MOBILE HOMES AND
VEHICLES AND INTO A STURDY BUILDING OR A DITCH. REPORT DAMAGE TO
LOCAL EMERGENCY OFFICIALS FOR RELAY TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.
l 
GAF

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

Local storm report, Nov 23, 12:30 AM EST, 4 hours 50 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE  GREENSBORO NC
1230 AM EST MON NOV 23 1992

ATTN SELS...

2350 EST...80 MPH WIND MEASURED AT HANES MALL IN WINSTON SALEM
2350 EST...NUMEROUS TREES DOWN IN KING AREA& OF SOUTHWEST STOKES COUNTY
           RALEIGH SAYS THEY MAY HAVE SEEN A HOOK IN THIS AREA.

RBN
Local storm report, Nov 23, 1:38 AM EST, 3 hours 42 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE  GREENSBORO NC
140 AM EST MON NOV 23 1992

ATTN SELS...

2350 EST...2 INJURIES REPORTED IN THE KING STORM IN SOUTHWEST STOKES
           COUNTY.  ONE HOUSE DESTROYED..ROOF OF ANOTHER.
11/23/92
0055 EST...TREES DOWN RANDELMAN ROAD AND SPUR ROAD GUILFORD COUNTY
           SOUTH OF GREENSBORO.
0115 AM...TREE ACROSS ROAD NORTHERN RANDOLPH COUNTY BETWEEN CLIMAX
          AND LEVEL CROSS.

RBN
Special weather statement, Nov 23, 2:00 AM EST, 3 hours 20 minutes before
NCZ003>005-230800-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH/DURHAM NC
200 AM EST MON NOV 23 1992

...TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTHEAST PIEDMONT AND
PARTS OF THE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL COASTAL PLAIN UNTIL 6 AM...

AT 2 AM RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS FROM
NORTHERN PERSON COUNTY SOUTHWESTWARD TO EXTREME WESTERN ORANGE...
EXTREME WESTERN CHATHAM...AND WESTERN MOORE COUNTIES.

THE STRONGEST STORMS IN THE LINE WERE IN EASTERN ALAMANCE COUNTY
ABOUT TO MOVE INTO WESTERN ORANGE COUNTY.

THE LINE WAS MOVING TO THE EAST AT 20 TO 25 MPH WHILE INDIVIDUAL
STORMS WITHIN THE LINE WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 TO 35 MPH.

HAIL AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS ARE POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY IN ORANGE
COUNTY BETWEEN 2 AM AND 3 AM.
REMEMBER...A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF NORTH
CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA UNTIL 6 AM. ALL PERSONS SHOULD STAY TUNED
FOR LATER STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

GAF
Special weather statement, Nov 23, 2:46 AM EST, 2 hours 34 minutes before
NCZ006-230815-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENSBORO NC
245 AM EST MON NOV 23 1992

...TORNADO WATCH NO LONGER IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTHWEST PIEDMONT
   OF NORTH CAROLINA BUT DOES CONTINUE FURTHER EAST UNTIL 6 AM...

AT 245 AM RADAR SHOWED THAT SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS HAVE MOVED
EAST OF THE NORTHWEST PIEDMONT OF NORTH CAROLINA.  ALL WARNINGS
FOR THE NORTHWEST PIEDMONT HAVE EXPIRED AND THE SEVERE WEATHER
APPEARS TO BE OVER zFOR US.

RBN
Local storm report, Nov 23, 2:56 AM EST, 2 hours 24 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH/DURHAM, NC
255 AM EST MON NOV 23 1992

TIME           EVENT
220 AM EST     ORANGE COUNTY...SHERIFFS OFFICE REPORTED A TORNADO
               TOUCHDOWN WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS OF HILLSBOROUGH.
               PRELIMINARY INFORMATION FROM THE SHERIFFS OFFICE IS
               THAT SEVERAL MOBILE HOMES HAVE BEEN OVERTURNED WITH
               SOME PEOPLE STILL PINNED INSIDE. THE DAMAGE IS OFF
               OF ROUTE 70 ON FAUCETTE ROAD.

220 AM EST     ORANGE COUNTY...HAM RADIO OPERATORS REPORTED TREES DOWN
               AND NUMEROUS TREE LIMBS DOWN SOUTH OF HILLSBOROUGH NEAR
               THE INTERSECTION OF I-85 AND I-40.

GAF
Special weather statement, Nov 23, 4:00 AM EST, 1 hour 20 minutes before
NCZ003>005-231000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH/DURHAM NC
400 AM EST MON NOV 23 1992

...TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTHEAST PIEDMONT AND
PARTS OF THE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL COASTAL PLAIN UNTIL 6 AM...

AT 4 AM RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS FROM
WARREN COUNTY SOUTHWEST THROUGH FRANKLIN...WAKE...HARNETT...AND HOKE
COUNTIES.

THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE IN SOUTHERN WAKE COUNTY NEAR FUQUAY-VARINA
THROUGH NORTHERN HARNETT COUNTY TO JUST NORTH OF LILLINGTON.

THE LINE WAS MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH AND SHOWING SIGNS OF
WEAKENING.

HOWEVER SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND TORNADOES ARE STILL POSSIBLE IN THE
WATCH AREA. LISTEN FOR F2URTHER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
^
MDV

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Nov 23, 12:13 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRAHChatham32 min
Nov 23, 12:33 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRAHDurham57 min
Nov 23, 2:03 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRAHOrange57 min
Nov 23, 2:34 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRAHDurham41 min
Nov 23, 2:50 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRAHGranville40 min
Nov 23, 3:03 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRAHVance27 min
Nov 23, 4:34 AM ESTTornado WarningRAHJohnston56 min
Nov 23, 4:46 AM ESTTornado WarningRAHNash, Wilson59 min
Nov 23, 5:47 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRAHPitt, Wilson58 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in North Carolina, 1992Every tornado warning in 1992Tornadoes in 1992

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.