Alert archive / North Carolina / Tornado Warnings in 1994

Tornado Warning 15, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

March 27, 1994Gaston County, North Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this tornado warning at Mar 27, 1994, 6:31 PM EST for Gaston County, North Carolina. It was in force for 59 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Mar 27, 1994, 6:31 PM EST (23:31 UTC)
Expired
Mar 27, 1994, 7:30 PM EST
In force
59 min
Issued by
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area
Whole counties

County Gaston County, NC

The nearest sounding before it

Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC (KGSO), launched 12:00Z, 11.5 hours before the alert went out and 145 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 1994-03-27Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 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 1994-03-27The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 542 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
534 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
72 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
542 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
777 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 272331
TORCLT
NCC071-280030-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLOTTE NC
631 PM EST SUN MAR 27 1994
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHARLOTTE HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  730 PM EST
FOR EVERYONE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN SOUTH CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA
 
   ...MECKLENBURG COUNTY
 
AT 630 PM WEATHER RADAR DETECTED A POSSIBLE TORNADO PRODUCING
SEVERE STORM MOVING INTO SOUTHWESTERN GASTON COUNTY. THE STORM
IS MOVING TOWARD THE CHARLOTTE METROPOLITAN AREA.
 
EVERYONE IN OR NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM SHOULD TAKE IMMEDIATE
ACTION TO PROTECT THEIR LIFE. THE BEST PLACE TO BE IS IN BASEMENT.
IF THERE IS NONE AVAILABLE GO TO A SMALL ROOM@ NEAR THE CENTER OF A
BUILDING... GROUND FLOOR IF POSSIBLE. PROTECT YOUR HEAD AND CHEST.
 
GK

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, Mar 27, 4:01 PM EST, 2 hours 30 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
400 PM EST SUN MAR 27 1994

355 PM OCONEE COUNTY MOUNTAIN REST TORNADO DAMAGE. SECOND STORM.

W. JONES/GSP
Local storm report, Mar 27, 4:19 PM EST, 2 hours 12 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
418 PM EST SUN MAR 27 1994

415 PM GOLF BALL HAIL CLEVELAND GREENVILLE COUNTY.

W. JONES/GSP
Special weather statement, Mar 27, 4:58 PM EST, 1 hour 33 minutes before
NCZ056-068>074-082>084-272300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLOTTE NC
500 PM EST SUN MAR 27 1994

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES UNTIL 9 PM
THIS EVENING.  CLEVELAND... LINCOLN... GASTON... IREDELL...
MECKLENBURG... ROWAN... CABARRUS... UNION... STANLY... ANSON...
MONTGOMERY... AND RICHMOND IN NORTH CAROLINA...

...A TORNADO WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN
SOUTH CAROLINA ALSO UNTIL 9 PM.  CHEROKEE... YORK... CHESTER.... AND
LANCASTER.

...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR CLEVELAND... CATAWBA...
LINCOLN... AND GASTON COUNTIES THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...

AT 450 PM WEATHER RADAR WAS SHOWING A WIDESPREAD AREA OF SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS OF NORTH AND SOUTH
CAROLINA.  THE AREA NOW COVERED ALL OF IREDELL... CATAWBA...
LINCOLN... AND CLEVELAND COUNTIES.  SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WHICH HAVE
PRODUCED TORNADOES IN NORTHWESTERN SOUTH CAROLINA WERE MOVING INTO
RUTHERFORD COUNTY AND CONTINUED TO MOVE THROUGH MUCH OF NORTHWESTERN
SOUTH CAROLINA.  MOVEMENT WAS TOWARD THE NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH.

THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS WEATHER SITUATION.  REMEMBER A TORNADO
WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF
TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA.
TORNADOES HAVE TOUCHED DOWN THROUGHOUT NORTHERN GEORGIA AND
NORTHWESTERN SOUTH CAROLINA.  IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES
PLEASE TAKE COVER IMMEDIATELY.  MOVE TO A BASEMENT OR SMALLEST
INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR.

CONTINUE TO MONITOR NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL TELEVISION AND RADIO
FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION AND FOR ANY WARNINGS THAT MAY BE
ISSUED.  THE NEXT STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED BY 6 PM.

GK
Local storm report, Mar 27, 5:18 PM EST, 1 hour 13 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ASHEVILLE NC
515 PM EST SUN MAR 27 1994

TIME            EVENT

500 PM EST      TREES BLOWN DOWN NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF CHESNEE AND
                COUNTY LINE ROADS NEAR SANDY SPRINGS IN SOUTHEASTERN
                POLK COUNTY.  REPORTED BY COUNTY SHERIFF`S OFFICE.
                TIME ESTIMATED.
EJC
Local storm report, Mar 27, 5:31 PM EST, 1 hour before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ASHEVILLE NC
530 PM EST SUN MAR 27 1994

TIME            EVENT

525 PM EST      QUARTER SIZE HAIL REPORTED IN THE SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF
                RUTHERFORD COUNVTY.  TREES AND POWER LINES BLOWN DOWN
                IN THE SAME AREA.  REPORTED BY SKYWARN SPOTTER.

EJC
Local storm report, Mar 27, 5:59 PM EST, 32 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
557 PM EST SUN MAR 27 1994

OTHER REPORTS...

438 PM QUARTER HAIL HIGHWAY 11 AND 14 NORTHERN GREENVILLE COUNTY.
415 PM DIME HAIL 5 N OF PICKENS.
445 PM POSSIBLE TORNADO OAK GROVE AREA NORTHERN GREENVILLE COUNTY
NUMEROUS TREES AND POWER LINES.
455 PM TORNADO MAYBE TWO ARROWOOD CHURCH AREA NORTHERN SPARTANBURG
COUNTY.
510 PM DIME HAIL SUGAR CREEK 3 WEST GSP.
517 PM 1 INCH HAIL GREER
519 PM DIME TO NICKEL HAIL 2 N GREER
515 PM TORNADO HIGHWAY 221 AREA NORTHWEST CHEROKEE COUNTY.  ANOTHER
TOUCHDOWN A BIT EARLIER NEAR CHESNEE
535 PM VEHICLES BLOWN OFF ROAD EXIT 70 HIGHWAY I-26.
545 PM 3 FOOT OAK AND OTHER DAMAGE COWPENS AREA SPARTANBURG COUNTY.
505 PM SEVERAL REPORTS WIND DAMAGE IN AND AROUND CITY OF GREENVILLE.

W. JONES/GSP

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 27, 1:32 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPGraham, Swain58 min
Mar 27, 1:50 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPCherokee, Clay55 min
Mar 27, 3:35 PM ESTTornado WarningGSPJackson, Transylvania40 min
Mar 27, 3:46 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPMacon59 min
Mar 27, 4:08 PM ESTTornado WarningGSPHenderson, Polk67 min
Mar 27, 4:45 PM ESTTornado WarningGSPRutherford45 min
Mar 27, 5:05 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPCleveland55 min
Mar 27, 5:23 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPTransylvania37 min
Mar 27, 5:29 PM ESTTornado WarningGSPGaston61 min
Mar 27, 5:39 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPHenderson66 min
Mar 27, 5:53 PM ESTTornado WarningGSPGaston37 min
Mar 27, 5:56 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPTransylvania34 min
Mar 27, 6:27 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPCherokee, Graham63 min
Mar 27, 6:27 PM ESTTornado WarningGSPGaston33 min
Mar 27, 6:53 PM ESTTornado WarningGSPCabarrus52 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in North Carolina, 1994Every tornado warning in 1994Tornadoes in 1994

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.