Alert archive / North Carolina / Tornado Warnings in 1994
Tornado Warning 12, NWS Raleigh, NC
NWS Raleigh, NC issued this tornado warning at Aug 17, 1994, 9:48 PM EDT for Johnston County, North Carolina. It was in force for 27 min.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- Aug 17, 1994, 9:48 PM EDT (01:48 UTC)
- Expired
- Aug 17, 1994, 10:15 PM EDT
- In force
- 27 min
- Issued by
- NWS Raleigh, NC
- Area
- Whole counties
County Johnston County, NC
The nearest sounding before it
Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC (KGSO), launched 00:00Z, 1.8 hours before the alert went out and 152 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 145 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -8 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 799 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 17 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- -9 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 15 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KRDU 180147 TORRDU NCC101-180215- BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH/DURHAM NC 948 PM EDT WED AUG 17 1994 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN RALEIGH/DURHAM HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1015 PM EDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION... IN EAST CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA ...JOHNSTON COUNTY WEATHER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM IN WESTERN JOHNSTON COUNTY MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHEAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR. A TORNADO WAS REPORTED WITH THIS STORM AS IT CROSSED BUIES CREEK IN EASTERN HARNETT COUNTY WITH DAMAGE REPORTED BY HARNETT COUNTY OFFICIALS NEAR BUIES CREEK. TORNADOES AT NIGHT CAN BE ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS. NOISE LIKE A ROARING TRAIN MAY BE YOUR ONLY CLUE OF AN APPROACHING TORNADO. GO TO A STURDY SHELTER NOW, IN THE CENTER OF THE LOWEST LEVEL, AWAY FROM WINDOWS AND OUTSIDE WALLS. IF DAMAGE OCCURS, AVOID WALKING AROUND IN THE DARK. DOWNED POWER LINES AND DEBRIS CAN INJ URE YOU. &
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, Aug 17, 4:06 PM EDT, 5 hours 42 minutes before
NCC005-193-172300- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENSBORO NC 400 PM EDT WED AUG 17 1994 ...A RIVER FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE YADKIN RIVER FROM WILKESBORO DOWNSTREAM TO HIGH ROCK LAKE... ALTHOUGH ONLY PATCHY LIGHT RAIN HAS BEEN REPORTED OVER THE AREA AND WATER IS SLOWLY RECEEDING...OFFICIALS IN ALLEGHANY COUNTY IN THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS AND WILKES COUNTY IN THE NORTHERN FOOTHILLS REPORTED THAT A FEW ROADWAYS AND LOW-LYING AREAS REMAIN UNDER WATER THIS AFTERNOON. MANY CREEKS AND RIVERS ARE ALSO REPORTED TO BE AT OR OVER THEIR BANKS. IF YOU ARE DRIVING IN THE...DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS AREAS WHERE RUNNING WATER COVERS A ROAD. EVEN A RELATIVELY SHALL0OW CURRENT CAN LIFT A VEHICLE AND CARRY IT OFF A ROAD. MOST FLOOD AND FLASH FLOOD FATALITIES OCCUR IN MOTOR VEHICLES. ELJ ...CORRECTED FOR EXPIRATION TIME AND TYPO...
Special weather statement, Aug 17, 4:07 PM EDT, 5 hours 41 minutes before
NCC005-193-172300- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENSBORO NC 400 PM EDT WED AUG 17 1994 ...A RIVER FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE YADKIN RIVER FROM WILKESBORO DOWNSTREAM TO HIGH ROCK LAKE... ALTHOUGH ONLY PATCHY LIGHT RAIN HAS BEEN REPORTED OVER THE AREA AND WATER IS SLOWLY RECEEDING...OFFICIALS IN ALLEGHANY COUNTY IN THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS AND WILKES COUNTY IN THE NORTHERN FOOTHILLS REPORTED THAT A FEW ROADWAYS AND LOW-LYING AREAS REMAIN UNDER WATER THIS AFTERNOON. MANY CREEKS AND RIVERS ARE ALSO REPORTED TO BE AT OR OVER THEIR BANKS. IF YOU ARE DRIVING IN THE AREA...DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS AREAS WHERE RUNNING WATER COVERS A ROAD. EVEN A2 RELATIVELY SHALLOW CURRENT CAN LIFT A VEHICLE AND CARRY IT OFF A ROAD. MOST FLOOD AND FLASH FLOOD FATALITIES OCCUR IN MOTOR VEHICLES. ELJ ...CORRECTED FOR EXPIRATION TIME AND TYPO...
Special weather statement, Aug 17, 8:05 PM EDT, 1 hour 43 minutes before
NCZ007>012-024>028-040>044-075>079-085-086-088-091-171600- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH, NC 805 PM EDT WED AUG 17 1994 ...A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS MOVING INTO THE NORTHEAST PIEDMONT... AT 750 PM WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO THE NORTHEAST PIEDMONT OF NORTH CAROLINA. THE THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM EASTERN PERSON COUNTY AND GRANVILLE COUNTY SOUTHWARD TO LEE AND HARNETT COUNTIES. THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE SOUTHEAST OF DURHAM...IN WESTERN WAKE COUNTY...AND NEAR THE LEE-HARNETT COUNTY BORDER. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH AND WILL MOVE ACROSS DURHAM...WAKE...HARNETT...GRANVILLE...VANCE AND FRANKIN COUNTIES BETWEEN 800 AND 900 PM. HEAVY SHOWERS AND VERY GUSTY WINDS WILL ACCOMPANY THESE STORMS. IF THUNDERSTORMS APPROACH...SEEK SHELTER INSIDE A STURDY BUILDING UNTIL THE STORMS PASS. SGY
Special weather statement, Aug 17, 8:06 PM EDT, 1 hour 42 minutes before
NCZ007>012-024>028-040>044-075>079-085-086-088-091-171600- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH, NC 805 PM EDT WED AUG 17 1994 ...A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS MOVING INTO THE NORTHEAST PIEDMONT... AT 750 PM WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO THE NORTHEAST PIEDMONT OF NORTH CAROLINA. THE THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM EASTERN PERSON COUNTY AND GRANVILLE COUNTY SOUTHWARD TO LEE AND HARNETT COUNTIES. THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE SOUTHEAST OF DURHAM...IN WESTERN WAKE COUNTY...AND NEAR THE LEE-HARNETT COUNTY BORDER. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH AND WILL MOVE ACROSS DURHAM...WAKE...HARNETT...GRANVILLE...VANCE AND FRANKIN COUNTIES BETWEEN 800 AND 900 PM. HEAVY SHOWERS AND VERY GUSTY WINDS WILL ACCOMPANY THESE STORMS. IF THUNDERSTORMS APPROACH...SEEK SHELTER INSIDE A STURDY BUILDING UNTIL THE STORMS PASS. SGY
Special weather statement, Aug 17, 9:10 PM EDT, 38 minutes before
NCZ007>012-024>028-040>044-075>079-085-086-088-091-180210- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH, NC 910 PM EDT WED AUG 17 1994 ...A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING ACROSS CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA... AT 900 PM WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A NEARLY SOLID LINE OF SHOWERS AND SOME VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING ACROSS THE NORTHEAST PIEDMONT AND SANDHILLS OF NORTH CAROLINA. THE LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM KERR LAKE SOUTHWARD TO RALEIGH...FAYETTEVILLE...AND LAURINBURG IN SCOTLAND COUNTY. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH AND WILL MOVE ACROSS VANCE...WARREN...HALIFAX...FRANKLIN...NASH...EASTERN WAKE...JOHNSTON... HARNETT...CUMBERLAND...HOKE...AND SCOTLAND COUNTIES BETWEEN 910 PM AND 10 PM. THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE OVER EASTERN WAKE COUNTY. A WIND GUST OF OVER 60 MPH WAS REPORTED BY A WEATHER SPOTTER WHEN THE STORMS PASSED OVER HOLLY SPRINGS IN WAKE COUNTY. THESE STORMS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING STRONG WINDS...HEAVY DOWNPOURS... LIGHTNING AND POSSIBLY SMALL HAIL. IF A THUNDERSTORM APPROACHES...SEEK INDOOR SHELTER. SGY
Special weather statement, Aug 17, 9:15 PM EDT, 33 minutes before
NCZ007>012-024>028-040>044-075>079-085-086-088-091-180210- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH, NC 910 PM EDT WED AUG 17 1994 ...A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING ACROSS CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA... AT 900 PM WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A NEARLY SOLID LINE OF SHOWERS AND SOME VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING ACROSS THE NORTHEAST PIEDMONT AND SANDHILLS OF NORTH CAROLINA. THE LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM KERR LAKE SOUTHWARD TO RALEIGH...FAYETTEVILLE...AND LAURINBURG IN SCOTLAND COUNTY. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH AND WILL MOVE ACROSS VANCE...WARREN...HALIFAX...FRANKLIN...NASH...EASTERN WAKE...JOHNSTON... HARNETT...CUMBERLAND...HOKE...AND SCOTLAND COUNTIES BETWEEN 910 PM AND 10 PM. THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE OVER EASTERN WAKE COUNTY. A WIND GUST OF OVER 60 MPH WAS REPORTED BY A WEATHER SPOTTER WHEN THE STORMS PASSED OVER HOLLY SPRINGS IN WAKE COUNTY. THESE STORMS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING STRONG WINDS...HEAVY DOWNPOURS... LIGHTNING AND POSSIBLY SMALL HAIL. IF A THUNDERSTORM APPROACHES...SEEK INDOOR SHELTER. SGY
The office that day
Everything else NWS Raleigh, NC issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 17, 8:18 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RAH | Wake | 42 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.