Alert archive / North Carolina / Tornado Warnings in 1995

Tornado Warning 20, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

November 11, 1995Alexander County, North Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this tornado warning at Nov 11, 1995, 3:36 PM EST for Alexander County, North Carolina. It was in force for 39 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Nov 11, 1995, 3:36 PM EST (20:36 UTC)
Expired
Nov 11, 1995, 4:15 PM EST
In force
39 min
Issued by
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area
Whole counties

County Alexander County, NC

The radar

The Roanoke radar (KFCX), 147 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:36 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

The nearest sounding before it

Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC (KGSO), launched 12:00Z, 8.6 hours before the alert went out and 116 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 1995-11-11Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 4 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 1995-11-11The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 188 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
4 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-86 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
688 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
36 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
188 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
243 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 KGSP 112037
TORGSP
NCC003-112115-
 
BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
336 PM EST SAT NOV 11 1995
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  415 PM EST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN WEST NORTH CAROLINA
 
   ...ALEXANDER COUNTY
 
A SPOTTER HAS REPORTED A DEVELOPING TORNADO AROUND GRANITE FALLS. RADAR
SHOWED A DEVELOPING TORNADO IN THE SAME AREA. THE STORM WILL MOVE
QUICKLY INTO SOUTHERN ALEXANDER COUNTY AND MAY MOVE NEAR OR SOUTH OF
TAYLORSVILLE.
 
PEOPLE IN OR NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM SHOULD TAKE IMMEDIATE
ACTION TO PROTECT THEIR LIVES. GO TO YOUR BASEMENT...THLE 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.
 
JONES

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, Nov 11, 12:44 PM EST, 2 hours 52 minutes before
NCZ068-069-070-071-072-082-111900-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLOTTE NC
1230 PM EDT SAT NOV 11 1995

...MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN MOVING THROUGH THE PIEDMONT OF NORTH
   CAROLINA AND UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA...

AT 1230 PM WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN
COVERING THE WESTERN HALF OF NORTH CAROLINA AND UPSTATE SOUTH
CAROLINA. THE RAIN SHIELD WAS MOVING EAST NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.

WINDY CONDITIONS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS WEATHER EVENT. PRODUCING
WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 35 MPH IN THE SOUTHERN PIEDMONT. THERE HAVE BEEN
REPORTS OF DOWNED TREES IN GASTON COUNTY DUE TO THE STRONG WINDS AND
SATURATED GROUNDS.

THE HEAVY RAIN IS PRODUCING FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS AND ACROSS
ROADWAYS...CAUSING TRAFFIC HAZARDS FOR MOTORIST. DRIVERS ARE ADVISED
TO SLOW DOWN AND USE EXTREME CAUTION WHEN DRIVING THROUGH THESE AREAS.

THE HEAVY RAIN AND STRONG WINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGHOUT THE
AFTERNOON. THERE IS ALSO THE POSSIBILITY OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS.

RESIDENTS LIVING IN LOW LYING AND FLOOD PRONE AREAS ARE ALSO ADVISED
TO MONITOR WATER LEVELS IN THEIR VICINITY AND BE ALERT TO CHANGING
WEATHER CONDITIONS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION.

MONITOR NOAA WEATHER RADIO... LOCAL TELEVISION OR RADIO
FOR LATER UPDATES ON THIS WEATHER SITUATION. BE READY TO TAKE QUICK
ACTION IF A WARNING IS ISSUED FOR YOUR LOCATION.

JN
Special weather statement, Nov 11, 1:30 PM EST, 2 hours 6 minutes before
NCZ033>035-048>056-058-059-062>065-112000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
130 PM EST SAT NOV 11 1995

A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS MOVING THROUGH THE NORTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS WAS
ENHANCING ALREADY STRONG WINDS.  SOME TREES AND POWER LINES HAVE BEEN
DOWNED IN GRAHAM...SWAIN...AND MADISON COUNTIES.  SINCE A HIGH WIND
WARNING IS ALREADY IN EFFECT...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNINGS WILL NOT
LIKELY BE REQUIRED FOR THESE STORMS UNLESS THEY BECOME ESPECIALLY
INTENSE.  PEOPLE SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR POWER OUTAGES AND OTHER DAMAGE
FROM HIGH WINDS.

IN ADDITION TO THOSE AREAS MENTIONED ABOVE...THIS LINE OF STORMS WILL
AFFECT THE REMAINDER OF NORTH CAROLINA MOUNTAIN COUNTIES BY 3 PM.  AS
THE STRONG COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH...THE WIND WILL GUST TO MORE THAN
50 MPH AT MANY LOCATIONS.

JONES
Special weather statement, Nov 11, 1:31 PM EST, 2 hours 5 minutes before
NCZ033>035-048>056-058-059-062>065-112000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
130 PM EST SAT NOV 11 1995

A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS MOVING THROUGH THE NORTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS WAS
ENHANCING ALREADY STRONG WINDS.  SOME TREES AND POWER LINES HAVE BEEN
DOWNED IN GRAHAM...SWAIN...AND MADISON COUNTIES.  SINCE A HIGH WIND
WARNING IS ALREADY IN EFFECT...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNINGS WILL NOT
LIKELY BE REQUIRED FOR THESE STORMS UNLESS THEY BECOME ESPECIALLY
INTENSE.  PEOPLE SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR POWER OUTAGES AND OTHER DAMAGE
FROM HIGH WINDS.

IN ADDITION TO THOSE AREAS MENTIONED ABOVE...THIS LINE OF STORMS WILL
AFFECT THE REMAINDER OF NORTH CAROLINA MOUNTAIN COUNTIES BY 3 PM.  AS
THE STRONG COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH...THE WIND WILL GUST TO MORE THAN
50 MPH AT MANY LOCATIONS.

JONES
Local storm report, Nov 11, 2:06 PM EST, 1 hour 30 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
206 PM EST SAT NOV 11 1995

TIME (EST) .....CITY LOCATION....... ST   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           .....COUNTY LOCATION.....
155 PM     EPPS CHAPEL               NC   HIGH WINDS
11/11/95   MADISON                        MADISON COMMS REPORTS ROOF
                                          OFF MOBILE HOME - TIME
                                          ESTIMATED

WAJ
Local storm report, Nov 11, 2:10 PM EST, 1 hour 26 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
206 PM EST SAT NOV 11 1995

TIME (EST) .....CITY LOCATION....... ST   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           .....COUNTY LOCATION.....
155 PM     EPPS CHAPEL               NC   HIGH WINDS
11/11/95   MADISON                        MADISON COMMS REPORTS ROOF
                                          OFF MOBILE HOME - TIME
                                          ESTIMATED

W6AJ
Special weather statement, Nov 11, 3:07 PM EST, 29 minutes before
SCZ005-006-008>014-019-NCZ034>037-054>057-066>072-082-112200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
307 PM EST SAT NOV 11 1995

SEVERAL LINES OF THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED IN THE WESTERN CAROLINAS
JUST AHEAD OF THE STRONG COLD FRONT MOVING THROUGH THE AREA.  RADAR AND
AMATEUR RADIO REPORTS INDICATE WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH OR HIGHER IN SOME
OF THE STORMS.  HIGH WINDS WERE RECENTLY REPORTED FROM CALHOUN FALLS.

SOME STORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE AND BECAUSE OF THE STRONG WIND FIELDS A
FEW TORNADOES COULD OCCUR.  A TORNADO WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED WHICH
INCLUDES THE WESTERN CAROLINAS EAST OF A LINE FROM ASHEVILLE TO
SPARTANBURG TO GREENWOOD.

LISTEN FOR POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

JONES

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Nov 11, 9:40 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningGSPJackson, Transylvania3 hr
Nov 11, 9:40 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningGSPMacon3 hr
Nov 11, 3:09 PM ESTTornado WarningGSPRutherford51 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in North Carolina, 1995Every tornado warning in 1995Tornadoes in 1995

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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.