Alert archive / North Carolina / Tornado Warnings in 1995

Tornado Warning 8, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

May 1, 1995Gaston County, North Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this tornado warning at May 1, 1995, 9:44 PM EDT for Gaston County, North Carolina. It was in force for 46 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 1, 1995, 9:44 PM EDT (01:44 UTC)
Expired
May 1, 1995, 10:30 PM EDT
In force
46 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 00:00Z, 1.7 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 00:00Z on 1995-05-02Temperature 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°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC at 00:00Z on 1995-05-02The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 276 square meters per square second.1939587897117Sfc1 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
863 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
71 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
276 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
565 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 020145
TORCLT
NCC071-020230-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLOTTE NC
944 PM EDT MON MAY 1 1995
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHARLOTTE HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1030 PM EDT
FOR EVERYONE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN WEST NORTH CAROLINA
 
   ...GASTON COUNTY
 
AT 941 PM EDT WEATHER RADAR SHOWED A THUNDERSTORM WITH A POSSIBLE
TORNADO IN SOUTHWEST GASTON COUNTY NEAR CROWDERS MOUNTAIN. THIS
WILL BRING THE STORM JUST TO THE SOUTH OF GASTONIA BY 1010 PM.
 
 
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 SMALZL ROOM NEAR THE CENTER OF A
BUILDING... GROUND FLOOR IF POSSIBLE. PROTECT YOUR HEAD AND CHEST.
 
JPW

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, May 1, 7:05 PM EDT, 2 hours 39 minutes before
NCZ033-034-048>055-058-010030

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ASHEVILLE NC
6:55 PM EDT MON MAY 1 1995

A TORNADO WATCH CONTINUES IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM EDT FOR THE FOLLOWING CO
T
CHEROKEE...GRAHAM...CLAY...MACON...JACKSON...TRANSYLVANIA...HENDERSON...
POLK

AT 6:50 PM EDT WEATHER RADAR SHOWED A LARGE AREA OF LIGHT TO MODERATE
RAIN WITH SOME EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN AND GUSTY WINDS
OVER MUCH OF WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA.

THIS AREA IS MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...LOCAL RADIO... AND TV FOR LATER
STATEMENTS.

SM
Special weather statement, May 1, 8:08 PM EDT, 1 hour 36 minutes before
NCZ068-056-020100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLOTTE NC
800 PM EDT MON MAY 01 1995

...A TORNADO WATCH CONTINUES IN EFFECT FOR CHEROKEE COUNTY
SOUTH CAROLINA UNTIL 11 PM EDT.

...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS SOME WITH HEAVY RAIN MOVING INTO
THE SOUTHERN PIEDMONT AND FOOTHILLS OF NORTH CAROLINA....

AT 755 PM EDT WEATHER RADAR SHOWS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
DEVELOPING JUST SOUTH OF CHARLOTTE NEAR PINEVILLE. OTHER
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING JUST TO THE NORTH
OF SHELBY AND WEST OF SHELBY IN CLEVELAND COUNTY. OTHER SHOWERS
AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE JUST WEST OF HICKORY IN CATAWBA COUNTY.

THESE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE PART OF A LARGE AREA OF SHOWERS
AND THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING ACROSS WESTERN SECTIONS OF THE
CAROLINAS. THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST AND
ARE EXPECTED TO INTENSIFIED OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS.

EVERYONE IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS CAN EXPECT THUNDERSTORMS WITH
HEAVY RAINFALL ... GUSTY WINDS ... DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND POSSIBLE
HAIL.

CONTINUE TO MONITOR YOUR LOCAL RADIO...TELEVISION OR WEATHER RADIO
FOR ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

JPW
Special weather statement, May 1, 8:51 PM EDT, 53 minutes before
NCZ056-068>072-082-020200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLOTTE NC
0850 PM EDT MON MAY 01 1995

...A TORNADO WATCH CONTINUES IN EFFECT FOR CHEROKEE COUNTY
SOUTH CAROLINA UNTIL 11 PM EDT.

...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS SOME WITH HEAVY RAIN HAS MOVED INTO
THE SOUTHERN PIEDMONT AND NORTHERN FOOTHILLS OF NORTH CAROLINA....

AT 845 PM EDT WEATHER RADAR SHOWED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
SOME WITH HEAVY RAIN EXTENDING FROM AROUND HICKORY IN CATAWBA
COUNTY SOUTH ACROSS WESTERN LINCOLN COUNTY TO JUST NORTHEAST
OF SHELBY IN CLEVELAND COUNTY.

THESE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE PART OF A LARGE AREA OF SHOWERS
AND THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM AROUND GREENSBORO SOUTH TO
MONROE IN UNION COUNTY AND WEST INTO THE NORTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS.
ARE EXPECTED TO INTENSIFIED OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS.

EVERYONE IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS CAN EXPECT THUNDERSTORMS WITH
HEAVY RAINFALL ... GUSTY WINDS ... DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND POSSIBLE
HAIL.

CONTINUE TO MONITOR YOUR LOCAL RADIO...TELEVISION OR WEATHER RADIO
FOR ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

JPW
Local storm report, May 1, 9:01 PM EDT, 43 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
900 PM EDT MON MAY 1 1995

DELAYED REPORT FROM 911...

TIME EST    ....CITY LOCATION       STATE  ....EVENT/REMARKS....
            ....COUNTY LOCATION

  730 PM   SIX MILE                  SC   POSSIBLE SMALL TORNADO
05/01/95   COUNTY                         UPROOTED TREES AND CAUSED
                                          MINOR PROPERTY DAMAGE

W. JONES/GSP
\
Local storm report, May 1, 9:36 PM EDT, 8 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
934 PM EDT MON MAY 1 1995

DELAYED REPORT FROM 911...

TIME EST    ....CITY LOCATION       STATE  ....EVENT/REMARKS....
            ....COUNTY LOCATION

  925 PM   GAFFNEY TO BLACKSBURG     SC   ...TORNADO...
05/01/95   CHEROKEE                       BUILDINGS DOWN LARGE AREA
                                          WITHOUT POWER NOT SURE OF
                                          EXTENT OF DAMAGE.

W. JONES/GSP
Local storm report, May 1, 9:44 PM EDT, 0 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
940 PM EDT MON MAY 1 1995

DELAYED REPORT FROM 911...

TIME EDT    ....CITY LOCATION       STATE  ....EVENT/REMARKS....
            ....COUNTY LOCATION

  939 PM   EAST OF GAFFNEY           SC   ...TORNADO...
05/01/95   CHEROKEE                       DEPUTY HAS VISUAL ON TORNADO
                                          ON GROUND MOVING TOWARD
                                          BLACKSBURG AT THIS TIME
                                          NEAR HIGHWAY 329...POSSIBLE
                                          SECOND TORNADO THIS STORM

W. JONES/GSP

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 1, 8:58 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPLincoln47 min
May 1, 9:15 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPCleveland45 min
May 1, 9:56 PM EDTTornado WarningGSPCabarrus64 min
May 1, 10:07 PM EDTTornado WarningGSPMecklenburg68 min
May 1, 10:28 PM EDTTornado WarningGSPUnion62 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.