Alert archive / North Carolina / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1995

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 55, NWS Raleigh, NC

May 19, 1995Durham County, Wake County, North Carolina

NWS Raleigh, NC issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 19, 1995, 8:19 AM EDT for Durham County, Wake County, North Carolina. It was in force for 41 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 19, 1995, 8:19 AM EDT (12:19 UTC)
Expired
May 19, 1995, 9:00 AM EDT
In force
41 min
Issued by
NWS Raleigh, NC
Area
Whole counties

Counties Durham County, NC, Wake County, NC

The radar

The Raleigh/Durham radar (KRAX), 37 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 12:23 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, 0.3 hours before the alert went out and 104 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 1995-05-19Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 119 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 1995-05-19The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 59 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
119 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-40 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
893 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
57 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
59 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
94 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
-0.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KRDU 191224
SVRRDU
NCC063-183-191300-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH/DURHAM NC
819 AM EDT FRI MAY 19 1995
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN RALEIGH/DURHAM HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  900 AM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
 
IN NORTH CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA
 
   ...SOUTHERN DURHAM COUNTY...WAKE COUNTY
 
AT 817 AM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR IN RALEIGH INDICATED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM NEAR PARKWOOD IN SOUTHERN DURHAM MOVING TOWARD
HIGHWAY 64 ALONG THE WAKE COUNTY LINE. THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS
MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH.
 
 
 
 
ALTHOUGH NO TORNADOES HAVE BEEN DETECTED WITH THIS STORM, A TORNADO
WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT. TORNADOES CAN DEVELOP WITHOUT WARNING FROM
A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM.  NOISE LIKE A ROARING TRAIN MAY BE YOUR ONLY
CLUE OF AN APPROACHING TORNADO. TAKE COVER IMMEDIATELY.
 
PEOPLE SHOULD BE ESPECIALLY ALER2T FOR LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WIND.
FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN CAN POSE A DANGER WITH ANY
THUNDERSTORM.  SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY AND REPORT DAMAGE TO
EMERGENCY OFFICIALS FOR RELAY TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm 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 19, 5:39 AM EDT, 2 hours 40 minutes before
NCZ036-190945

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENSBORO NC
535 AM EDT FRI MAY 19 1995

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING THROUGH IREDELL COUNTY...

AT 520 AM EDT WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED VERY STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS MOVING THROUGH SOUTHERN IREDELL COUNTY.  THESE
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING TO THE EAST NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH
AND WILL BE THROUGH IREDELL COUNTY BY 545AM EDT.

HAIL AND STRONG WINDS ARE POSSIBLE WITH THE PASSAGE OF THESE STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS.  IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES AND YOU ARE CAUGHT OUT
OF DOORS BE PREPARED TO SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR COMMERCIAL RADIO OR TELEVISION
FOR ANY FURTHER UPDATES OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, May 19, 5:47 AM EDT, 2 hours 32 minutes before
NCZ037-57 191015

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENSBORO NC
548 AM EDT FRI MAY 19 1995

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO ROWAN AND DAVIE COUNTIES...

AT 545 AM EDT WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED VERY STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS MOVING THROUGH SOUTHERN IREDELL COUNTY AND INTO
ROWAN AND DAVIE COUNTIES.  THESE STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE EAST
NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH AND WILL AFFECT THE NORTHERN PORTION OF ROWAN
AND SOUTHERN PORTION OF DAVIE COUNTY UNTIL 615AM EDT.

HAIL AND STRONG WINDS ARE POSSIBLE WITH THE PASSAGE OF THESE STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS.  IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES AND YOU ARE CAUGHT OUT
OF DOORS BE PREPARED TO SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR COMMERCIAL RADIO OR TELEVISION
FOR ANY FURTHER UPDATES OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
WJB
Local storm report, May 19, 5:53 AM EDT, 2 hours 26 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH/DURHAM, NC
552 AM EDT FRI MAY 19 1995

TIME           EVENT
510 AM EDT     FROM DAVIDSON COUNTY SHERIFF DEPARTMENT...TREE DOWN
               ON OLD U.S. 52 NEAR THE FORSYTH COUNTY LINE.

JBP
Local storm report, May 19, 7:37 AM EDT, 42 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH/DURHAM, NC
736 AM EDT FRI MAY 19 1995

TIME           EVENT
730 AM EDT     FROM ORANGE COUNTY 911...TREES DOWN AND POWER OUTAGES
               IN HILLSBOROUGHL.

JBM
Special weather statement, May 19, 7:49 AM EDT, 30 minutes before
NCZ057-191300

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENSBORO NC
750 AM EDT FRI MAY 19 1995

...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT FOR ROWAN COUNTY UNTIL 200PM EDT....

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WATCH FOR THE
WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF ROWAN.  THIS WATCH IS IN EFFECT
THROUGH 200PM EDT THIS FRIDAY AFTERNOON.

HAIL AND STRONG WINDS ARE POSSIBLE WITH THE PASSAGE OF STRONG TO SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS....AND THE POSSIBILITY OF TORNADOES EXISTS THROUGHOUT ROWAN
COUNTY THROUGH EARLY THIS AFTERNOON.

AT 740AM EDT WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A LARGE AREA OF STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS THROUGHOUT CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA.  THUNDERSTORMS ARE
EXPECTED TO REMAIN IN THIS PORTION OF NORTH CAROLINA THROUGH THIS
AFTERNOON.
EVERYONE IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS MAY EXPERIENCE HEAVY RAIN...
DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...GUSTY WINDS...AND FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS.

CONTINUE TO MONITOR YOUR NOAA WEATHER RADIO...COMMERCIAL RADIO OR
TELEVISION FOR UPDATES ON THIS RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER SITUATION
AND FURTHER STATEMENTS OR THE POSSIBLE ISSUANCE OF WARNINGS.

WJB
Local storm report, May 19, 8:00 AM EDT, 19 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH/DURHAM, NC
800 AM EDT FRI MAY 19 1995

TIME           EVENT
755 AM EDT     FROM RANDOLPH COUNTY 911...TREES DOWN AND POWER LINES DOWN
               IN MANY AREAS AROUND COUNTY.

WJB

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 19, 5:06 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRAHDavidson39 min
May 19, 5:20 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRAHGuilford, Randolph40 min
May 19, 6:05 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRAHChatham, Orange40 min
May 19, 6:21 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRAHDurham39 min
May 19, 6:31 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRAHDavidson, Guilford, Randolph44 min
May 19, 6:35 AM EDTTornado WarningRAHWake40 min
May 19, 6:43 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRAHFranklin, Granville, Vance47 min
May 19, 7:22 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRAHDurham38 min
May 19, 7:28 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRAHRandolph47 min
May 19, 7:39 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRAHGranville, Vance51 min
May 19, 7:59 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRAHChatham31 min
May 19, 9:22 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRAHScotland38 min
May 19, 9:49 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRAHCumberland26 min
May 19, 10:07 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRAHJohnston, Sampson38 min
May 19, 10:21 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRAHWayne39 min
May 19, 10:28 AM EDTTornado WarningRAHSampson, Wayne32 min
May 19, 10:41 AM EDTTornado WarningRAHWayne23 min
May 19, 2:39 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRAHStanly51 min
May 19, 3:02 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRAHMontgomery28 min
May 19, 3:28 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRAHMoore47 min
May 19, 3:55 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRAHHoke35 min
May 19, 3:58 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRAHHoke32 min
May 19, 4:06 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRAHCumberland54 min
May 19, 4:18 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRAHRichmond27 min
May 19, 4:45 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRAHJohnston45 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in North Carolina, 1995Every severe thunderstorm warning 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.