Alert archive / North Carolina / Tornado Warnings in 1995

Tornado Warning 11, NWS Raleigh, NC

May 19, 1995Wake County, North Carolina

NWS Raleigh, NC issued this tornado warning at May 19, 1995, 6:35 AM EDT for Wake County, North Carolina. It was in force for 40 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 19, 1995, 6:35 AM EDT (10:35 UTC)
Expired
May 19, 1995, 7:15 AM EDT
In force
40 min
Issued by
NWS Raleigh, NC
Area
Whole counties

County Wake County, NC

The radar

The Raleigh/Durham radar (KRAX), 20 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 10:37 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 00:00Z, 10.6 hours before the alert went out and 117 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 1995-05-19Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 611 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 00:00Z on 1995-05-19The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 90 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
611 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-135 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1530 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
49 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
90 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
85 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.1
Supercell composite
0.6

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KRDU 191040
TORRDU
NCC183-191115-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH/DURHAM NC
635 AM EDT FRI MAY 19 1995
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN RALEIGH/DURHAM HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  715 AM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN NORTH CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA
 
   ...WAKE COUNTY
 
AT 635 AM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
MOVING ACROSS WESTERN AND NORTHERN WAKE COUNTY. A PILOT HAS REPORTED A
FUNNEL CLOUD WITH THIS THUNDERSTORM ABOUT 10 TO 15 MILES NORTH OF
RALEIGH DURHAM AIRPORT.
 
 
TORNADOES IN THE SOUTH ARE HARD TO SEE BECAUSE OF RAIN, HAZE, LOW
CLOUDS AND TREES. OFTEN YOUR ONLY WARNING MAY BE A LOUD ROARING
SOUND AND FLYING DEBRIS. BUT THAT MAY BE TOO LATE. TAKE COVER NOW!
WHEN SAFE TO DO SO, REPORT DAMAGES TO EMERGENCY OFFICIALS PROMPTLY.

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 19, 3:43 AM EDT, 2 hours 52 minutes before
NCC057-067-081-190845-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH/DURHAM NC
338 AM EDT FRI MAY 19 1995

AT 330 AM EDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR IN RALEIGH SHOWED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM MOVING ACROSS FORSYTH COUNTY..NORTHEAST OF
WINSTON SALEM.  THIS STORM WAS MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST ABOUT
35 MILES AN HOUR.

THIS STORM WILL MOVE INTO NORTHWEST GUILFORD COUNTY WITHIN THE
NEXT HALF HOUR.

SCATTERED SHOWERS WITH EMBEDDExD THUNDERSTORMS ARE OCCURRING WEST
OF A LINE FROM WINSTON SALEM TO CHARLOTTE.

BRIEF GUSTY WINDS...HEAVY DOWNPOURS AND POSSIBLY SOME SMALL HAIL
MAY ACCOMPANY A FEW OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS.

LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS.
Local storm report, May 19, 4:10 AM EDT, 2 hours 25 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH/DURHAM, NC
408 AM EDT FRI MAY 19 1995

TIME           EVENT
 330 AM EDT    FROM SKYWARN SPOTTER...I-40 NEAR LINVILLE EXIT IN
               FORSYTH COUNTY...1/2 INCH HAIL...WINDS ESTIMATED 60 TO
               70 MPH...TREES BLOWN DOWN ON HOUSE.

JBP
Special weather statement, May 19, 4:29 AM EDT, 2 hours 6 minutes before
NCC001-067-081-145-190930-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH/DURHAM NC
423 AM EDT FRI MAY 19 1995

AT 420 AM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR SHOWED STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS MOVING ACROSS THE NORTHWEST PIEDMONT OF NORTH CAROLINA.
THE STORMS WERE MOVING INTO PERSON COUNTY.

AROUND 330 THIS MORNING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM CAUSED WIND DAMAGE IN
FORSYTH COUNTY. A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR A LARGE PART OF CENTRAL
NORTH CAROLINA UNTIL 10 AM.

LISTEN FOR LATER INFORMATION.

JBP
Special weather statement, May 19, 5:39 AM EDT, 56 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, 48 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, 42 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

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, 6:43 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, 8:19 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRAHDurham, Wake41 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

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.