Alert archive / North Carolina / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1997

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 71, NWS Wilmington, NC

July 5, 1997Robeson County, North Carolina

NWS Wilmington, NC issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 5, 1997, 6:16 PM EDT for Robeson County, North Carolina. It was in force for 49 min. 2 reports came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued: Jul 5, 1997, 6:16 PM EDT (22:16 UTC)
Expired: Jul 5, 1997, 7:05 PM EDT
In force: 49 min
Issued by: NWS Wilmington, NC
Area: Whole counties

County Robeson County, NC

The radar

The Wilmington radar (KLTX), 95 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:17 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.

What was reported inside it

Time	Report	Where	Remark
Jul 5, 6:25 PM EDT	Thunderstorm Wind 60	Red Spgs, NC	SEVERAL ROOFS DAMAGED BY FALLEN TREES, NUMEROUS POWER LINES DOWN. ALSO A HOUSE FIRE BETWEEN PEMBROKE AND RED SPRINGS WHICH CLAIMED THE LIVES OF THREE ( AN ADULT MALE AND TWO CHILDREN) MAY HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY LIGHTNING.
Jul 5, 6:50 PM EDT	Tornado F1	St Pauls, NC	TORNADO REPORTD BY SKYWARN SPOTTER AS WELL AS ROBESON COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE. NUMEROUS TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN AND 1 MOBILE HOME WAS OVERTURNED

NCEI Storm Data entries that began inside the alert's area while it was in force. Before 2003 the local storm report archive is thin, so this is the record of what happened rather than what was phoned in.

The nearest sounding before it

Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC (KGSO), launched 12:00Z, 10.3 hours before the alert went out and 176 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 44 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -186 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1120 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 55 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: -60 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 186 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: -0.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KILM 052216 RRA
SVRILM
NCC155-052305-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC
616 PM EDT SAT JUL 5 1997

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WILMINGTON NC HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 705 PM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...

IN SOUTHEASTERN NORTH CAROLINA

   ...ROBESON COUNTY

 
AT 614 PM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
PRODUCING LARGE HAIL 6 MILES SOUTHWEST OF RED SPRINGS MOVING
SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

THIS STORM WILL BE IN THE VICINITY OF...
        RED SPRINGS             BY 615 PM EDT
        PEMBROKE                BY 630 PM EDT
        PURVIS                  BY 635 PM EDT
 
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 55 MPH...
DESTRUCTIVE HAIL...DEADLY LIGHTNING...AND VERY HEAVY RAIN.  FOR YOUR
PROTECTION MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF YOUR
HOME OR BUSINESS.

ESCUDE

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.

NWS Wilmington, NC wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Jul 5, 2:12 PM EDT, 4 hours 4 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 5, 2:12 PM EDT, 4 hours 4 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEWPORT/MOREHEAD CITY NC
215 PM EDT SAT JUL 5 1997

RDU: STICK CLOSE TO GUID TEMPS THIS PACKAGE.  40 POPS FOR
TONIGHT...30 SUN AND SUN NIGHT/MON.

CWF: I WILL BE FOLLOWG THE FWC MOS WIND FOR DIRECTIONAL GUIDANCE AS
THEY HAVE OUTPERFORMED THE FOUS WINDS.  THIS MEANS THERE WILL BE A
BRIEF SHIFT TO THE NW OR N TONIGHT ALL THE WAY DOWN TO ILM BEFORE
FLOW REORIENTATES ITSELF S-SW LTR SUN.  IN ADDITION DIFFERENTIAL
HEATG IS CAUSING STRONGER WINDS ALONG THE E-W BEACHES AND THUS
HIGHER SEAS THAN INDICATED BY ILM.  MOVING THE SPLIT DOWN TO HAT
SOUNDS OK TO ME.  WINDS AFTER THIS EVENING WILL GENERALLY BE 15 KT
OR LESS AND NO SCA IS PLANNED ALTHOUGH DSNL MAY AGAIN REACH NR 25 KT
TONIGHT.

DISC: APPEARS THE CAP IS BROKEN AS TSRA RAPIDLY FIRING ALONG
SEA-BREEZE AND TMB ACROSS ESTRN NC.  TELCO WITH SELS AND WATCH WILL
BE ISSUED SHORTLY.  BIG CAPES AND HORRENDOUS INSTAB (NGM IS FCSTG
L.I. OF -12 AT ILM) WITH DRY MID LVLS MEANS TSRA WITH DAMAGING WIND
GUST POTENTIAL.  WBZ HEIGHS ARE NOT TOO HIGH CONSIDERING WARMTH OF
AIRMASS SO LARGE HAIL ALSO LIKELY.  AFTER TSRA THREAT TONIGHT...GUID
IS SUGGESTING A LGT NRLY FLOW ACROSS THE REGION WHICH IS FVRBL FOR
WIDESPREAD ST AND BR THROUGH SUN AM.

FRONT WILL BECOME LESS DEFINED SUN AND SUN NIGHT WITH SLIGHTLY LOWER
MEAN RH.  THUS POPS CAN BE LOWERED TO 20 BUT COLD MID LVL TEMPS AND
SEA-BREEZE CONVERGENCE WILL GENERATE WDLY SCT CELLS.  ON MON IT
APPEARS FRONT WILL ONCE AGAIN BECOME BETTER DEFINED WITH BETTER PCPN
CHS FOR NRN SECTIONS.  WITH LOW CONFIDENCE THIS FAR OUT KKEP POPS
ARND 20.

.MHX...NONE

JME

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 5, 5:18 PM EDT, 58 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC
518 PM EDT SAT JUL 05 1997

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

0438 PM    LAKE WACCAMAW             NC   .95 INCH HAIL
07/05/97   COLUMBUS                       REPORTED BY WEATHER SPOTTER

0507 PM    5 E BURGAW                NC   .75 INCH HAIL
07/05/97   PENDER                         WEATHER SPOTTER TRAVELING
                                          ALONG INTERSTATE 40

0510 PM    10 W MYRTLE BEACH         SC   .75 INCH HAIL
07/05/97   HORRY                          FIRE DEPARTMENT LOCATED
                                          AT BUCKSPORT REPORTED EVENT

HOEHLER

Local storm report, Jul 5, 5:19 PM EDT, 57 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC
518 PM EDT SAT JUL 05 1997

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

0438 PM    LAKE WACCAMAW             NC   .95 INCH HAIL
07/05/97   COLUMBUS                       REPORTED BY WEATHER SPOTTER

0507 PM    5 E BURGAW                NC   .75 INCH HAIL
07/05/97   PENDER                         WEATHER SPOTTER TRAVELING
                                          ALONG INTERSTATE 40

0510 PM    10 W MYRTLE BEACH         SC   .75 INCH HAIL
07/05/97   HORRY                          FIRE DEPARTMENT LOCATED
                                          AT BUCKSPORT REPORTED EVENT

HOEHLER

Local storm report, Jul 5, 6:01 PM EDT, 15 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC
601 PM EDT SAT JUL 05 1997

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

0507 PM    25 WSW MYRTLE BEACH       SC   WIND DAMAGE
07/05/97   GEORGETOWN                     LARGE TREES BLOWN DOWN
                                          IN THE TOWN OF YAUHANNAH

0515 PM    17 SW MYRTLE BEACH         SC  LIGHTNING DAMAGE
07/05/97   GEORGETOWN                     LIGHT SIGNAL KNOCKED OUT

HOEHLER

Local storm report, Jul 5, 6:04 PM EDT, 12 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC
601 PM EDT SAT JUL 05 1997

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

0507 PM    25 WSW MYRTLE BEACH       SC   WIND DAMAGE
07/05/97   GEORGETOWN                     LARGE TREES BLOWN DOWN
                                          IN THE TOWN OF YAUHANNAH

0515 PM    17 SW MYRTLE BEACH         SC  LIGHTNING DAMAGE
07/05/97   GEORGETOWN                     LIGHT SIGNAL KNOCKED OUT

HOEHLER

Local storm report, Jul 5, 6:08 PM EDT, 8 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC
608 PM EDT SAT JUL 05 1997

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

0545 PM    17 S WHITEVILLE           NC   .75 INCH HAIL
07/05/97   COLUMBUS                       REPORTED BY NAKINA FIRE AND
                                          RESCUE

HOEHLER

Local storm report, Jul 5, 6:10 PM EDT, 6 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC
608 PM EDT SAT JUL 05 1997

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

0545 PM    17 S WHITEVILLE           NC   .75 INCH HAIL
07/05/97   COLUMBUS                       REPORTED BY NAKINA FIRE AND
                                          RESCUE

HOEHLER

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Jul 5, 4:24 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILM	Pender	46 min
Jul 5, 4:36 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILM	Columbus	49 min
Jul 5, 5:16 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILM	Pender	49 min
Jul 5, 5:48 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILM	Columbus	47 min
Jul 5, 6:10 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	ILM	New Hanover, Pender	35 min
Jul 5, 6:13 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILM	Columbus	47 min
Jul 5, 6:35 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	ILM	Robeson	30 min
Jul 5, 6:48 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	ILM	Bladen	32 min
Jul 5, 7:13 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	ILM	Robeson	32 min
Jul 5, 7:28 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILM	Bladen	47 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in North Carolina, 1997 Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1997

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.