Alert archive / North Carolina / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1997

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 113, NWS Raleigh, NC

August 20, 1997Franklin County, North Carolina

NWS Raleigh, NC issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 20, 1997, 3:11 PM EDT for Franklin County, North Carolina. It was in force for 34 min. 1 report 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
Aug 20, 1997, 3:11 PM EDT (19:11 UTC)
Expired
Aug 20, 1997, 3:45 PM EDT
In force
34 min
Issued by
NWS Raleigh, NC
Area
Whole counties

County Franklin County, NC

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Aug 20, 3:20 PM EDTThunderstorm Wind 50Louisburg, NCTREES DOWN AND DAMAGE TO TOBACCO CROP....BY WIND AND HAIL.... IN THE EDWARDS BEST COMMUNITY. TREES ALSO DOWN ON LONG MILL ROAD.

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 watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Aug 20, 2:45 PM EDTTornado WatchSPC5 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC (KGSO), launched 12:00Z, 7.2 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 12:00Z on 1997-08-20Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 484 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 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 1997-08-20The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 0 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
484 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-7 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
525 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
0 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
0 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
0 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 KRDU 201913 RRA
SVRRDU
NCC069-201945-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH/DURHAM NC
311 PM EDT WED AUG 20 1997
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN RALEIGH/DURHAM HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  345 PM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN NORTH CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA
 
   ...EASTERN FRANKLIN COUNTY
 
AT 310 PM...NWS RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM IN FRANKLIN COUNTY
NEAR LOUISBURG...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH TOWARD CENTERVILLE.
 
PEOPLE SHOULD BE ESPECIALLY ALERT 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.
 
 
DELGADO

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, Aug 20, 11:00 AM EDT, 4 hours 11 minutes before
NCZ007>011-021>028-038>043-073>078-083>086-088>089-210000-

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC
1100 AM EDT WED AUG 20 1997

...SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OVER CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA
TODAY...

(THE SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA APPLIES ONLY TO
THE COUNTIES LISTED AT THE END OF TEXT.)

THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS CENTRAL NORTH
CAROLINA THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING...MAINLY EAST OF A RALEIGH TO
FAYETTEVILLE LINE.  THE MAIN THREAT WILL BE FROM DAMAGING WINDS.
LIGHTNING IS A THREAT WITH ANY THUNDERSTORM.

A TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE WILL MOVE THROUGH CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA
TODAY...BRINGING WITH IT SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS.  THE
SHOWERS AND STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO BE MOST NUMEROUS ALONG THE VIRGINIA
BORDER.  SOME OF THE STORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE.  HOWEVER...THE
GREATEST THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER EXISTS EAST OF A RALEIGH TO
FAYETTEVILLE LINE...WHERE DAYTIME HEATING HAS MADE THE ATMOSPHERE
UNSTABLE.

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED AFTER 2 PM THIS AFTERNOON.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE
WATCHES AND WARNINGS.

RAN
*********************************************************************

ALAMANCE          ANSON              CHATHAM            CUMBERLAND
DAVIDSON          DURHAM             EDGECOMBE          FORSYTH
FRANKLIN          GRANVILLE          GUILFORD           HALIFAX
HARNETT           HOKE               JOHNSTON           LEE
MONTGOMERY        MOORE              NASH               ORANGE
PERSON            RANDOLPH           RICHMOND           SAMPSON
SCOTLAND          STANLY             VANCE              WAKE
WARREN            WAYNE              WILSON
Special weather statement, Aug 20, 11:03 AM EDT, 4 hours 8 minutes before
NCZ007>011-021>028-038>043-073>078-083>086-088>089-210000-

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC
1100 AM EDT WED AUG 20 1997

...SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OVER CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA
TODAY...

(THE SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA APPLIES ONLY TO
THE COUNTIES LISTED AT THE END OF TEXT.)

THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS CENTRAL NORTH
CAROLINA THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING...MAINLY EAST OF A RALEIGH TO
FAYETTEVILLE LINE.  THE MAIN THREAT WILL BE FROM DAMAGING WINDS.
LIGHTNING IS A THREAT WITH ANY THUNDERSTORM.

A TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE WILL MOVE THROUGH CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA
TODAY...BRINGING WITH IT SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS.  THE
SHOWERS AND STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO BE MOST NUMEROUS ALONG THE VIRGINIA
BORDER.  SOME OF THE STORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE.  HOWEVER...THE
GREATEST THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER EXISTS EAST OF A RALEIGH TO
FAYETTEVILLE LINE...WHERE DAYTIME HEATING HAS MADE THE ATMOSPHERE
UNSTABLE.

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED AFTER 2 PM THIS AFTERNOON.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE
WATCHES AND WARNINGS.

RAN
*********************************************************************

ALAMANCE          ANSON              CHATHAM            CUMBERLAND
DAVIDSON          DURHAM             EDGECOMBE          FORSYTH
FRANKLIN          GRANVILLE          GUILFORD           HALIFAX
HARNETT           HOKE               JOHNSTON           LEE
MONTGOMERY        MOORE              NASH               ORANGE
PERSON            RANDOLPH           RICHMOND           SAMPSON
SCOTLAND          STANLY             VANCE              WAKE
WARREN            WAYNE              WILSON
Local storm report, Aug 20, 2:49 PM EDT, 22 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH/DURHAM NC
249 PM EDT WED AUG 20 1997

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

0240 PM    HENDERSON                 NC   WIND DAMAGE
08/20/97   VANCE                          VANCE COUNTY 911 CENTER
                                          REPORTED A ROOF BLOWN OFF
                                          BUILDING IN HENDERSON
                                          NUMEROUS TREES DOWN AND
                                          POWER OUT ALL OVER THE
                                          COUNTY.
Local storm report, Aug 20, 2:51 PM EDT, 20 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH/DURHAM NC
249 PM EDT WED AUG 20 1997

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

0240 PM    HENDERSON                 NC   WIND DAMAGE
08/20/97   VANCE                          VANCE COUNTY 911 CENTER
                                          REPORTED A ROOF BLOWN OFF
                                          BUILDING IN HENDERSON
                                          NUMEROUS TREES DOWN AND
                                          POWER OUT ALL OVER THE
                                          COUNTY.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 20, 1:57 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRAHGranville, Vance48 min
Aug 20, 2:40 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRAHWarren35 min
Aug 20, 4:52 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRAHChatham, Wake38 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in North Carolina, 1997Every 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.