Alert archive / North Carolina / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2002

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 19, NWS Newport/Morehead City, NC

May 13, 2002Craven County, Jones County, North Carolina

NWS Newport/Morehead City, NC issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 13, 2002, 9:39 PM EDT for Craven County, Jones County, North Carolina. It was in force for 51 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
May 13, 2002, 9:39 PM EDT (01:39 UTC)
Expired
May 13, 2002, 10:30 PM EDT
In force
51 min
Issued by
NWS Newport/Morehead City, NC
Area
Whole counties

Counties Craven County, NC, Jones County, NC

The radar

The Morehead City radar (KMHX), 45 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:38 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

TimeReportWhereRemark
May 13, 9:56 PM EDTThunderstorm Wind 52 EDover, NC

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
May 13, 6:30 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Newport, NC (KMHX), launched 00:00Z, 1.7 hours before the alert went out and 45 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, Newport, NC at 00:00Z on 2002-05-14Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 188 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, Newport, NC at 00:00Z on 2002-05-14The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 177 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
188 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-137 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1047 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
39 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
177 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
195 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.1
Supercell composite
1.6

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WUUS52 KMHX 140139
SVRMHX
NCC049-103-140230-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEWPORT-MOREHEAD CITY NC
938 PM EDT MON MAY 13 2002

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN NEWPORT HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  JONES COUNTY IN EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA
  CRAVEN COUNTY IN EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA

* UNTIL 1030 PM EDT

* AT 938 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FROM 20 MILES NORTHWEST OF FORT
  BARNWELL TO 47 MILES SOUTHWEST OF PLEASANT HILL...OR FROM 9 MILES
  NORTHEAST OF SNOW HILL TO 17 MILES WEST OF WALLACE...MOVING EAST AT
  45 MPH.

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE NEAR...
   WYSE FORK AT 945 PM EDT.
   PLEASANT HILL...AND...FORT BARNWELL AT 950 PM EDT.
   PHILLIPS CROSSROADS...AND...COVE CITY AT 955 PM EDT.
   VANCEBORO...AND...TUSCARORA AT 1000 PM EDT.
   RIVER BEND...AND...POLLOCKSVILLE AT 1005 PM EDT.
   TRENT WOODS AT 1010 PM EDT.

THESE ARE DANGEROUS STORMS THAT HAVE A HISTORY OF PRODUCING WIND DAMAGE. 
IF YOU ARE IN THEIR PATH YOU SHOULD PREPARE FOR DAMAGING WINDS IN 
EXCESS OF 70 MPH...AND DEADLY LIGHTNING. PEOPLE OUTSIDE OR IN MOBILE 
HOMES SHOULD MOVE TO A SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER...INSIDE A STRONG 
BUILDING AND AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

REPORT SEVERE WEATHER TO THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY. THEY
WILL RELAY YOUR REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

$$

11

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 Newport/Morehead City, NC wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at May 13, 2:00 PM EDT, 7 hours 39 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 13, 2:00 PM EDT, 7 hours 39 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...CO FOR TYPOS
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEWPORT/MOREHEAD CITY NC
200 PM EDT MON MAY 13 2002

SHORT TERM: TEMPERATURES RESPONDING TO DELAYED HEATING WITH READINGS
CURRENTLY IN THE MID TO UPPER 80S. HIGHS SHOULD REACH NEAR 90 AND BE
ABLE TO TAP INTO AVAILABLE INSTAB (CAPES 3000 J/KG LI -8). WATER
VAPOR LOOPS INDICATE IMMINENT PHASING OF THE NRN/SRN STREAMS AS
INDICATED BY NWP GUIDANCE. 15Z SFC ANALYSIS INDICATED A NEW SFC LOW
FORMING OVER NRN KY WHICH WILL BECOME THE MAIN LOW. STRONG DIFL
ALOFT ASSCTD WITH THE PHASING STREAMS WILL AID SFC LOW DEVELOPMENT
AND MODELS DEEPEN THE LOW TO AROUND 995 MB BY 00Z. THIS IS FAIRLY
STRONG FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR AND WILL CAUSE A BACKING AND
STRENGTHENING OF THE LOW AND MID LVL WIND FIELDS. THESE CONDITIONS
FAVOR ROTATING UPDRAFTS AND STRONG DOWNDRAFTS. DOWNDRAFTS WILL ALSO
BE ENHANCED BY DRY AIR PARCELS ABOVE 600 MB. ALTHOUGH BEST TORNADO
THREAT EXISTS NORTH OF HERE...WE WILL HAVE TO WATCH DISCRETE CELLS
EXHIBITING DEVIANT MOTION FOR POSSIBLE SPIN UPS. MAIN THREAT WILL BE
WIND DAMAGE IN BOWING SEGMENTS ALTHOUGH LARGE HAIL IS POSSIBLE DUE
TO LOW WBZ HEIGHTS (10000 FT). WILL KEEP LIKELY POPS AND FOLLOW
CLOSER TO WARMER GUID FOR MINS AS THE MAV HAS A COLD BIAS INITIALLY
WITH FROPAS.

TROUGH ASSCTD WITH UPPER LOW OVR NY/NEW ENGLAND WILL PASS ACROSS
ESTRN NC LATE TUE. MODEL RH FIELDS ARE VERY DRY EXCEPT FOR SOME
SHALLOW MOIST AROUND 900 MB. GIVEN STRENGTH OF UPPER SYSTEM AND
ADVECTION OF COOL 500 MB TEMPS...WOULD EXPECT SOME SCT-BKN
STRATO-CU...ESPECIALLY ACROSS MY NRN COUNTIES. DOWNSLOPE FLOW WILL
COUNTERACT CAA AND WILL GO WITH GUIDANCE HIGHS IN THE MID 70S.
MAINLY CLR SKIES EXPECTED TUE NIGHT BUT ALSO SHOULD BE SOME LOW
LEVEL MIXING AND WILL TEND TWRDS HIGHER GUID LOWS. CAROLINA BLUE
SKIES WILL PREVAIL WED AS A SPRAWLING RIDGE OF HIGH PRES DRIFTS EAST
JUST SOUTH OF THE STATE.

EFP: 00Z/12Z AVN RUNS VERY SIMILAR WITH RESPECT TO FRONTAL MOVEMENT
OVER THE WEEKEND. BOTH ARE NOW FASTER IN BRINGING THE SYSTEM THROUGH
FRI NIGHT INTO SAT. WILL FOLLOW THIS SCENARIO WITH LOW CHC POPS BUT
CONFIDENCE NOT TOO HIGH WITH SUCH A LARGE CHANGE FROM YSTDY.
REMAINDER OF EFP SHOULD BE DRY WITH NEAR SEASONABLE TEMPS.

MARINE: STRONG SMALL CRAFT ADVISORIES TO STAY UP OVERNIGHT. DAYBREAK
SHOULD USHER NW 25 KT IN THE 20 NM CORRIDOR AS THE FRONT WILL BE
WELL OFFSHORE BY THEN. WILL WORD SOME TSTMS MAY BE SEVERE TONIGHT.
FOR MARINE INTERESTS...CALMER WATERS AND WINDS SLATED FOR WED THU.
INCREASED THREAT FOR RIPS STAY UP THIS AFTN LIKELY INTO TUE MORNIN.

.MHX...SCA FOR SOUNDS AND COASTAL WATERS.

ELARDO/COLBY

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 13, 9:22 PM EDT, 17 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEWPORT/MOREHEAD CITY, NC
922 PM EDT MON MAY 13 2002

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

0918 PM    5 SW ROBERSONVILLE        NC   1.75 INCH HAIL
05/13/02   MARTIN                         REPORTED BY LAW
                                          ENFORCEMENT

JME

The office that day

Everything else NWS Newport/Morehead City, NC issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 13, 8:51 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMHXLenoir54 min
May 13, 8:53 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMHXGreene, Martin, Pitt37 min
May 13, 9:01 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMHXDuplin59 min
May 13, 9:06 PM EDTTornado WarningMHXMartin24 min
May 13, 9:16 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMHXBeaufort44 min
May 13, 9:29 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningMHX61 min
May 13, 9:32 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMHXWashington58 min
May 13, 9:40 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMHXLenoir20 min
May 13, 10:22 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMHXOnslow23 min
May 13, 10:39 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningMHX66 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in North Carolina, 2002Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2002

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.