Alert archive / North Carolina / Tornado Warnings in 2008

Tornado Warning 39, NWS Wakefield, VA

May 11, 2008Hertford County, Northampton County, North Carolina

NWS Wakefield, VA issued this tornado warning at May 11, 2008, 5:58 PM EDT for Hertford County, Northampton County, North Carolina. It was in force for 47 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
May 11, 2008, 5:58 PM EDT (21:58 UTC)
Expired
May 11, 2008, 6:45 PM EDT
In force
47 min
Issued by
NWS Wakefield, VA
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Hertford County, NC, Northampton County, NC

The radar

The Norfolk radar (KAKQ), 83 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:59 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 watch it was issued in

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

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
May 11, 2:07 PM EDTTornado WatchSPC6 hr
May 11, 4:43 PM EDTTornado WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Newport, NC (KMHX), launched 12:00Z, 10.0 hours before the alert went out and 174 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 12:00Z on 2008-05-11Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Newport, NC at 12:00Z on 2008-05-11The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 67 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
935 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
40 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
67 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
199 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 
WFUS51 KAKQ 112158
TORAKQ
NCC091-131-112245-
/O.NEW.KAKQ.TO.W.0039.080511T2158Z-080511T2245Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAKEFIELD VA
558 PM EDT SUN MAY 11 2008

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WAKEFIELD HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHWESTERN HERTFORD COUNTY IN NORTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA...
  EASTERN NORTHAMPTON COUNTY IN NORTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA...

* UNTIL 645 PM EDT

* AT 553 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO 18 MILES WEST OF
  RICH SQUARE...OR NEAR HALIFAX...MOVING EAST AT 34 MPH.

* THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  RICH SQUARE BY 625 PM EDT...
  WOODLAND AND 8 MILES SOUTH OF CONWAY BY 635 PM EDT...

WHEN A TORNADO WARNING IS ISSUED BASED ON DOPPLER RADAR...IT MEANS
THAT STRONG ROTATION HAS BEEN DETECTED IN THE STORM. A TORNADO MAY
ALREADY BE ON THE GROUND...OR IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP SHORTLY. IF YOU
ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS DANGEROUS STORM...MOVE INDOORS AND TO THE
LOWEST LEVEL OF THE BUILDING. STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. IF DRIVING...DO
NOT SEEK SHELTER UNDER A HIGHWAY OVERPASS.

HEAVY RAINFALL MAY OBSCURE THIS TORNADO. TAKE COVER NOW IF YOU WAIT 
TO SEE OR HEAR IT COMING...IT MAY BE TOO LATE TO GET TO A SAFE PLACE.

IF IN MOBILE HOMES OR VEHICLES...EVACUATE THEM AND GET INSIDE A
SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER. IF NO SHELTER IS AVAILABLE...LIE FLAT IN THE
NEAREST DITCH OR OTHER LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.

LAT...LON 3625 7712 3624 7722 3623 7722 3618 7737
      3621 7740 3624 7739 3626 7743 3631 7745
      3629 7754 3633 7759 3639 7756 3641 7757
      3652 7727
TIME...MOT...LOC 2158Z 258DEG 29KT 3626 7756

$$

HURLEY
1 follow-up statement
000 
WWUS51 KAKQ 112226
SVSAKQ

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAKEFIELD VA
626 PM EDT SUN MAY 11 2008

NCC091-131-112245-
/O.CON.KAKQ.TO.W.0039.000000T0000Z-080511T2245Z/
HERTFORD NC-NORTHAMPTON NC-
626 PM EDT SUN MAY 11 2008

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 645 PM EDT FOR EASTERN
NORTHAMPTON AND SOUTHWESTERN HERTFORD COUNTIES...

AT 624 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO 
INDICATE A THUNDERSTORM WITH STRONG ROTATIONN ALOFT...CAPABLE OF 
PRODUCING A TORNADO. THE SEVERE PORTION OF THIS STORM WAS LOCATED 
NEAR RICH SQUARE...MOVING EAST AT 33 MPH.

THE STORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING WILL BE NEAR...
  POTECASI BY 630 PM EDT...
  WOODLAND...6 MILES SOUTH OF MILWAUKEE AND 8 MILES SOUTH OF CONWAY
  BY 635 PM EDT...

WHEN A TORNADO WARNING IS ISSUED BASED ON DOPPLER RADAR...IT MEANS
THAT STRONG ROTATION HAS BEEN DETECTED IN THE STORM. A TORNADO MAY
ALREADY BE ON THE GROUND...OR IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP SHORTLY. IF YOU
ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS DANGEROUS STORM...MOVE INDOORS AND TO THE
LOWEST LEVEL OF THE BUILDING. STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. IF DRIVING...DO
NOT SEEK SHELTER UNDER A HIGHWAY OVERPASS.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM EDT SUNDAY EVENING FOR
NORTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA AND SOUTHEASTERN VIRGINIA. A TORNADO WATCH
ALSO REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1100 PM EDT SUNDAY EVENING FOR NORTHEAST
NORTH CAROLINA AND SOUTHEASTERN VIRGINIA.

LAT...LON 3624 7722 3623 7722 3621 7727 3622 7729
      3621 7730 3620 7733 3647 7741 3652 7727
      3625 7712
TIME...MOT...LOC 2226Z 258DEG 29KT 3631 7729

$$

HURLEY

The office that day

Everything else NWS Wakefield, VA issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 11, 6:13 PM EDTTornado WarningAKQBertie, Hertford47 min
May 11, 6:41 PM EDTTornado WarningAKQBertie, Chowan, Hertford33 min
May 11, 7:05 PM EDTTornado WarningAKQChowan, Gates, Pasquotank, Perquimans40 min
May 11, 7:17 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningAKQChowan, Pasquotank, Perquimans43 min
May 11, 7:27 PM EDTTornado WarningAKQCamden, Currituck, Pasquotank48 min
May 11, 7:41 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningAKQCamden, Currituck, Pasquotank29 min
May 11, 7:43 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryAKQCamden, Currituck, Pasquotank3 hr
May 11, 7:47 PM EDTTornado WarningAKQCurrituck28 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in North Carolina, 2008Every tornado warning in 2008Tornadoes in 2008

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.