Alert archive / North Carolina / Tornado Warnings in 2008

Tornado Warning 5, NWS Wilmington, NC

March 15, 2008Robeson County, North Carolina; Dillon County, South Carolina

NWS Wilmington, NC issued this tornado warning at Mar 15, 2008, 5:40 PM EDT for Robeson County, North Carolina; Dillon County, South Carolina. It was in force for 35 min. 7 reports came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued: Mar 15, 2008, 5:40 PM EDT (21:40 UTC)
Expired: Mar 15, 2008, 6:15 PM EDT
In force: 35 min
Issued by: NWS Wilmington, NC
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Robeson County, NC, Dillon County, SC

The radar

The Wilmington radar (KLTX), 81 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:44 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
Mar 15, 5:40 PM EDT	HAIL 1.75	Ene Dillon, SC	REPORT FROM LAW ENFORCEMENT THROUGH THE 911 CENTER.
Mar 15, 5:40 PM EDT	HAIL 1.75	Ene Dillon, SC	REPORT FROM LAW INFORCEMENT THROUGH THE 911 CENTER.
Mar 15, 5:45 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	Latta, SC	STRUCTURAL DAMAGE AND MANY TREES DOWN. POWER OUTAGES FROM OAK GROVE TO LATTA. POSSIBLE TORNADO AS FIRE DEPT PERSONNEL HAD SIGHTED A FUNNEL CLOUD.
Mar 15, 5:48 PM EDT	TORNADO 0	Latta, SC	SPOTTY EF-0 DAMAGE...BEGINNING NEAR HIGHWAY 301 AND HIGHWAY 501 JUNCTION...AND ENDING NEAR JOHNSON RD. AND HIGHWAY 917 EAST. DAMAGE INCLUDED TREE ON HOME...AND MINOR STRUCTURE DAMAGE TO APPROXIMATELY 6 HOMES. MAX ESTIMATED WINDS OF 75 MPH. PATH LENGTH WAS 1.2
Mar 15, 5:50 PM EDT	FUNNEL CLOUD	Dillon, SC	TREES DOWN ON HOUSES AND POWERLINES. ALSO TREES BLOCKING ROADWAYS.
Mar 15, 6:14 PM EDT	HAIL 1.75	Orrum, NC	EMPLOYEE OF LUMBER RIVER STATE PARK REPORTED GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL
Mar 15, 6:16 PM EDT	FUNNEL CLOUD	5 Se Fairmont, NC	CO-OP SPOTTER REPORTED SEEING A FUNNEL CLOUD AT THE INTERSECTION OF HIGHWAYS 41 AND 904.

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

The watch it was issued in

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

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
Mar 15, 4:36 PM EDT	Tornado Watch PDS	SPC	8 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC (KGSO), launched 12:00Z, 9.7 hours before the alert went out and 192 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: 0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL: 1308 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 43 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 1 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 34 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 
WFUS52 KILM 152140
TORILM
NCC155-SCC033-152215-
/O.NEW.KILM.TO.W.0005.080315T2140Z-080315T2215Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC
540 PM EDT SAT MAR 15 2008

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WILMINGTON NC HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  DILLON COUNTY IN NORTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA
  SOUTHERN ROBESON COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA

* UNTIL 615 PM EDT

* AT 539 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO NEAR LATTA...OR
  ABOUT 5 MILES SOUTHWEST OF DILLON...MOVING EAST AT 70 MPH.

* THE TORNADO IS EXPECTED TO BE NEAR...
   HAMER BY 545 PM...
   LAKE VIEW BY 550 PM...
   BARNESVILLE BY 555 PM...
   BARNESVILLE BY 600 PM...

IN ADDITION TO THE TORNADO...THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING GOLF 
BALL SIZE HAIL AND DESTRUCTIVE STRAIGHT LINE WINDS.

GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR OTHER PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE. SEEK
SHELTER ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF THE BUILDING IN AN INTERIOR HALLWAY OR
ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET. USE BLANKETS OR PILLOWS TO COVER YOUR BODY AND
ALWAYS STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

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 3461 7882 3458 7885 3449 7885 3444 7897
      3441 7897 3433 7904 3432 7955 3445 7956
      3451 7951 3464 7883
TIME...MOT...LOC 2140Z 270DEG 60KT 3438 7941

$$
MBB/DCH

2 follow-up statements

000 
WWUS52 KILM 152157
SVSILM

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC
551 PM EDT SAT MAR 15 2008

NCC155-SCC033-152215-
/O.CON.KILM.TO.W.0005.000000T0000Z-080315T2215Z/
ROBESON NC-DILLON SC-
551 PM EDT SAT MAR 15 2008

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 615 PM EDT FOR DILLON
AND SOUTHERN ROBESON COUNTIES...

AT 548 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO 
INDICATE A TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR FLOYDALE...OR 10 
MILES WEST OF KEMPER...MOVING EAST AT 50 MPH.

THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
   LAKE VIEW BY 600 PM EDT...
   MARIETTA BY 605 PM EDT...
   BARNESVILLE BY 610 PM EDT...

IN ADDITION...GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL HAS BEEN REPORTED WITH THIS SEVERE 
THUNDERSTORM...WITH THE POSSIBILITY EXISTING FOR EVEN LARGER HAIL TO 
OCCUR. 

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.

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.

IF YOU OBSERVED SEVERE WEATHER OR WEATHER RELATED DAMAGE...REPORT IT
TO THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY AND ASK THEM TO RELAY THE
REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE IN WILMINGTON
NC.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 100 AM EDT SUNDAY MORNING FOR
SOUTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA AND NORTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA.

LAT...LON 3461 7882 3458 7885 3449 7885 3444 7897
      3441 7897 3433 7904 3432 7955 3445 7956
      3451 7951 3464 7883
TIME...MOT...LOC 2151Z 268DEG 44KT 3435 7930

$$
DCH

000 
WWUS52 KILM 152220
SVSILM

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC
619 PM EDT SAT MAR 15 2008

NCC155-SCC033-152229-
/O.EXP.KILM.TO.W.0005.000000T0000Z-080315T2215Z/
ROBESON NC-DILLON SC-
619 PM EDT SAT MAR 15 2008

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR DILLON AND SOUTHERN ROBESON COUNTIES HAS
EXPIRED...

THE STORM WITH THE POSSIBLE TORNADO HAS MOVED THE EAST INTO COLUMBUS 
AND EXTEREME NORTHERN HORRY COUNNTY.

IF YOU OBSERVED SEVERE WEATHER OR WEATHER RELATED DAMAGE...REPORT IT
TO THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY AND ASK THEM TO RELAY THE
REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE IN WILMINGTON
NC.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 100 AM EDT SUNDAY MORNING FOR
SOUTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA AND NORTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA.

LAT...LON 3461 7882 3458 7885 3449 7885 3444 7897
      3441 7897 3433 7904 3432 7955 3445 7956
      3451 7951 3464 7883
TIME...MOT...LOC 2157Z 268DEG 44KT 3435 7921

$$

HAWKINS

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Mar 15, 6:09 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	ILM	Columbus	51 min
Mar 15, 6:13 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILM	Robeson	47 min
Mar 15, 6:25 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILM	Robeson	35 min
Mar 15, 6:45 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	ILM	Bladen, Columbus	30 min
Mar 15, 7:01 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILM	Bladen, Brunswick, Columbus, New Hanover, Pender	59 min
Mar 15, 7:01 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	ILM	Columbus	44 min
Mar 15, 4:48 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILM	Darlington	42 min
Mar 15, 5:05 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILM	Marlboro	40 min
Mar 15, 5:27 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILM	Dillon	48 min
Mar 15, 5:58 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILM	Darlington, Florence, Marion	47 min
Mar 15, 6:20 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	ILM	Florence, Marion	40 min
Mar 15, 7:07 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILM	Georgetown, Williamsburg	38 min
Mar 15, 7:17 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	ILM	Georgetown, Williamsburg	43 min
Mar 15, 7:23 PM EDT	Special Marine Warning	ILM		97 min
Mar 15, 7:42 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILM	Horry	23 min
Mar 15, 7:59 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILM	Georgetown, Horry	31 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in North Carolina, 2008 Tornado Warnings in South Carolina, 2008 Every tornado warning in 2008 Tornadoes 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; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.