Alert archive / North Carolina / Tornado Warnings in 2008
Tornado Warning 21, NWS Raleigh, NC
NWS Raleigh, NC issued this tornado warning at May 9, 2008, 12:11 AM EDT for Alamance County, Guilford County, North Carolina. It was in force for 49 min. 3 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
- May 9, 2008, 12:11 AM EDT (04:11 UTC)
- Expired
- May 9, 2008, 1:00 AM EDT
- In force
- 49 min
- Issued by
- NWS Raleigh, NC
- Area
- Storm-based polygon
Counties Alamance County, NC, Guilford County, NC
The radar
The Roanoke radar (KFCX), 107 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 04:12 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 9, 12:20 AM EDT | TSTM WND DMG | 2 Wsw Monticello, NC | MULTIPLE TREES DOWN IN THE LAKE JENNETTE AREA. |
| May 9, 12:35 AM EDT | HAIL 1.75 | 4 N Greensboro, NC | NICKEL TO GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL COVERING THE GROUND UP TO 2 INCHES IN DEPTH AT PISGAH CHURCH ROAD AND WILLOUGHBY BLVD. HAIL HAS BEEN FALLING FOR AT LEAST 5 MINUTES. |
| May 9, 1:00 AM EDT | TSTM WND DMG | 3 Nne Altamahaw, NC | TREE DOWN ON JIMMY BOWLES ROAD. |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 8, 7:20 PM EDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | 8 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC (KGSO), launched 00:00Z, 4.2 hours before the alert went out and 30 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 1104 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -8 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 995 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 48 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 184 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 331 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 1.5
- Supercell composite
- 6.7
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
WFUS52 KRAH 090412
TORRAH
NCC001-081-090500-
/O.NEW.KRAH.TO.W.0021.080509T0411Z-080509T0500Z/
BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC
1211 AM EDT FRI MAY 9 2008
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN RALEIGH HAS ISSUED A
* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
NORTHERN ALAMANCE COUNTY IN CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA
NORTHEASTERN GUILFORD COUNTY IN CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA
* UNTIL 100 AM EDT
* AT 1208 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
TORNADO OVER LAKE TOWNSEND...OR OVER GREENSBORO...MOVING EAST AT 40
MPH. HAIL TO THE SIZE OF GOLFBALLS OR LARGER IS ALSO LIKELY.
* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
MONTICELLO...MCLEANSVILLE...
ALTAMAHAW...
UNION RIDGE...
THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF THE
BUILDING IN A SMALL ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET OR BATHROOM OR IN AN
INTERIOR HALLWAY. USE BLANKETS OR PILLOWS TO PROTECT YOUR BODY FROM
FLYING DEBRIS. STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS AND EXTERIOR WALLS.
BASEMENTS OFFER THE BEST PROTECTION. SMALL ROOMS...CLOSETS OR
INTERIOR STAIRWAYS...NEAR THE CENTER OF HOMES AND BUILDINGS...ALSO
OFFER GOOD PROTECTION.
TORNADOES ARE ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS AT NIGHT BECAUSE THEY ARE HARD TO
SEE. TAKE COVER NOW IF A BASEMENT IS NOT AVAILABLE...MOVE TO AN
INTERIOR ROOM OR HALLWAY ON THE LOWEST FLOOR. STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS
AND EXTERIOR WALLS.
A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 100 AM EDT FRIDAY MORNING FOR
CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA.
LAT...LON 3625 7994 3626 7970 3625 7969 3625 7954
3626 7953 3626 7945 3625 7943 3625 7935
3608 7931 3605 7984
TIME...MOT...LOC 0411Z 252DEG 35KT 3614 7979
$$
WSS2 follow-up statements
000
WWUS52 KRAH 090442
SVSRAH
SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC
1242 AM EDT FRI MAY 9 2008
NCC001-081-090500-
/O.CON.KRAH.TO.W.0021.000000T0000Z-080509T0500Z/
ALAMANCE NC-GUILFORD NC-
1242 AM EDT FRI MAY 9 2008
...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 100 AM EDT FOR
NORTHEASTERN GUILFORD AND NORTHERN ALAMANCE COUNTIES...
AT 1237 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A TORNADO. THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR ALTAMAHAW...OR 8
MILES NORTHWEST OF BURLINGTON...MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH.
LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THE STORM INCLUDE... HAW RIVER AND UNION
RIDGE.
TORNADOES ARE ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS AT NIGHT BECAUSE THEY ARE HARD TO
SEE. TAKE COVER NOW IF A BASEMENT IS NOT AVAILABLE...MOVE TO AN
INTERIOR ROOM OR HALLWAY ON THE LOWEST FLOOR. STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS
AND EXTERIOR WALLS.
A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 100 AM EDT FRIDAY MORNING FOR
CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA.
LAT...LON 3606 7959 3625 7962 3625 7954 3626 7951
3625 7935 3615 7933 3608 7931
TIME...MOT...LOC 0442Z 257DEG 31KT 3619 7948
$$
JFB000
WWUS52 KRAH 090448
SVSRAH
SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC
1247 AM EDT FRI MAY 9 2008
NCC081-090457-
/O.CAN.KRAH.TO.W.0021.000000T0000Z-080509T0500Z/
GUILFORD NC-
1247 AM EDT FRI MAY 9 2008
...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTHEASTERN GUILFORD COUNTY IS
CANCELLED...
A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 400 AM EDT FRIDAY MORNING FOR
CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA.
LAT...LON 3607 7953 3623 7953 3624 7954 3626 7951
3626 7944 3625 7943 3625 7935 3620 7935
3616 7932 3615 7933 3608 7931
TIME...MOT...LOC 0447Z 262DEG 27KT 3618 7944
$$
NCC001-090500-
/O.CON.KRAH.TO.W.0021.000000T0000Z-080509T0500Z/
ALAMANCE NC-
1247 AM EDT FRI MAY 9 2008
...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 100 AM EDT FOR NORTHERN
ALAMANCE COUNTY...
AT 1246 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A TORNADO. THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR ALTAMAHAW...OR 7
MILES NORTH OF BURLINGTON...MOVING EAST AT 31 MPH.
LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THE STORM INCLUDE... UNION RIDGE AND HAW
RIVER.
IN ADDITION TO THE TORNADO...THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING
GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL AND DESTRUCTIVE STRAIGHT LINE WINDS.
TORNADOES ARE ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS AT NIGHT BECAUSE THEY ARE HARD TO
SEE. TAKE COVER NOW IF A BASEMENT IS NOT AVAILABLE...MOVE TO AN
INTERIOR ROOM OR HALLWAY ON THE LOWEST FLOOR. STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS
AND EXTERIOR WALLS.
A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 400 AM EDT FRIDAY MORNING FOR
CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA.
LAT...LON 3607 7953 3623 7953 3624 7954 3626 7951
3626 7944 3625 7943 3625 7935 3620 7935
3616 7932 3615 7933 3608 7931
TIME...MOT...LOC 0447Z 262DEG 27KT 3618 7944
$$
JFBThe office that day
Everything else NWS Raleigh, NC issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 8, 8:17 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RAH | Davidson, Montgomery, Randolph, Stanly | 43 min |
| May 8, 8:47 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RAH | Davidson, Guilford, Randolph | 43 min |
| May 8, 9:12 PM EDT | Tornado Warning | RAH | Guilford, Randolph | 33 min |
| May 8, 9:23 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RAH | Durham, Granville, Person | 52 min |
| May 8, 9:49 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RAH | Davidson, Forsyth | 56 min |
| May 8, 10:16 PM EDT | Tornado Warning | RAH | Davidson, Forsyth | 44 min |
| May 8, 10:56 PM EDT | Areal Flood Advisory | RAH | Forsyth | 3 hr |
| May 8, 10:58 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RAH | Davidson, Forsyth, Guilford | 47 min |
| May 8, 11:09 PM EDT | Tornado Warning | RAH | Davidson, Forsyth, Guilford | 51 min |
| May 8, 11:31 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | RAH | Davidson, Forsyth, Guilford | 3 hr |
| May 8, 11:34 PM EDT | Tornado Warning | RAH | Alamance, Guilford | 41 min |
| May 9, 12:00 AM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RAH | Forsyth, Guilford | 45 min |
| May 9, 12:54 AM EDT | Tornado Warning | RAH | Granville, Person | 36 min |
| May 9, 12:57 AM EDT | Tornado Warning | RAH | Alamance | 19 min |
| May 9, 1:28 AM EDT | Tornado Warning | RAH | Granville, Person | 47 min |
| May 9, 1:47 AM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RAH | Person | 28 min |
| May 9, 7:05 AM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RAH | Edgecombe, Halifax, Nash | 40 min |
| May 9, 7:27 AM EDT | Tornado Warning | RAH | Halifax | 18 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; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.