Alert archive / North Carolina / Tornado Warnings in 2008

Tornado Warning 10, NWS Blacksburg, VA

May 8, 2008Stokes County, Surry County, North Carolina

NWS Blacksburg, VA issued this tornado warning at May 8, 2008, 8:54 PM EDT for Stokes County, Surry County, North Carolina. It was in force for 51 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
May 8, 2008, 8:54 PM EDT (00:54 UTC)
Expired
May 8, 2008, 9:45 PM EDT
In force
51 min
Issued by
NWS Blacksburg, VA
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Stokes County, NC, Surry County, NC

The radar

The Roanoke radar (KFCX), 66 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:56 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 8, 8:55 PM EDTHAIL 1Dobson, NC
May 8, 9:10 PM EDTTSTM WND DMGDobson, NCTREES DOWN IN CITY
May 8, 9:13 PM EDTTSTM WND DMG1 Se Dobson, NCTREE DOWN ON US 601 NEAR DOBSON
May 8, 9:20 PM EDTTSTM WND DMG1 Se White Plains, NCTREE DOWN ON OLD HIGHWAY 601 NEAR WHITE PLAINS COMMUNITY
May 8, 9:25 PM EDTHAIL 0.882 S Dobson, NC
May 8, 9:34 PM EDTTSTM WND DMG2 Se Ararat, NCLARGE TREE DOWN
May 8, 9:35 PM EDTHAIL 1Francisco, NC

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.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
May 8, 6:48 PM EDTTornado WatchSPC9 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC (KGSO), launched 00:00Z, 0.9 hours before the alert went out and 67 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 00:00Z on 2008-05-09Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1104 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 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, Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC at 00:00Z on 2008-05-09The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 184 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
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

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WFUS51 KRNK 090054
TORRNK
NCC169-171-090145-
/O.NEW.KRNK.TO.W.0010.080509T0054Z-080509T0145Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
854 PM EDT THU MAY 8 2008

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BLACKSBURG HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  NORTHWESTERN STOKES COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA
  SOUTHEASTERN SURRY COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA

* UNTIL 945 PM EDT.

* AT 851 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO NEAR LEVEL
  CROSS...OR NEAR DOBSON...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 29 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  LEVEL CROSS...
  ARARAT...
  WOODVILLE...
  FRANCISCO...
  COLLINSTOWN...

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

THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS IN A BASEMENT. GET UNDER A
WORKBENCH OR OTHER PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE. IF NO BASEMENT IS
AVAILABLE...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.

PLEASE RELAY SEVERE WEATHER REPORTS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
BY CALLING TOLL FREE...1...8 6 6...2 1 5...4 3 2 4.

LAT...LON 3655 8044 3654 8018 3628 8061 3637 8076
TIME...MOT...LOC 0054Z 231DEG 26KT 3636 8069

$$

WP
1 follow-up statement
000 
WWUS51 KRNK 090133
SVSRNK

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
933 PM EDT THU MAY 8 2008

NCC169-171-090145-
/O.CON.KRNK.TO.W.0010.000000T0000Z-080509T0145Z/
STOKES NC-SURRY NC-
933 PM EDT THU MAY 8 2008

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 945 PM EDT FOR
SOUTHEASTERN SURRY AND NORTHWESTERN STOKES COUNTIES...

AT 930 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR PILOT MOUNTAIN...
MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  FRANCISCO BY 940 PM EDT...
  COLLINSTOWN BY 945 PM EDT...

THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS IN A BASEMENT. GET UNDER A
WORKBENCH OR OTHER PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE. IF NO BASEMENT IS
AVAILABLE...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.

TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER...PLEASE CONTACT THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE IN BLACKSBURG AT...1...8 6 6...2 1 5...4 3 2 4.

LAT...LON 3655 8044 3654 8018 3628 8061 3637 8076
TIME...MOT...LOC 0133Z 244DEG 26KT 3642 8040

$$

WP

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 8, 8:20 PM EDTTornado WarningRNKSurry40 min
May 8, 9:01 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRNKSurry, Wilkes, Yadkin59 min
May 8, 9:23 PM EDTTornado WarningRNKSurry, Wilkes, Yadkin52 min
May 8, 9:48 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRNKRockingham, Stokes57 min
May 8, 9:59 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRNKYadkin46 min
May 8, 10:22 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRNKRockingham, Stokes53 min
May 8, 11:49 PM EDTTornado WarningRNKCaswell, Rockingham56 min
May 9, 12:33 AM EDTTornado WarningRNKSurry, Yadkin42 min
May 9, 12:50 AM EDTFlash Flood WatchRNKCaswell, Rockingham, Stokes, Surry, Yadkin4 hr
May 9, 12:57 AM EDTFlash Flood WarningRNKCaswell, Rockingham6 hr
May 9, 1:06 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRNKStokes39 min
May 9, 1:14 AM EDTFlash Flood WarningRNKRockingham, Stokes6 hr
May 9, 2:00 AM EDTFlash Flood WarningRNKCaswell, Rockingham6 hr
May 9, 6:45 AM EDTAreal Flood WarningRNKRockingham, Stokes6 hr
May 9, 10:04 AM EDTRiver Flood WarningRNKCaswell26 hr

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.