Alert archive / North Carolina / Tornado Warnings in 2009

Tornado Warning 13, NWS Newport/Morehead City, NC

May 5, 20095 counties in North Carolina

NWS Newport/Morehead City, NC issued this tornado warning at May 5, 2009, 4:09 PM EDT for 5 counties in North Carolina. It was in force for 51 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 5, 2009, 4:09 PM EDT (20:09 UTC)
Expired
May 5, 2009, 5:00 PM EDT
In force
51 min
Issued by
NWS Newport/Morehead City, NC
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Craven County, NC, Greene County, NC, Jones County, NC, Lenoir County, NC, Pitt County, NC

The radar

The Morehead City radar (KMHX), 84 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:12 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.

The nearest sounding before it

Newport, NC (KMHX), launched 12:00Z, 8.2 hours before the alert went out and 83 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 2009-05-05Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1742 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, Newport, NC at 12:00Z on 2009-05-05The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 155 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
1742 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-5 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
547 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
35 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
155 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
160 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
1.1
Supercell composite
7.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WFUS52 KMHX 052009
TORMHX
NCC049-079-103-107-147-052100-
/O.NEW.KMHX.TO.W.0013.090505T2009Z-090505T2100Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEWPORT/MOREHEAD CITY NC
409 PM EDT TUE MAY 5 2009

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN NEWPORT HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  CRAVEN COUNTY IN EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA...
  GREENE COUNTY IN EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA...
  JONES COUNTY IN EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA...
  LENOIR COUNTY IN EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF KINSTON...
  PITT COUNTY IN EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA...

* UNTIL 500 PM EDT

* AT 406 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO 8 MILES WEST OF
  WOODINGTON...OR 10 MILES SOUTH OF LA GRANGE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT
  25 MPH.

* THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  FALLING CREEK AND WOODINGTON BY 425 PM EDT...
  KINSTON AND 7 MILES SOUTHEAST OF DAWSON BY 440 PM EDT...
  WYSE FORK BY 445 PM EDT...
  GRAINGERS AND 6 MILES NORTHWEST OF DOVER BY 455 PM EDT...
  GRIFTON BY 500 PM EDT...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

IN ADDITION TO THE TORNADO...THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING
LARGE 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.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 600 PM EDT
TUESDAY EVENING FOR EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA.

&&

LAT...LON 3545 7745 3523 7730 3510 7768 3528 7778
TIME...MOT...LOC 2008Z 242DEG 20KT 3517 7776

$$

5
2 follow-up statements
000 
WWUS52 KMHX 052027
SVSMHX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEWPORT/MOREHEAD CITY NC
427 PM EDT TUE MAY 5 2009

NCC049-079-103-107-147-052100-
/O.CON.KMHX.TO.W.0013.000000T0000Z-090505T2100Z/
JONES NC-LENOIR NC-GREENE NC-PITT NC-CRAVEN NC-
427 PM EDT TUE MAY 5 2009

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 500 PM EDT FOR CRAVEN...
PITT...GREENE...LENOIR AND JONES COUNTIES...

AT 426 PM EDT...WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO INDICATE A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WITH STRONG ROTATION.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED
NEAR WOODINGTON...OR NEAR KINSTON...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  KINSTON AND 7 MILES SOUTHEAST OF DAWSON BY 435 PM EDT...
  WYSE FORK BY 440 PM EDT...
  GRAINGERS AND 6 MILES NORTHWEST OF DOVER BY 450 PM EDT...
  GRIFTON AND 6 MILES NORTHWEST OF FORT BARNWELL BY 500 PM EDT...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

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.

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.

&&

LAT...LON 3545 7745 3523 7730 3510 7768 3528 7778
TIME...MOT...LOC 2027Z 242DEG 20KT 3523 7763

$$

8
000 
WWUS52 KMHX 052046
SVSMHX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEWPORT/MOREHEAD CITY NC
446 PM EDT TUE MAY 5 2009

NCC079-052055-
/O.CAN.KMHX.TO.W.0013.000000T0000Z-090505T2100Z/
GREENE NC-
446 PM EDT TUE MAY 5 2009

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR GREENE COUNTY IS CANCELLED...

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 600 PM EDT
TUESDAY EVENING FOR EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA.

LAT...LON 3516 7756 3532 7767 3543 7743 3525 7732
TIME...MOT...LOC 2045Z 242DEG 20KT 3528 7752

$$

NCC049-103-107-147-052100-
/O.CON.KMHX.TO.W.0013.000000T0000Z-090505T2100Z/
JONES NC-LENOIR NC-PITT NC-CRAVEN NC-
446 PM EDT TUE MAY 5 2009

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 500 PM EDT FOR CRAVEN...
PITT...LENOIR AND JONES COUNTIES...

AT 444 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR GRAINGERS...OR
NEAR KINSTON...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  GRAINGERS AND 6 MILES NORTHWEST OF DOVER BY 450 PM EDT...
  GRIFTON AND 6 MILES NORTHWEST OF FORT BARNWELL BY 500 PM EDT...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

IN ADDITION TO THE TORNADO...THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING 
LARGE 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.

&&

LAT...LON 3516 7756 3532 7767 3543 7743 3525 7732
TIME...MOT...LOC 2045Z 242DEG 20KT 3528 7752

$$

8

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 4, 8:40 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMHXDuplin65 min
May 5, 3:10 AM EDTSmall Craft AdvisoryMHX5 days
May 5, 8:21 AM EDTSpecial Marine WarningMHX54 min
May 5, 9:05 AM EDTSpecial Marine WarningMHX55 min
May 5, 9:12 AM EDTSpecial Marine WarningMHX63 min
May 5, 9:23 AM EDTSpecial Marine WarningMHX52 min
May 5, 10:18 AM EDTSpecial Marine WarningMHX57 min
May 5, 10:37 AM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryMHXDuplin2 hr
May 5, 11:07 AM EDTSpecial Marine WarningMHX38 min
May 5, 11:41 AM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryMHXJones, Lenoir2 hr
May 5, 12:32 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMHXCraven, Jones, Onslow43 min
May 5, 2:49 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMHXDuplin, Lenoir56 min
May 5, 3:30 PM EDTTornado WarningMHXDuplin, Lenoir45 min
May 5, 4:55 PM EDTTornado WarningMHXBeaufort, Craven, Lenoir, Pitt50 min
May 5, 5:40 PM EDTTornado WarningMHXBeaufort, Martin, Pitt22 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in North Carolina, 2009Every tornado warning in 2009Tornadoes in 2009

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.