Alert archive / North Carolina / Tornado Warnings in 2009

Tornado Warning 9, NWS Raleigh, NC

March 28, 2009Sampson County, North Carolina

NWS Raleigh, NC issued this tornado warning at Mar 28, 2009, 9:39 PM EDT for Sampson County, 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: Mar 28, 2009, 9:39 PM EDT (01:39 UTC)
Expired: Mar 28, 2009, 10:30 PM EDT
In force: 51 min
Issued by: NWS Raleigh, NC
Area: Storm-based polygon

County Sampson County, NC

The radar

The Raleigh/Durham radar (KRAX), 89 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:39 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.

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
Mar 28, 5:38 PM EDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Newport, NC (KMHX), launched 00:00Z, 1.7 hours before the alert went out and 133 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: 426 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -7 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 486 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 34 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 102 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 162 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.2
Supercell composite: 1.4

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WFUS52 KRAH 290139
TORRAH
NCC163-290230-
/O.NEW.KRAH.TO.W.0009.090329T0139Z-090329T0230Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC
939 PM EDT SAT MAR 28 2009

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN RALEIGH HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHERN SAMPSON COUNTY IN CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA

* UNTIL 1030 PM EDT

* AT 934 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  TORNADO 9 MILES SOUTHWEST OF GARLAND...OR 8 MILES NORTHEAST OF
  ELIZABETHTOWN...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH.

* THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  GARLAND AROUND 950 PM...
  TURKEY AROUND 1020 PM...

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.

TORNADOES ARE ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS AT NIGHT BECAUSE THEY ARE HARD TO 
SEE. 

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT SUNDAY MORNING FOR
CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA.

LAT...LON 3472 7839 3475 7840 3481 7846 3483 7847
      3489 7854 3491 7854 3515 7816 3510 7817
      3507 7815 3493 7814 3480 7817 3468 7836
TIME...MOT...LOC 0139Z 229DEG 30KT 3475 7849

$$

MWS

4 follow-up statements

000 
WWUS52 KRAH 290158
SVSRAH

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC
958 PM EDT SAT MAR 28 2009

NCC163-290230-
/O.CON.KRAH.TO.W.0009.000000T0000Z-090329T0230Z/
SAMPSON NC-
955 PM EDT SAT MAR 28 2009

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1030 PM EDT FOR SOUTHERN
SAMPSON COUNTY...

AT 952 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO 
INDICATE A THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO.  THIS STORM 
WAS LOCATED NEAR GARLAND...OR 13 MILES SOUTH OF CLINTON...MOVING 
NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH. THIS STORM HAS A HISTORY OF PRODUCING 
STRUCTURAL DAMAGE NEAR ELIZABETHTOWN. THE STORM HAS TEMPORARILY 
WEAKENED... BUT A NEW TORNADO MAY SOON FORM. 

LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THE STORM INCLUDE... TURKEY.

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

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT EDT SUNDAY MORNING
FOR CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA.

LAT...LON 3475 7840 3481 7846 3483 7847 3487 7852
      3491 7854 3515 7817 3510 7817 3507 7815
      3493 7814 3480 7817 3472 7839
TIME...MOT...LOC 0155Z 229DEG 30KT 3484 7837

$$

MWS

000 
WWUS52 KRAH 290211
SVSRAH

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC
1011 PM EDT SAT MAR 28 2009

NCC163-290230-
/O.CON.KRAH.TO.W.0009.000000T0000Z-090329T0230Z/
SAMPSON NC-
1011 PM EDT SAT MAR 28 2009

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1030 PM EDT FOR CENTRAL
SAMPSON COUNTY...

AT 1006 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR CLINTON...MOVING
NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH.

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

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.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT EDT SUNDAY MORNING
FOR CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA.

LAT...LON 3507 7815 3493 7814 3485 7830 3497 7845
      3515 7817 3510 7817
TIME...MOT...LOC 0211Z 234DEG 33KT 3502 7826

$$

MWS

000 
WWUS52 KRAH 290219
SVSRAH

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC
1019 PM EDT SAT MAR 28 2009

NCC163-290230-
/O.CON.KRAH.TO.W.0009.000000T0000Z-090329T0230Z/
SAMPSON NC-
1019 PM EDT SAT MAR 28 2009

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1030 PM EDT FOR EAST
CENTRAL SAMPSON COUNTY...

AT 1015 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO 
INDICATE A TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED 2 MILES NORTHWEST OF 
TURKEY...OR 7 MILES NORTHEAST OF CLINTON...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 
MPH.

THE TORNADO WILL OTHERWISE REMAIN OVER MAINLY RURAL AREAS NORTH OF 
TURKEY.

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.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT EDT SUNDAY MORNING
FOR CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA.

LAT...LON 3507 7815 3495 7814 3491 7822 3504 7834
      3515 7817 3510 7817
TIME...MOT...LOC 0219Z 234DEG 33KT 3506 7819

$$

MWS

000 
WWUS52 KRAH 290234
SVSRAH

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC
1034 PM EDT SAT MAR 28 2009

NCC163-290243-
/O.EXP.KRAH.TO.W.0009.000000T0000Z-090329T0230Z/
SAMPSON NC-
1033 PM EDT SAT MAR 28 2009

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR EAST CENTRAL SAMPSON COUNTY EXPIRED AT
1030 PM EDT...

THE STORM WHICH PROMPTED THE WARNING HAS MOVED OUT OF THE AREA AND 
THE WARNING WILL BE ALLOWED TO EXPIRE. 

IF YOU EXPERIENCED SEVERE WEATHER SUCH AS DAMAGING WINDS OR OBSERVED 
A FUNNEL CLOUD OR TORNADO TOUCH DOWN... PLEASE PASS THE INFORMATION 
ALONG TO YOUR NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY AND ASK THEM TO RELAY 
YOUR REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT EDT SUNDAY MORNING
FOR CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA.

LAT...LON 3507 7815 3495 7814 3491 7822 3504 7834
      3515 7817 3510 7817
TIME...MOT...LOC 0219Z 234DEG 33KT 3506 7819

$$

MWS

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Mar 28, 9:48 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	RAH	Sampson	42 min
Mar 29, 5:40 PM EDT	River Flood Warning	RAH	Johnston	17 hr

Nearby

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