Alert archive / North Carolina / Tornado Warnings in 2011

Tornado Warning 12, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

April 9, 20114 counties in North Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this tornado warning at Apr 9, 2011, 4:19 PM EDT for 4 counties in North Carolina. It was in force for 41 min. 10 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: Apr 9, 2011, 4:19 PM EDT (20:19 UTC)
Expired: Apr 9, 2011, 5:00 PM EDT
In force: 41 min
Issued by: NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Cleveland County, NC, Gaston County, NC, Lincoln County, NC, Rutherford County, NC

The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 89 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:20 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
Apr 9, 4:30 PM EDT	HAIL 1	3 Sw Casar, NC
Apr 9, 4:35 PM EDT	HAIL 1.75	3 Sw Casar, NC
Apr 9, 4:48 PM EDT	HAIL 1	4 Se Lawndale, NC
Apr 9, 4:49 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	5 Nne Shelby, NC	12 INCH DIAMETER TREE DOWN FALLSTON AND WALLACE GROVE RD
Apr 9, 4:52 PM EDT	TORNADO	5 Nne Shelby, NC	* 1 INJ * NWS STORM SURVEY TEAM DETERMINED THAT A EF0 TORNADO DESTROYED TWO MOBILE HOMES AND DOWNED NUMEROUS TREES NEAR SHELBY...INJURING ONE PERSON. MAXIMUM WIND SPEED WAS ESTIMATED NEAR 80 MPH. THE TORNADO PATH WAS 0.5 MILE LONG AND UP TO 75 YARDS WIDE.
Apr 9, 4:53 PM EDT	HAIL 1.75	4 Ene Lawndale, NC	FALLSTON VFD
Apr 9, 4:59 PM EDT	HAIL 1.75	5 S Cherryville, NC
Apr 9, 5:00 PM EDT	HAIL 1.75	3 Ne Shelby, NC
Apr 9, 5:05 PM EDT	HAIL 1.75	Cherryville, NC
Apr 9, 5:09 PM EDT	HAIL 1	Kings Mountain, 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.

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
Apr 9, 12:34 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	4 hr
Apr 9, 2:00 PM EDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	7 hr
Apr 9, 2:44 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC (KGSO), launched 12:00Z, 8.3 hours before the alert went out and 168 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: 704 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 55 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 169 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 256 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.

016 
WFUS52 KGSP 092019
TORGSP
NCC045-071-109-161-092100-
/O.NEW.KGSP.TO.W.0012.110409T2019Z-110409T2100Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
419 PM EDT SAT APR 9 2011

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  CLEVELAND COUNTY IN THE PIEDMONT OF NORTH CAROLINA...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF SHELBY...
  NORTHWESTERN GASTON COUNTY IN THE PIEDMONT OF NORTH CAROLINA...
  WESTERN LINCOLN COUNTY IN THE PIEDMONT OF NORTH CAROLINA...
  NORTHEASTERN RUTHERFORD COUNTY IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA...

* UNTIL 500 PM EDT

* AT 416 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO NEAR SUNSHINE...
  OR 10 MILES NORTHEAST OF RUTHERFORDTON...MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  POLKVILLE AND CASAR...
  KINGSTOWN AND LATTIMORE...
  LAWNDALE AND FALLSTON...
  SHELBY AND VALE...
  WACO...
  CHERRYVILLE...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

MOBILE HOMES AND VEHICLES SHOULD BE ABANDONED FOR STURDIER SHELTER.
OTHERWISE...GO TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST LEVEL OF YOUR HOME
OR PLACE OF BUSINESS. MAKE SURE THERE ARE AS MANY WALLS AND FLOORS
BETWEEN YOU AND THE OUTSIDE AS POSSIBLE.

TO REPORT TORNADOES...DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL...OR FLOODING...
THROUGH OUR AUTOMATED REPORTING SYSTEM...CALL OUR TOLL FREE NUMBER...
1 8 7 7...6 3 3...6 7 7 2.

&&

LAT...LON 3557 8168 3556 8165 3557 8160 3557 8158
      3556 8158 3557 8155 3556 8126 3518 8136
      3540 8191 3554 8185 3558 8182
TIME...MOT...LOC 2019Z 292DEG 35KT 3544 8180

$$

NED

2 follow-up statements

983 
WWUS52 KGSP 092037
SVSGSP

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
437 PM EDT SAT APR 9 2011

NCC045-071-109-161-092100-
/O.CON.KGSP.TO.W.0012.000000T0000Z-110409T2100Z/
CLEVELAND NC-GASTON NC-LINCOLN NC-RUTHERFORD NC-
437 PM EDT SAT APR 9 2011

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 500 PM EDT FOR
NORTHEASTERN RUTHERFORD...WESTERN LINCOLN...NORTHWESTERN GASTON AND
CLEVELAND COUNTIES...

AT 429 PM EDT...WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO INDICATE A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WITH STRONG ROTATION AND A POSSIBLE TORNADO NEAR 
THE RUTHERFORD-CLEVELAND COUNTY LINE NEAR POLKVILLE.  THE AREA OF 
STRONG ROTATION WAS LOCATED NEAR POLKVILLE...OR 13 MILES NORTHWEST 
OF SHELBY...MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH. SPOTTERS REPORT A ROTATING WALL 
CLOUD.

OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO
LATTIMORE...KINGSTOWN...LAWNDALE...BELWOOD...FALLSTON...VALE...
WACO...KINGS MOUNTAIN...CROUSE AND CHERRYVILLE

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

IN ADDITION TO THE TORNADO THREAT...DAMAGING HAIL TO THE SIZE OF 
BASEBALLS WILL PRECEDE THE TORNADO. WIND DRIVEN HAIL OF THIS SIZE 
POSES A SIGNIFICANT RISK OF INJURY AND DAMAGE. MOBILE HOMES AND 
VEHICLES SHOULD BE ABANDONED FOR STURDIER SHELTER. OTHERWISE...GO TO 
AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST LEVEL OF YOUR HOME OR PLACE OF 
BUSINESS.

&&

LAT...LON 3557 8168 3556 8165 3557 8160 3557 8158
      3556 8158 3557 8155 3556 8126 3518 8136
      3540 8191 3554 8185 3558 8182
TIME...MOT...LOC 2034Z 289DEG 26KT 3541 8167

$$

NED

377 
WWUS52 KGSP 092044
SVSGSP

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
444 PM EDT SAT APR 9 2011

NCC161-092054-
/O.CAN.KGSP.TO.W.0012.000000T0000Z-110409T2100Z/
RUTHERFORD NC-
444 PM EDT SAT APR 9 2011

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTHEASTERN RUTHERFORD COUNTY IS
CANCELLED...

LAT...LON 3556 8126 3518 8136 3534 8171 3539 8170
      3556 8170 3557 8169 3556 8165 3557 8160
      3556 8158 3557 8152
TIME...MOT...LOC 2044Z 283DEG 21KT 3541 8160

$$

NCC045-071-109-092100-
/O.CON.KGSP.TO.W.0012.000000T0000Z-110409T2100Z/
CLEVELAND NC-GASTON NC-LINCOLN NC-
444 PM EDT SAT APR 9 2011

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 500 PM EDT FOR WESTERN
LINCOLN...NORTHWESTERN GASTON AND CLEVELAND COUNTIES...

AT 443 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR POLKVILLE...OR 10
MILES NORTHWEST OF SHELBY...MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH.

OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO
LAWNDALE...BELWOOD...FALLSTON...WACO...VALE...KINGS MOUNTAIN...CROUSE
AND CHERRYVILLE

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

IN ADDITION TO THE TORNADO THREAT...DAMAGING HAIL TO THE SIZE OF 
BASEBALLS WILL PRECEDE THE TORNADO. WIND DRIVEN HAIL OF THIS SIZE 
POSES A SIGNIFICANT RISK OF INJURY AND DAMAGE. MOBILE HOMES AND 
VEHICLES SHOULD BE ABANDONED FOR STURDIER SHELTER. OTHERWISE...GO TO 
AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST LEVEL OF YOUR HOME OR PLACE OF 
BUSINESS.

&&

LAT...LON 3556 8126 3518 8136 3534 8171 3539 8170
      3556 8170 3557 8169 3556 8165 3557 8160
      3556 8158 3557 8152
TIME...MOT...LOC 2044Z 283DEG 21KT 3541 8160

$$

NED

The office that day

Everything else NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Apr 9, 2:22 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Avery, Mitchell, Yancey	53 min
Apr 9, 3:12 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Avery, Burke, Caldwell, McDowell, Mitchell, Yancey	63 min
Apr 9, 1:02 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	GSP	Buncombe	43 min
Apr 9, 1:09 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Buncombe, McDowell, Yancey	42 min
Apr 9, 1:38 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	McDowell, Mitchell, Yancey	52 min
Apr 9, 1:46 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	GSP	Buncombe	29 min
Apr 9, 2:10 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Buncombe, Madison, Yancey	24 min
Apr 9, 2:21 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Avery, Burke, Caldwell, Mitchell	42 min
Apr 9, 2:33 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Avery, Burke, McDowell, Mitchell, Yancey	57 min
Apr 9, 2:40 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Burke, Caldwell	28 min
Apr 9, 3:12 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Buncombe, McDowell, Yancey	48 min
Apr 9, 3:38 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	GSP	Iredell	37 min
Apr 9, 3:43 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Jackson, Macon	62 min
Apr 9, 3:58 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	GSP	Burke, Cleveland, McDowell, Rutherford	47 min
Apr 9, 3:59 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	GSP	Transylvania	46 min
Apr 9, 4:57 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	GSP	Cleveland, Gaston, Lincoln	48 min
Apr 9, 5:07 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Avery, Madison, Mitchell, Yancey	53 min
Apr 9, 5:09 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	GSP	Rutherford	36 min
Apr 9, 5:15 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	McDowell, Rutherford	36 min
Apr 9, 5:19 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Cleveland, Lincoln, Rutherford	56 min
Apr 9, 5:24 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	GSP	Gaston	36 min
Apr 9, 5:26 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Cabarrus, Mecklenburg, Union	64 min
Apr 9, 5:40 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Avery, Burke, Caldwell, McDowell, Mitchell	42 min
Apr 9, 5:43 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Cleveland, Gaston	62 min
Apr 9, 5:53 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Union	52 min
Apr 9, 6:05 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	GSP	Mitchell, Yancey	40 min
Apr 9, 6:17 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Alexander, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Cleveland, Lincoln	28 min
Apr 9, 6:25 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Mecklenburg, Union	65 min
Apr 9, 6:37 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	GSP	Burke, McDowell, Mitchell, Yancey	28 min
Apr 9, 6:40 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Buncombe, Haywood, Madison, Swain, Yancey	65 min
Apr 9, 6:42 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Union	48 min
Apr 9, 6:47 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Catawba, Cleveland, Gaston, Lincoln	31 min
Apr 9, 7:03 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Cabarrus, Iredell, Mecklenburg, Rowan	40 min
Apr 9, 7:04 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Burke, Cleveland, McDowell, Rutherford	56 min
Apr 9, 7:09 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Buncombe, McDowell, Yancey	45 min
Apr 9, 7:25 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Mecklenburg, Union	38 min
Apr 9, 7:26 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Burke, Catawba, Cleveland, Gaston, Lincoln, Rutherford	41 min
Apr 9, 7:45 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Buncombe, McDowell, Madison, Mitchell, Yancey	60 min
Apr 9, 7:47 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson, Transylvania	36 min
Apr 9, 7:49 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	McDowell, Polk, Rutherford	26 min
Apr 9, 7:53 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Cleveland, Gaston	67 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in North Carolina, 2011 Every tornado warning in 2011 Tornadoes in 2011

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.