Alert archive / South Carolina / Tornado Warnings in 2011

Tornado Warning 26, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

April 28, 2011Greenville County, Oconee County, Pickens County, South Carolina; Henderson County, Transylvania County, North Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this tornado warning at Apr 28, 2011, 1:31 AM EDT for Greenville County, Oconee County, Pickens County, South Carolina; Henderson County, Transylvania County, North Carolina. It was in force for 44 min. 4 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 28, 2011, 1:31 AM EDT (05:31 UTC)
Expired: Apr 28, 2011, 2:15 AM EDT
In force: 44 min
Issued by: NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Henderson County, NC, Transylvania County, NC, Greenville County, SC, Oconee County, SC, Pickens County, SC

The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 64 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 05:33 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 28, 1:45 AM EDT	HAIL 0.25	3 S Brevard, NC
Apr 28, 1:50 AM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	Little River, NC	TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN.
Apr 28, 2:00 AM EDT	HAIL 0.5	Rosman, NC
Apr 28, 2:00 AM EDT	HAIL 0.88	Rosman, 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 27, 6:52 PM EDT	Tornado Watch PDS	SPC	9 hr
Apr 28, 12:56 AM EDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	4 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA (KFFC), launched 00:00Z, 5.5 hours before the alert went out and 246 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: 1215 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -15 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1433 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 49 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 244 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 408 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 1.6
Supercell composite: 15.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

948 
WFUS52 KGSP 280531
TORGSP
NCC089-175-SCC045-073-077-280615-
/O.NEW.KGSP.TO.W.0026.110428T0531Z-110428T0615Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
131 AM EDT THU APR 28 2011

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  NORTHWESTERN GREENVILLE COUNTY IN UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA...
  NORTHEASTERN OCONEE COUNTY IN UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA...
  NORTHWESTERN PICKENS COUNTY IN UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA...
  HENDERSON COUNTY IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA...
  TRANSYLVANIA COUNTY IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF BREVARD...

* UNTIL 215 AM EDT

* AT 129 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO NEAR LAKE
  JOCASSEE...OR 16 MILES NORTHWEST OF PICKENS...MOVING NORTHEAST AT
  50 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  ROCKY BOTTOM AND LAKE TOXAWAY...
  ROSMAN AND BALSAM GROVE...
  TABLE ROCK RESERVOIR...
  CEDAR MOUNTAIN AND CAESARS HEAD...
  LITTLE RIVER AND JONES GAP STATE PARK...
  ETOWAH...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TORNADOES WHICH OCCUR AFTER DARK ARE ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS. PEOPLE IN
THE WARNED AREA SHOULD PREPARE IMMEDIATELY FOR THIS TORNADO. 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.

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 3507 8305 3514 8298 3516 8299 3521 8295
      3541 8260 3523 8235 3519 8236 3491 8292
      3502 8304 3503 8301 3505 8305
TIME...MOT...LOC 0531Z 236DEG 42KT 3504 8290

$$

BSH

2 follow-up statements

644 
WWUS52 KGSP 280543
SVSGSP

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
143 AM EDT THU APR 28 2011

SCC073-280553-
/O.CAN.KGSP.TO.W.0026.000000T0000Z-110428T0615Z/
OCONEE SC-
143 AM EDT THU APR 28 2011

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

LAT...LON 3523 8235 3519 8236 3500 8279 3512 8288
      3516 8289 3521 8286 3541 8260
TIME...MOT...LOC 0543Z 235DEG 42KT 3511 8275

$$

NCC089-175-SCC045-077-280615-
/O.CON.KGSP.TO.W.0026.000000T0000Z-110428T0615Z/
HENDERSON NC-TRANSYLVANIA NC-GREENVILLE SC-PICKENS SC-
143 AM EDT THU APR 28 2011

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 215 AM EDT FOR NORTH
CENTRAL PICKENS...NORTHWESTERN GREENVILLE...EASTERN TRANSYLVANIA AND
HENDERSON COUNTIES...

AT 142 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR ROSMAN...OR 9
MILES SOUTH OF BREVARD...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 50 MPH.

OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO TABLE
ROCK RESERVOIR...CAESARS HEAD...CEDAR MOUNTAIN...JONES GAP STATE
PARK...LITTLE RIVER...ETOWAH...TUXEDO...MILLS RIVER AND FLAT ROCK

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TORNADOES WHICH OCCUR AFTER DARK ARE ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS. PEOPLE IN
THE WARNED AREA SHOULD PREPARE IMMEDIATELY FOR THIS TORNADO. 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 3523 8235 3519 8236 3500 8279 3512 8288
      3516 8289 3521 8286 3541 8260
TIME...MOT...LOC 0543Z 235DEG 42KT 3511 8275

$$

BSH

975 
WWUS52 KGSP 280555
SVSGSP

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
155 AM EDT THU APR 28 2011

SCC077-280605-
/O.CAN.KGSP.TO.W.0026.000000T0000Z-110428T0615Z/
PICKENS SC-
155 AM EDT THU APR 28 2011

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTH CENTRAL PICKENS COUNTY IS
CANCELLED...

LAT...LON 3524 8236 3522 8235 3519 8236 3508 8262
      3523 8280 3541 8260
TIME...MOT...LOC 0555Z 236DEG 45KT 3518 8259

$$

NCC089-175-SCC045-280615-
/O.CON.KGSP.TO.W.0026.000000T0000Z-110428T0615Z/
HENDERSON NC-TRANSYLVANIA NC-GREENVILLE SC-
155 AM EDT THU APR 28 2011

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 215 AM EDT FOR
NORTHWESTERN GREENVILLE...EAST CENTRAL TRANSYLVANIA AND SOUTHERN
HENDERSON COUNTIES...

AT 150 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR CEDAR MOUNTAIN...
OR 8 MILES SOUTHEAST OF BREVARD...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 50 MPH.

OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO
ETOWAH...MILLS RIVER...TUXEDO AND FLAT ROCK

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

IN ADDITION TO THE TORNADO THREAT...DAMAGING HAIL TO THE SIZE OF 
GOLF BALLS 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.

TORNADOES WHICH OCCUR AFTER DARK ARE ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS. PEOPLE IN
THE WARNED AREA SHOULD PREPARE IMMEDIATELY FOR THIS TORNADO. 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 3524 8236 3522 8235 3519 8236 3508 8262
      3523 8280 3541 8260
TIME...MOT...LOC 0555Z 236DEG 45KT 3518 8259

$$

BSH

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Apr 27, 11:22 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	GSP	Oconee, Pickens	38 min
Apr 28, 12:04 AM EDT	Tornado Warning	GSP	Oconee	41 min
Apr 28, 12:21 AM EDT	Tornado Warning	GSP	Oconee	39 min
Apr 28, 12:54 AM EDT	Tornado Warning	GSP	Oconee, Pickens	51 min
Apr 28, 2:06 AM EDT	Special Weather Statement	GSP	Abbeville	39 min
Apr 28, 2:29 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Abbeville, Greenwood	46 min
Apr 28, 3:09 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Greenwood, Laurens	36 min
Apr 27, 10:43 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	GSP	Macon	47 min
Apr 28, 12:41 AM EDT	Tornado Warning	GSP	Haywood, Jackson, Macon, Transylvania	34 min
Apr 28, 1:17 AM EDT	Special Weather Statement	GSP	Buncombe, Burke, McDowell	43 min
Apr 28, 2:03 AM EDT	Tornado Warning	GSP	Buncombe, Henderson, Polk, Rutherford	42 min
Apr 28, 2:26 AM EDT	Tornado Warning	GSP	Buncombe, Burke, Henderson, McDowell, Polk, Rutherford	49 min
Apr 28, 2:56 AM EDT	Tornado Warning	GSP	Alexander, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, McDowell	64 min
Apr 28, 5:26 AM EDT	Special Weather Statement	GSP	Caldwell	34 min
Apr 28, 5:51 AM EDT	Special Weather Statement	GSP	Burke	24 min
Apr 28, 5:55 AM EDT	Special Weather Statement	GSP	Burke	35 min
Apr 28, 6:04 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Alexander, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba	29 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in South Carolina, 2011 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.