Alert archive / North Carolina / Tornado Warnings in 2011

Tornado Warning 36, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

September 5, 2011Gaston County, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this tornado warning at Sep 5, 2011, 6:51 PM EDT for Gaston County, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. It was in force for 39 min. 1 report 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
Sep 5, 2011, 6:51 PM EDT (22:51 UTC)
Expired
Sep 5, 2011, 7:30 PM EDT
In force
39 min
Issued by
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Gaston County, NC, Mecklenburg County, NC

The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 123 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:54 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
Sep 5, 7:10 PM EDTTSTM WND DMG5 Nw Charlotte, NCA FEW TREES AND LIMBS DOWN AT TUCKASEEGEE PARK. TIME IS BASED ON WHEN STRONGEST STORM PASSED OVER THIS LOCATION. NOBODY WAS AROUND ON LABOR DAY TO SEE THIS OCCUR.

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
Sep 5, 3:42 PM EDTTornado WatchSPC7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC (KGSO), launched 12:00Z, 10.9 hours before the alert went out and 130 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 12:00Z on 2011-09-05Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 109 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 12:00Z on 2011-09-05The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 62 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
109 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-38 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
689 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
46 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
62 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
48 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.

015 
WFUS52 KGSP 052251
TORGSP
NCC071-119-052330-
/O.NEW.KGSP.TO.W.0036.110905T2251Z-110905T2330Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
651 PM EDT MON SEP 5 2011

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHEASTERN GASTON COUNTY IN THE PIEDMONT OF NORTH CAROLINA...
  NORTHERN MECKLENBURG COUNTY IN THE PIEDMONT OF NORTH CAROLINA...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF...CENTER CITY CHARLOTTE...UNC
  CHARLOTTE...

* UNTIL 730 PM EDT

* AT 651 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO 3 MILES SOUTH OF
  CRAMERTON...OR 8 MILES SOUTHEAST OF GASTONIA...MOVING NORTHEAST AT
  25 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  BELMONT...MCADENVILLE AND LOWELL...
  MOUNT HOLLY...
  PAW CREEK AND CENTER CITY CHARLOTTE...
  MOUNTAIN ISLAND LAKE AND I-77 AT I-85...
  CROFT...
  HUNTERSVILLE...

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 3507 8104 3509 8106 3512 8104 3515 8106
      3515 8115 3520 8120 3540 8099 3540 8096
      3543 8096 3551 8087 3550 8079 3542 8075
      3540 8077 3533 8069
TIME...MOT...LOC 2251Z 224DEG 22KT 3520 8104

$$

HG
2 follow-up statements
253 
WWUS52 KGSP 052304
SVSGSP

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
704 PM EDT MON SEP 5 2011

NCC071-052314-
/O.CAN.KGSP.TO.W.0036.000000T0000Z-110905T2330Z/
GASTON NC-
704 PM EDT MON SEP 5 2011

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR SOUTHEASTERN GASTON COUNTY IS CANCELLED...

AT 704 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THAT 
THE POSSIBLY TORNADIC THUNDERSTORM HAD MOVED EAST OF GASTON COUNTY.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1100 PM EDT MONDAY EVENING
FOR NORTHEAST GEORGIA AND WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND CENTRAL SOUTH
CAROLINA.

LAT...LON 3520 8086 3515 8096 3518 8100 3522 8101
      3528 8101 3534 8099 3536 8092 3537 8098
      3539 8096 3544 8096 3551 8087 3550 8079
      3542 8075 3540 8077 3533 8069
TIME...MOT...LOC 2304Z 224DEG 22KT 3528 8096

$$

NCC119-052330-
/O.CON.KGSP.TO.W.0036.000000T0000Z-110905T2330Z/
MECKLENBURG NC-
704 PM EDT MON SEP 5 2011

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 730 PM EDT FOR NORTHERN
MECKLENBURG COUNTY...

AT 704 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO 
INDICATE A DEVELOPING TORNADO. THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED 3 MILES 
SOUTHWEST OF PAW CREEK...OR 8 MILES WEST OF CENTER CITY 
CHARLOTTE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO I-77 AT
I-85...CROFT...UNC CHARLOTTE...HUNTERSVILLE...DAVIDSON AND CORNELIUS

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TORNADOES IN THE CAROLINAS ARE OFTEN OBSCURED BY RAIN...TREES...AND 
TERRAIN. DO NOT WAIT TO SEE THE TORNADO BEFORE SEEKING SHELTER. BY 
THE TIME YOU SEE IT...IT MAY BE TOO LATE! 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.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1100 PM EDT FOR THE 
AREA.

&&

LAT...LON 3520 8086 3515 8096 3518 8100 3522 8101
      3528 8101 3534 8099 3536 8092 3537 8098
      3539 8096 3544 8096 3551 8087 3550 8079
      3542 8075 3540 8077 3533 8069
TIME...MOT...LOC 2304Z 224DEG 22KT 3528 8096

$$

HG
771 
WWUS52 KGSP 052323
SVSGSP

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
723 PM EDT MON SEP 5 2011

NCC119-052332-
/O.EXP.KGSP.TO.W.0036.000000T0000Z-110905T2330Z/
MECKLENBURG NC-
723 PM EDT MON SEP 5 2011

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTHERN MECKLENBURG COUNTY WILL EXPIRE AT
730 PM EDT...

AT 722 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THAT 
THE POSSIBLY TORNADIC THUNDERSTORM IN THE CROFT AREA WAS WEAKENING. 
RADAR ROTATION HAS STEADILY DIMINISHED AND THIS WARNING WILL BE 
ALLOWED TO EXPIRE ON SCHEDULE AT 730 PM IF NO NEW ROTATION DEVELOPS.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1100 PM EDT.

LAT...LON 3520 8086 3515 8096 3518 8100 3522 8101
      3528 8101 3534 8099 3536 8092 3537 8098
      3539 8096 3544 8096 3551 8087 3550 8079
      3542 8075 3540 8077 3533 8069
TIME...MOT...LOC 2322Z 234DEG 26KT 3536 8081

$$

HG

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Sep 5, 11:19 AM EDTRiver Flood WarningGSPHaywood21 hr
Sep 5, 11:19 AM EDTRiver Flood WarningGSPCleveland13 hr
Sep 5, 11:19 AM EDTRiver Flood WarningGSPHenderson, Transylvania21 hr
Sep 5, 11:19 AM EDTRiver Flood WarningGSPMadison21 hr
Sep 5, 11:19 AM EDTRiver Flood WarningGSPMadison21 hr
Sep 5, 11:19 AM EDTRiver Flood WarningGSPBuncombe21 hr
Sep 5, 11:19 AM EDTRiver Flood WarningGSPSwain21 hr
Sep 5, 11:19 AM EDTRiver Flood WarningGSPGaston13 hr
Sep 5, 2:07 PM EDTTornado WarningGSPDavie, Iredell, Rowan38 min
Sep 5, 3:03 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementGSPRutherford42 min
Sep 5, 3:14 PM EDTTornado WarningGSPCabarrus, Mecklenburg46 min
Sep 5, 3:23 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryGSPBurke, Caldwell6 hr
Sep 5, 3:32 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementGSPRutherford43 min
Sep 5, 3:58 PM EDTTornado WarningGSPCabarrus, Mecklenburg, Rowan27 min
Sep 5, 4:20 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementGSPMecklenburg40 min
Sep 5, 4:48 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementGSPPolk, Rutherford27 min
Sep 5, 7:00 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementGSPUnion60 min
Sep 5, 7:32 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementGSPPolk43 min
Sep 5, 7:47 PM EDTTornado WarningGSPCabarrus, Union43 min

Nearby

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