Alert archive / North Carolina / Tornado Warnings in 2011

Tornado Warning 3, NWS Newport/Morehead City, NC

April 16, 2011Greene County, Lenoir County, Pitt County, North Carolina

NWS Newport/Morehead City, NC issued this tornado warning at Apr 16, 2011, 5:24 PM EDT for Greene County, Lenoir County, Pitt County, North Carolina. It was in force for 51 min. 9 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 16, 2011, 5:24 PM EDT (21:24 UTC)
Expired: Apr 16, 2011, 6:15 PM EDT
In force: 51 min
Issued by: NWS Newport/Morehead City, NC
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Greene County, NC, Lenoir County, NC, Pitt County, NC

The radar

The Raleigh/Durham radar (KRAX), 74 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:26 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 16, 5:42 PM EDT	HAIL 1.75	2 W Snow Hill, NC	GOLF BALL SIZED HAIL NEAR SNOW HILL
Apr 16, 5:45 PM EDT	TORNADO	Snow Hill, NC	RPEORT FROM GREENE COUNTY EMC OF 40-50 HOMES DEYSTROYED IN GREENE COUNTY ALONG WITH 5 TO 6 BUSINESSES. THE MIDDLE SCHOOL WAS SEVERELY DAMAGED AND THE HIGH SCHOOL GYM ROOF IS GONE
Apr 16, 5:50 PM EDT	HAIL 2.75	2 Wsw Contentnea, NC
Apr 16, 5:55 PM EDT	TORNADO	Snow Hill, NC	3 HOUSES DESTROYED AT THE INTERSECTION OF HWY 91 AND MIDDLE SCHOOL ROAD
Apr 16, 5:59 PM EDT	HAIL 1	1 Nw Farmville, NC
Apr 16, 6:00 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	Farmville, NC	MULTIPLE TREES DOWN
Apr 16, 6:01 PM EDT	TORNADO	Snow Hill, NC	ANDYS RESTAURANT DESTROYED
Apr 16, 6:15 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	Belvoir, NC	HOUSE DAMAGE AND CARPORT BLOWN OUT
Apr 16, 6:20 PM EDT	TORNADO	Farmville, NC	TREES DOWN. TWISTED SHEET METAL.

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 16, 12:02 PM EDT	Tornado Watch PDS	SPC	11 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Newport, NC (KMHX), launched 12:00Z, 9.4 hours before the alert went out and 108 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: 7 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -6 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 824 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 47 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 201 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 308 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.

908 
WFUS52 KMHX 162124
TORMHX
NCC079-107-147-162215-
/O.NEW.KMHX.TO.W.0003.110416T2124Z-110416T2215Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEWPORT/MOREHEAD CITY NC
524 PM EDT SAT APR 16 2011

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN NEWPORT HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  NORTHWESTERN LENOIR COUNTY IN EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA
  GREENE COUNTY IN EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA
  PITT COUNTY IN EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA

* UNTIL 615 PM EDT

* AT 521 PM EDT...TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED A TORNADO 12
  MILES WEST OF LA GRANGE...OR 7 MILES NORTHEAST OF MOUNT OLIVE...
  MOVING NORTHEAST AT 60 MPH. GOLF BALL SIZED HAIL AND DESTRUCTIVE
  WINDS IN EXCESS OF 70 MPH ARE ALSO LIKELY WITH THIS STORM.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  LA GRANGE...
  JASON...INSTITUTE...
  SHINE...ARBA...
  CASTORIA...SNOW HILL...
  LIZZIE...MAURY...
  BELL ARTHUR...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW. MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF A
STURDY BUILDING. AVOID WINDOWS. IF IN A MOBILE HOME...VEHICLE OR
OUTDOORS...MOVE TO THE CLOSEST SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER. IF NO SHELTER IS
AVAILABLE LIE DOWN IN A LOW LYING AREA. PROTECT YOURSELF FROM FLYING
DEBRIS.

IF CAUGHT IN A VEHICLE...AS A LAST RESORT...EITHER PARK YOUR VEHICLE
AND STAY PUT LEAVING YOUR SEAT BELT ON...OR ABANDON YOUR VEHICLE AND
LIE DOWN IN A LOW LYING AREA. PROTECT YOURSELF FROM FLYING DEBRIS.
MOTORISTS SHOULD NOT TAKE SHELTER UNDER HIGHWAY OVERPASSES.

HEAVY RAINFALL MAY HIDE THIS TORNADO MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO SEE. DO
NOT WAIT TO SEE OR HEAR THE TORNADO. TAKE COVER NOW.

PLEASE REPORT SEVERE WEATHER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BY
CALLING...1...8 0 0...8 8 9...6 8 8 9 OR NOTIFY YOUR LOCAL LAW
ENFORCEMENT AGENCY.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM EDT SATURDAY EVENING
FOR EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA.

&&

LAT...LON 3534 7784 3538 7781 3540 7781 3543 7784
      3557 7783 3576 7752 3580 7748 3557 7720
      3522 7784
TIME...MOT...LOC 2123Z 227DEG 51KT 3528 7796

$$
DAG

1 follow-up statement

159 
WWUS52 KMHX 162156
SVSMHX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEWPORT/MOREHEAD CITY NC
556 PM EDT SAT APR 16 2011

NCC079-107-147-162215-
/O.CON.KMHX.TO.W.0003.000000T0000Z-110416T2215Z/
LENOIR NC-GREENE NC-PITT NC-
556 PM EDT SAT APR 16 2011

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 615 PM EDT FOR PITT...
GREENE AND EXTREME NORTHEASTERN LENOIR COUNTIES...

AT 550 PM EDT...TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED A TORNADO.  THIS
TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR CASTORIA...OR 8 MILES SOUTHWEST OF
FARMVILLE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 55 MPH.

HAZARDS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE...
A TORNADO.
GOLF BALL SIZED HAIL.
DESTRUCTIVE WINDS IN EXCESS OF 70 MPH.

LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THE STORM INCLUDE... ROUNDTREE...FOUNTAIN...
BELL ARTHUR...WINTERVILLE...BELLS FORK...BRUCE...FALKLAND...
GREENVILLE...SIMPSON...HOUSE AND STATON.

TAKE COVER NOW. MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF A
STURDY BUILDING. AVOID WINDOWS. IF IN A MOBILE HOME...VEHICLE OR
OUTDOORS...MOVE TO THE CLOSEST SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER. IF NO SHELTER IS
AVAILABLE LIE DOWN IN A LOW LYING AREA. PROTECT YOURSELF FROM FLYING
DEBRIS.

IF YOU ARE CAUGHT OUTSIDE...SEEK SHELTER IN A NEARBY REINFORCED
BUILDING. AS A LAST RESORT...SEEK SHELTER IN A CULVERT...DITCH OR LOW
SPOT. COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM FLYING
DEBRIS.

HEAVY RAINFALL MAY HIDE THIS TORNADO MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO SEE. DO
NOT WAIT TO SEE OR HEAR THE TORNADO. TAKE COVER NOW.

WHEN IT IS SAFE TO DO SO...PLEASE CALL IN YOUR REPORTS OF PENNY OR
LARGER SIZED HAIL...AS WELL AS WIND DAMAGE...INCLUDING TREES OR LARGE
LIMBS DOWNED BY CALLING THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOLL FREE AT...
1...8 0 0...8 8 9...6 8 8 9.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM EDT SATURDAY EVENING
FOR EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA.

LAT...LON 3539 7758 3540 7772 3548 7779 3559 7778
      3576 7752 3580 7748 3558 7721
TIME...MOT...LOC 2155Z 223DEG 47KT 3555 7761

$$

DAG

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Apr 16, 4:02 AM EDT	High Surf Advisory	MHX		22 hr
Apr 16, 4:50 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	MHX	Duplin, Greene, Lenoir	25 min
Apr 16, 5:26 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	MHX	Duplin	49 min
Apr 16, 6:09 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	MHX	Martin, Pitt	36 min
Apr 16, 6:13 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	MHX	Greene, Pitt	47 min
Apr 16, 6:16 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	MHX	Duplin, Lenoir	29 min
Apr 16, 6:19 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	MHX	Duplin, Jones, Lenoir, Onslow	41 min
Apr 16, 6:38 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	MHX	Greene, Lenoir, Pitt	37 min
Apr 16, 6:50 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	MHX	Martin, Pitt	25 min
Apr 16, 6:57 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	MHX	Craven, Duplin, Jones, Lenoir, Onslow	48 min
Apr 16, 7:07 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	MHX	Beaufort, Martin, Washington	38 min
Apr 16, 7:16 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	MHX	Martin	14 min
Apr 16, 7:37 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MHX	Beaufort, Craven	38 min
Apr 16, 7:39 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	MHX	Beaufort, Craven	51 min
Apr 16, 7:42 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	MHX	Onslow	33 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.