Alert archive / North Carolina / Tornado Warnings in 2011

Tornado Warning 3, NWS Blacksburg, VA

March 23, 2011Halifax County, Virginia; Caswell County, Rockingham County, North Carolina

NWS Blacksburg, VA issued this tornado warning at Mar 23, 2011, 9:02 PM EDT for Halifax County, Virginia; Caswell County, Rockingham County, North Carolina. It was in force for 21 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: Mar 23, 2011, 9:02 PM EDT (01:02 UTC)
Expired: Mar 23, 2011, 9:23 PM EDT
In force: 21 min
Issued by: NWS Blacksburg, VA
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Caswell County, NC, Rockingham County, NC, Halifax County, VA

The radar

The Raleigh/Durham radar (KRAX), 110 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:04 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
Mar 23, 9:22 PM EDT	HAIL 0.88	Yanceyville, 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
Mar 23, 3:45 PM EDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC (KGSO), launched 00:00Z, 1.0 hours before the alert went out and 74 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: 88 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -77 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 816 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 81 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 249 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 410 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 1.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

523 
WFUS51 KRNK 240102
TORRNK
NCC033-157-VAC083-240145-
/O.NEW.KRNK.TO.W.0003.110324T0102Z-110324T0145Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
902 PM EDT WED MAR 23 2011

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BLACKSBURG HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  CASWELL COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA
  EASTERN ROCKINGHAM COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA
  SOUTHERN HALIFAX COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL VIRGINIA

* UNTIL 945 PM EDT.

* AT 900 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO NEAR
  LAWSONVILLE...OR 7 MILES NORTH OF CAMP SPRINGS...MOVING EAST AT 60
  MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  QUICK...
  YANCEYVILLE...
  HAMER...
  LEASBURG...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

WHEN A TORNADO WARNING IS ISSUED BASED ON DOPPLER RADAR...IT MEANS
THAT STRONG ROTATION HAS BEEN DETECTED IN THE STORM. A TORNADO MAY
ALREADY BE ON THE GROUND...OR IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP SHORTLY. IF YOU
ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS DANGEROUS STORM...MOVE INDOORS AND TO THE
LOWEST LEVEL OF THE BUILDING. STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. IF DRIVING...DO
NOT SEEK SHELTER UNDER A HIGHWAY OVERPASS.

THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS IN A BASEMENT. GET UNDER A
WORKBENCH OR OTHER PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE. IF NO BASEMENT IS
AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF THE BUILDING IN AN
INTERIOR HALLWAY OR ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET. USE BLANKETS OR PILLOWS TO
COVER YOUR BODY AND ALWAYS STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

IF IN MOBILE HOMES OR VEHICLES...EVACUATE THEM AND GET INSIDE A
SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER. IF NO SHELTER IS AVAILABLE...LIE FLAT IN THE
NEAREST DITCH OR OTHER LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.

WHEN IT IS SAFE TO DO SO...PLEASE RELAY YOUR SEVERE WEATHER REPORTS
TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BY CALLING TOLL FREE AT...1...8 6
6...2 1 5...4 3 2 4.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM EDT WEDNESDAY EVENING
FOR NORTHWESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND SOUTHWESTERN VIRGINIA AND
SOUTHEAST WEST VIRGINIA.

&&

LAT...LON 3628 7961 3652 7960 3654 7922 3655 7921
      3659 7871 3654 7874 3654 7913 3624 7917
TIME...MOT...LOC 0102Z 264DEG 52KT 3640 7951

$$

DW

2 follow-up statements

908 
WWUS51 KRNK 240112
SVSRNK

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
912 PM EDT WED MAR 23 2011

NCC033-157-VAC083-240145-
/O.CON.KRNK.TO.W.0003.000000T0000Z-110324T0145Z/
CASWELL NC-ROCKINGHAM NC-HALIFAX VA-
912 PM EDT WED MAR 23 2011

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 945 PM EDT FOR SOUTHERN
HALIFAX...EASTERN ROCKINGHAM AND CASWELL COUNTIES...

AT 908 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR YANCEYVILLE...
MOVING EAST AT 60 MPH.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS IN A BASEMENT. GET UNDER A
WORKBENCH OR OTHER PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE. IF NO BASEMENT IS
AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF THE BUILDING IN AN
INTERIOR HALLWAY OR ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET. USE BLANKETS OR PILLOWS TO
COVER YOUR BODY AND ALWAYS STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM EDT WEDNESDAY EVENING
FOR NORTHWESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND SOUTHWESTERN VIRGINIA AND
SOUTHEAST WEST VIRGINIA.

&&

LAT...LON 3628 7961 3652 7960 3654 7922 3655 7921
      3659 7871 3654 7874 3654 7913 3624 7917
TIME...MOT...LOC 0112Z 264DEG 52KT 3643 7931

$$

DW

868 
WWUS51 KRNK 240123
SVSRNK

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
923 PM EDT WED MAR 23 2011

NCC033-157-VAC083-240133-
/O.CAN.KRNK.TO.W.0003.000000T0000Z-110324T0145Z/
CASWELL NC-ROCKINGHAM NC-HALIFAX VA-
923 PM EDT WED MAR 23 2011

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR SOUTHERN HALIFAX...EASTERN ROCKINGHAM AND
CASWELL COUNTIES IS CANCELLED...

THE TORNADO THREAT FOR THE WARNED AREA HAS ENDED. THE THUNDERSTORM
PRODUCING THE TORNADO HAS WEAKENED AND MOVED OUT OF THE WARNING AREA.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...TV OR YOUR LOCAL NEW SOURCE FOR
THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION. REPORT ANY SEVERE WEATHER OR STORM
RELATED DAMAGE TO LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS AND ASK THEM TO
IMMEDIATELY RELAY THE REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN
BLACKSBURG.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM EDT WEDNESDAY EVENING
FOR NORTHWESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND SOUTHWESTERN VIRGINIA AND
SOUTHEAST WEST VIRGINIA.

LAT...LON 3628 7961 3652 7960 3654 7922 3655 7921
      3659 7871 3654 7874 3654 7913 3624 7917
TIME...MOT...LOC 0123Z 264DEG 52KT 3644 7911

$$

DW

The office that day

Everything else NWS Blacksburg, VA issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Mar 23, 9:21 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Halifax, Henry, Pittsylvania, City of Danville	32 min
Mar 24, 1:30 AM EDT	Special Weather Statement	RNK	Alleghany, Botetourt, City of Covington	60 min
Mar 24, 1:34 AM EDT	Special Weather Statement	RNK	Grayson, City of Galax	56 min
Mar 24, 1:36 AM EDT	Special Weather Statement	RNK	Rockbridge, City of Buena Vista, City of Lexington	54 min
Mar 24, 2:19 AM EDT	Special Weather Statement	RNK	Bedford	56 min
Mar 24, 3:45 AM EDT	Wind Advisory	RNK	Alleghany, Amherst, Bath, Bedford, Bland, Botetourt and 19 more	8 hr
Mar 24, 5:41 AM EDT	Special Weather Statement	RNK	Floyd, Franklin, Henry, Patrick, City of Martinsville	64 min
Mar 23, 8:34 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Caswell, Rockingham, Stokes	56 min
Mar 23, 9:27 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Caswell, Rockingham, Stokes	63 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in North Carolina, 2011 Tornado Warnings in Virginia, 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.