Alert archive / North Carolina / Tornado Warnings in 2012

Tornado Warning 1, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

January 11, 20125 counties in North Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this tornado warning at Jan 11, 2012, 5:35 PM EST for 5 counties in North Carolina. It was in force for 40 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
Jan 11, 2012, 5:35 PM EST (22:35 UTC)
Expired
Jan 11, 2012, 6:15 PM EST
In force
40 min
Issued by
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Burke County, NC, Catawba County, NC, Cleveland County, NC, Lincoln County, NC, Rutherford County, NC

The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 107 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:37 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
Jan 11, 6:07 PM ESTTSTM WND DMG3 Sse Icard, NCCOUNTY COMMS REPORTS 20 TO 25 MOBILE HOMES DESTROYED AND AROUND A DOZEN HOUSES WITH MAJOR DAMAGE ALONG JOHNSON BRIDGE RD IN THE ICARD AND HILDEBRAN AREA. MULTIPLE INJURIES...NO KNOWN FATALITIES. POSSIBLE TORNADO.

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

The nearest sounding before it

Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC (KGSO), launched 12:00Z, 10.6 hours before the alert went out and 152 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 2012-01-11Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 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 2012-01-11The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 125 square meters per square second.1939587897117Sfc1 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
641 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
41 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
125 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
192 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.

945 
WFUS52 KGSP 112235
TORGSP
NCC023-035-045-109-161-112315-
/O.NEW.KGSP.TO.W.0001.120111T2235Z-120111T2315Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
535 PM EST WED JAN 11 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHWESTERN CATAWBA COUNTY IN THE PIEDMONT OF NORTH CAROLINA...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF NEWTON...
  NORTHWESTERN CLEVELAND COUNTY IN THE PIEDMONT OF NORTH CAROLINA...
  NORTHWESTERN LINCOLN COUNTY IN THE PIEDMONT OF NORTH CAROLINA...
  SOUTHEASTERN BURKE COUNTY IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA...
  NORTHEASTERN RUTHERFORD COUNTY IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA...

* UNTIL 615 PM EST

* AT 533 PM EST...TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTER REPORTED A TORNADO 4 MILES
  WEST OF POLKVILLE...OR 13 MILES NORTHWEST OF SHELBY...MOVING
  NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  CASAR AND LAWNDALE...
  BELWOOD...
  PLEASANT GROVE...
  COOKSVILLE AND VALE...
  HILDEBRAN...LONGVIEW AND ICARD...

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 3577 8143 3577 8140 3566 8120 3530 8171
      3543 8186 3579 8145
TIME...MOT...LOC 2234Z 227DEG 30KT 3543 8170

$$
ARK
2 follow-up statements
254 
WWUS52 KGSP 112248
SVSGSP

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
548 PM EST WED JAN 11 2012

NCC161-112258-
/O.CAN.KGSP.TO.W.0001.000000T0000Z-120111T2315Z/
RUTHERFORD NC-
548 PM EST WED JAN 11 2012

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

THE STORM HAS MOVED INTO NORTHERN CLEVELAND COUNTY.

LAT...LON 3577 8143 3575 8136 3567 8122 3539 8160
      3547 8170 3555 8170 3558 8169 3579 8145
TIME...MOT...LOC 2248Z 226DEG 32KT 3552 8160

$$

NCC023-035-045-109-112315-
/O.CON.KGSP.TO.W.0001.000000T0000Z-120111T2315Z/
CATAWBA NC-CLEVELAND NC-LINCOLN NC-BURKE NC-
548 PM EST WED JAN 11 2012

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 615 PM EST FOR
SOUTHEASTERN BURKE...NORTHWESTERN LINCOLN...NORTHWESTERN CLEVELAND
AND WESTERN CATAWBA COUNTIES...

AT 546 PM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR CASAR...OR 16
MILES NORTH OF SHELBY...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH.

OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO
BELWOOD...PLEASANT GROVE...COOKSVILLE...VALE...ICARD...NEWTON...
LONGVIEW AND HILDEBRAN

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.

&&

LAT...LON 3577 8143 3575 8136 3567 8122 3539 8160
      3547 8170 3555 8170 3558 8169 3579 8145
TIME...MOT...LOC 2248Z 226DEG 32KT 3552 8160

$$

ARK
172 
WWUS52 KGSP 112301
SVSGSP

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
601 PM EST WED JAN 11 2012

NCC045-109-112310-
/O.CAN.KGSP.TO.W.0001.000000T0000Z-120111T2315Z/
CLEVELAND NC-LINCOLN NC-
601 PM EST WED JAN 11 2012

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTHWESTERN LINCOLN AND NORTHWESTERN
CLEVELAND COUNTIES IS CANCELLED...

THE STORM HAS MOVED NORTHEAST OUT OF CLEVELAND AND LINCOLN COUNTIES.

LAT...LON 3577 8143 3575 8136 3572 8130 3557 8143
      3557 8152 3556 8156 3556 8158 3560 8167
      3579 8145
TIME...MOT...LOC 2300Z 214DEG 38KT 3563 8152

$$

NCC023-035-112315-
/O.CON.KGSP.TO.W.0001.000000T0000Z-120111T2315Z/
CATAWBA NC-BURKE NC-
601 PM EST WED JAN 11 2012

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 615 PM EST FOR
SOUTHEASTERN BURKE AND WESTERN CATAWBA COUNTIES...

AT 559 PM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED 3 MILES EAST OF
PLEASANT GROVE...OR 13 MILES SOUTHEAST OF MORGANTON...MOVING
NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH.

OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO
ICARD...HILDEBRAN AND LONGVIEW

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.

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 3577 8143 3575 8136 3572 8130 3557 8143
      3557 8152 3556 8156 3556 8158 3560 8167
      3579 8145
TIME...MOT...LOC 2300Z 214DEG 38KT 3563 8152

$$

ARK

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jan 11, 2:51 PM ESTSpecial Weather StatementGSPTransylvania39 min
Jan 11, 3:35 PM ESTSpecial Weather StatementGSPTransylvania40 min
Jan 11, 3:40 PM ESTSpecial Weather StatementGSPHenderson50 min
Jan 11, 4:24 PM ESTSpecial Weather StatementGSPBuncombe, Henderson, McDowell, Polk, Rutherford, Yancey66 min
Jan 11, 4:55 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPCleveland, Polk, Rutherford65 min
Jan 11, 6:05 PM ESTTornado WarningGSPAlexander, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba40 min
Jan 11, 6:44 PM ESTSpecial Weather StatementGSPAlexander, Iredell46 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in North Carolina, 2012Every tornado warning in 2012Tornadoes in 2012

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.