Alert archive / North Carolina / Tornado Warnings in 2012

Tornado Warning 9, NWS Wilmington, NC

October 1, 2012Bladen County, Pender County, North Carolina

NWS Wilmington, NC issued this tornado warning at Oct 1, 2012, 6:26 PM EDT for Bladen County, Pender County, North Carolina. It was in force for 44 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: Oct 1, 2012, 6:26 PM EDT (22:26 UTC)
Expired: Oct 1, 2012, 7:10 PM EDT
In force: 44 min
Issued by: NWS Wilmington, NC
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Bladen County, NC, Pender County, NC

The radar

The Wilmington radar (KLTX), 68 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:26 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
Oct 1, 6:28 PM EDT	TSTM WND GST 58	7 Wsw Kelly, NC	A TREE WAS REPORTED DOWN ON A POWER LINE ON ELWELL FERRY ROAD NEAR THE INTERSECTION WITH HIGHWAY 211. DAMAGE MAY BE THE RESULT OF A BRIEF TORNADO TOUCHDOWN...BUT NO CONFIRMATION OR SIGHTING.

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

The nearest sounding before it

Newport, NC (KMHX), launched 12:00Z, 10.4 hours before the alert went out and 132 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: 0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL: 566 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 55 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 123 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 273 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.

022 
WFUS52 KILM 012226
TORILM
NCC017-141-012330-
/O.NEW.KILM.TO.W.0009.121001T2226Z-121001T2330Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC
626 PM EDT MON OCT 1 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WILMINGTON NC HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  WESTERN PENDER COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA
  SOUTHEASTERN BLADEN COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA

* UNTIL 730 PM EDT

* AT 627 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO NEAR CARVERS...
  OR ABOUT 15 MILES SOUTHEAST OF ELIZABETHTOWN...MOVING NORTHEAST AT
  15 MPH.

* SOME LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE...
   KELLY...
   ROWAN...
   ROOKS...
   ROOKS...
   WARDS CORNER...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

GET UNDER A TABLE OR OTHER PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE. 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.

&&

PLEASE REPORT HAIL...DOWNED TREES OR DAMAGING WINDS TO THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE IN WILMINGTON NC...TOLL FREE AT 800-697-3901...WHEN
YOU CAN DO SO SAFELY.

LAT...LON 3467 7832 3461 7831 3457 7825 3464 7818
      3454 7803 3441 7842 3447 7850 3473 7839
TIME...MOT...LOC 2227Z 226DEG 14KT 3448 7840

$$

WEISS

3 follow-up statements

615 
WWUS52 KILM 012240
SVSILM

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC
640 PM EDT MON OCT 1 2012

NCC017-141-012330-
/O.CON.KILM.TO.W.0009.000000T0000Z-121001T2330Z/
BLADEN NC-PENDER NC-
640 PM EDT MON OCT 1 2012

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 730 PM EDT FOR WEST
CENTRAL PENDER AND EAST CENTRAL BLADEN COUNTIES...

AT 639 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR ROWAN...OR 16
MILES SOUTHEAST OF ELIZABETHTOWN...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH.

LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO ATKINSON AND
WARDS CORNER.

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.

&&

PLEASE REPORT HAIL...DOWNED TREES OR DAMAGING WINDS TO THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE IN WILMINGTON NC...TOLL FREE AT 800-697-3901...WHEN
YOU CAN DO SO SAFELY.

LAT...LON 3445 7839 3450 7844 3473 7839 3467 7832
      3461 7831 3457 7825 3464 7818 3454 7803
TIME...MOT...LOC 2240Z 226DEG 14KT 3452 7836

$$

WEISS

218 
WWUS52 KILM 012255
SVSILM

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC
655 PM EDT MON OCT 1 2012

NCC017-141-012330-
/O.CON.KILM.TO.W.0009.000000T0000Z-121001T2330Z/
BLADEN NC-PENDER NC-
655 PM EDT MON OCT 1 2012

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 730 PM EDT FOR WEST
CENTRAL PENDER AND EAST CENTRAL BLADEN COUNTIES...

AT 655 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO 
INDICATE A TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR ROWAN...MOVING 
NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH.

THE TORNADO WILL OTHERWISE REMAIN OVER MAINLY RURAL AREAS OF THE
INDICATED COUNTIES.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

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.

&&

PLEASE REPORT HAIL...DOWNED TREES OR DAMAGING WINDS TO THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE IN WILMINGTON NC...TOLL FREE AT 800-697-3901...WHEN
YOU CAN DO SO SAFELY.

LAT...LON 3457 7809 3448 7837 3452 7841 3472 7838
      3467 7832 3461 7831 3457 7825 3464 7818
TIME...MOT...LOC 2255Z 226DEG 14KT 3456 7831

$$

WEISS

326 
WWUS52 KILM 012310
SVSILM

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC
710 PM EDT MON OCT 1 2012

NCC017-141-012320-
/O.CAN.KILM.TO.W.0009.000000T0000Z-121001T2330Z/
BLADEN NC-PENDER NC-
710 PM EDT MON OCT 1 2012

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR WEST CENTRAL PENDER AND EAST CENTRAL
BLADEN COUNTIES IS CANCELED...

AT 709 PM EDT...THE THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING THE POSSIBLE TORNADO WHICH
PROMPTED THE WARNING HAS WEAKENED...THEREFORE THE TORNADO WARNING HAS
BEEN CANCELED.

PLEASE REPORT HAIL...DOWNED TREES OR DAMAGING WINDS TO THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE IN WILMINGTON NC...TOLL FREE AT 800-697-3901...WHEN
YOU CAN DO SO SAFELY.

LAT...LON 3457 7809 3448 7837 3452 7841 3472 7838
      3467 7832 3461 7831 3457 7825 3464 7818
TIME...MOT...LOC 2310Z 226DEG 14KT 3460 7826

$$

WEISS

The office that day

Everything else NWS Wilmington, NC issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Oct 1, 3:22 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	ILM	Columbus	38 min
Oct 1, 5:15 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	ILM	Bladen	45 min
Oct 1, 5:24 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	ILM	Columbus	66 min
Oct 1, 5:37 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	ILM	Bladen, Columbus	53 min
Oct 1, 5:58 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	ILM	Columbus	62 min
Oct 1, 6:10 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	ILM	Bladen, Columbus, Robeson	50 min
Oct 1, 6:29 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	ILM	Columbus	61 min
Oct 1, 6:58 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	ILM	Bladen	62 min
Oct 1, 7:11 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	ILM	Bladen	34 min

Nearby

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