Alert archive / North Carolina / Tornado Warnings in 2012

Tornado Warning 17, NWS Newport/Morehead City, NC

December 26, 2012Carteret County, Craven County, North Carolina

NWS Newport/Morehead City, NC issued this tornado warning at Dec 26, 2012, 2:52 PM EST for Carteret County, Craven County, North Carolina. It was in force for 23 min. 6 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
Dec 26, 2012, 2:52 PM EST (19:52 UTC)
Expired
Dec 26, 2012, 3:15 PM EST
In force
23 min
Issued by
NWS Newport/Morehead City, NC
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Carteret County, NC, Craven County, NC

The radar

The Morehead City radar (KMHX), 32 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 19:52 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
Dec 26, 2:58 PM ESTTSTM WND GST 53Beaufort, NCBEAUFORT ASOS KMRH REPORTED A 46 KNOT THUNDERSTORM WIND GUST.
Dec 26, 2:58 PM ESTTORNADO2 W North River, NCPOSSIBLE TORNADO...DAMAGE TO ROOF EVE... ONE TREE DOWN... TOPS OF 2 TREES TORN OFF... ESTIMATED 80-100 MPH WINDS.
Dec 26, 2:58 PM ESTTORNADO2 Wsw North River, NCNWS STORM SURVEY FOUND EF1 TORNADO DAMAGE NORTH OF BEAUFORT. WINDS ESTIMATED AT 90 MPH...100 YARDS WIDE...AND A PATH LENGTH OF ONE QUARTER MILE. THE TORNADO BEGAN AROUND THE INTERSECTION OF TUTTLES GROVE ROAD AND MADISON BAY DRIVE AND ENDED NEAR HWY 101.
Dec 26, 2:58 PM ESTTORNADOW North River, NCPOSSIBLE TORNADO OFF HWY 101. PUBLIC REPORTED LARGE TREES DOWN... BROKEN WINDOWS... POWERLINES DOWN AND EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO A HOUSE.
Dec 26, 3:00 PM ESTTSTM WND GST 62Beaufort, NCNATIONAL OCEAN SERVICE TIDE GAUGE BFTN7 GUSTED TO 54 KNOTS.
Dec 26, 3:00 PM ESTMARINE TSTM WIND 62Beaufort, NCNATIONAL OCEAN SERVICE TIDE GAUGE IN BEAUFORT BFTN7 REPORTED A 54 KNOT MARINE THUNDERSTORM WIND GUST.

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
Dec 26, 10:08 AM ESTTornado WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Newport, NC (KMHX), launched 12:00Z, 7.9 hours before the alert went out and 32 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, Newport, NC at 12:00Z on 2012-12-26Temperature 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, Newport, NC at 12:00Z on 2012-12-26The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 540 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
438 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
51 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
540 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
770 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.

926 
WFUS52 KMHX 261952
TORMHX
NCC031-049-262015-
/O.NEW.KMHX.TO.W.0017.121226T1952Z-121226T2015Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEWPORT/MOREHEAD CITY NC
252 PM EST WED DEC 26 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN NEWPORT HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  CENTRAL CARTERET COUNTY IN EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA
  EXTREME SOUTHEASTERN CRAVEN COUNTY IN EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA

* UNTIL 315 PM EST

* AT 247 PM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  TORNADO OVER ATLANTIC BEACH...OR OVER MOREHEAD CITY...MOVING
  NORTHEAST AT 60 MPH. DESTRUCTIVE STRAIGHT LINE WINDS IN EXCESS OF
  70 MPH ARE ALSO LIKELY WITH THIS STORM.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  OPEN GROUNDS FARM...GREAT NECK...
  SOUTH RIVER...MERRIMON...
  PINEY ISLAND...

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.

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 500 PM EST WEDNESDAY
AFTERNOON FOR EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA.

&&

LAT...LON 3469 7676 3471 7679 3472 7677 3473 7684
      3501 7663 3498 7659 3501 7650 3508 7647
      3507 7645 3508 7641 3498 7641 3495 7645
      3497 7639 3499 7639 3499 7635 3504 7636
      3503 7632 3467 7663
TIME...MOT...LOC 1952Z 214DEG 58KT 3477 7668

$$

5
1 follow-up statement
852 
WWUS52 KMHX 262006
SVSMHX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEWPORT/MOREHEAD CITY NC
306 PM EST WED DEC 26 2012

NCC031-049-262015-
/O.CON.KMHX.TO.W.0017.000000T0000Z-121226T2015Z/
CARTERET NC-CRAVEN NC-
306 PM EST WED DEC 26 2012

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 315 PM EST FOR EXTREME
SOUTHEASTERN CRAVEN AND CENTRAL CARTERET COUNTIES...

AT 301 PM EST...LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTED A TORNADO.  THIS
TORNADO WAS LOCATED ABOUT 12 MILES NORTH OF
BEAUFORT...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 60 MPH.

HAZARDS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE...
A TORNADO.

LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THE STORM INCLUDE... PINEY ISLAND.

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.

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 500 PM EST WEDNESDAY
AFTERNOON FOR EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA.

LAT...LON 3469 7676 3471 7679 3472 7677 3473 7684
      3501 7663 3498 7659 3501 7650 3508 7647
      3507 7645 3508 7641 3498 7641 3495 7645
      3497 7639 3499 7639 3499 7635 3504 7636
      3503 7632 3467 7663
TIME...MOT...LOC 2006Z 214DEG 58KT 3496 7652

$$

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Dec 26, 9:48 AM ESTSpecial Weather StatementMHXDare27 min
Dec 26, 10:48 AM ESTSpecial Weather StatementMHXDare27 min
Dec 26, 11:05 AM ESTSpecial Marine WarningMHX25 min
Dec 26, 11:11 AM ESTTornado WarningMHXJones, Onslow49 min
Dec 26, 11:14 AM ESTSpecial Weather StatementMHXHyde46 min
Dec 26, 11:27 AM ESTSpecial Marine WarningMHX33 min
Dec 26, 12:10 PM ESTSpecial Marine WarningMHX20 min
Dec 26, 12:14 PM ESTSpecial Marine WarningMHX31 min
Dec 26, 12:20 PM ESTTornado WarningMHXCarteret, Jones, Onslow40 min
Dec 26, 1:02 PM ESTSpecial Weather StatementMHXCraven43 min
Dec 26, 1:06 PM ESTSpecial Marine WarningMHX24 min
Dec 26, 1:09 PM ESTSpecial Weather StatementMHXBeaufort, Craven51 min
Dec 26, 1:27 PM ESTSpecial Weather StatementMHXCarteret48 min
Dec 26, 1:35 PM ESTSpecial Marine WarningMHX25 min
Dec 26, 1:44 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMHXCarteret31 min
Dec 26, 1:45 PM ESTSpecial Marine WarningMHX60 min
Dec 26, 1:52 PM ESTSpecial Weather StatementMHXTyrrell38 min
Dec 26, 2:18 PM ESTSpecial Marine WarningMHX27 min
Dec 26, 2:25 PM ESTSpecial Weather StatementMHXGreene, Martin, Pitt65 min
Dec 26, 2:27 PM ESTSpecial Weather StatementMHXCarteret, Pamlico63 min
Dec 26, 3:27 PM ESTSpecial Weather StatementMHXDare48 min
Dec 26, 3:48 PM ESTSpecial Marine WarningMHX31 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.