Alert archive / North Carolina / Tornado Warnings in 2012

Tornado Warning 3, NWS Raleigh, NC

May 14, 2012Sampson County, North Carolina

NWS Raleigh, NC issued this tornado warning at May 14, 2012, 4:38 PM EDT for Sampson 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: May 14, 2012, 4:38 PM EDT (20:38 UTC)
Expired: May 14, 2012, 4:59 PM EDT
In force: 21 min
Issued by: NWS Raleigh, NC
Area: Storm-based polygon

County Sampson County, NC

The radar

The Raleigh/Durham radar (KRAX), 71 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:38 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
May 14, 4:45 PM EDT	FUNNEL CLOUD	6 N Turkey, NC	MULTIPLE REPORTS OF FUNNEL CLOUDS IN FAR EASTERN SAMPSON COUNTY HAVE BEEN RECEIVED BY SAMPSON COUNTY EM OFFICIALS.

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, 8.6 hours before the alert went out and 124 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: 49 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -2 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 905 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 19 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 51 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 67 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.

929 
WFUS52 KRAH 142038
TORRAH
NCC163-142115-
/O.NEW.KRAH.TO.W.0003.120514T2038Z-120514T2115Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC
438 PM EDT MON MAY 14 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN RALEIGH HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  EAST CENTRAL SAMPSON COUNTY IN CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA

* UNTIL 515 PM EDT

* AT 434 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  TORNADO OVER EAST CENTRAL SAMPSON COUNTY...OR 8 MILES NORTHEAST OF
  CLINTON...MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH.

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 7 7...6 3 3...6 7 7 2 OR NOTIFY YOUR LOCAL LAW
ENFORCEMENT AGENCY.

&&

LAT...LON 3508 7823 3511 7817 3508 7815 3504 7815
      3504 7822
TIME...MOT...LOC 2038Z 250DEG 14KT 3507 7820

$$

22

1 follow-up statement

154 
WWUS52 KRAH 142059
SVSRAH

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC
459 PM EDT MON MAY 14 2012

NCC163-142108-
/O.CAN.KRAH.TO.W.0003.000000T0000Z-120514T2115Z/
SAMPSON NC-
459 PM EDT MON MAY 14 2012

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR EAST CENTRAL SAMPSON COUNTY IS
CANCELLED...

THE STORM WHICH PROMPTED THE WARNING HAS MOVED OUT OF THE AREA AND 
THE WARNING IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.

IF YOU OBSERVED SEVERE WEATHER INCLUDING DAMAGING WINDS OR LARGE
HAIL...PLEASE CONTACT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BY CALLING TOLL
FREE 1...8 7 7...6 3 3...6 7 7 2...OR NOTIFY YOUR NEAREST LAW
ENFORCEMENT AGENCY AND ASK THEM TO RELAY YOUR REPORT TO THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE IN RALEIGH.

LAT...LON 3508 7823 3511 7817 3508 7815 3504 7815
      3504 7822
TIME...MOT...LOC 2058Z 250DEG 14KT 3510 7811

$$

22

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 14, 10:32 AM EDT	Areal Flood Advisory	RAH	Forsyth	2 hr
May 14, 12:23 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	RAH	Alamance, Anson, Chatham, Montgomery, Moore, Orange and 3 more	82 min
May 14, 1:28 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	RAH	Scotland	47 min
May 14, 1:32 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RAH	Hoke, Moore, Richmond, Scotland	43 min
May 14, 1:49 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RAH	Hoke, Scotland	41 min
May 14, 2:38 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	RAH	Cumberland, Harnett, Hoke	52 min
May 14, 3:28 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	RAH	Cumberland, Sampson	62 min
May 14, 3:36 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RAH	Cumberland, Harnett, Johnston, Sampson	39 min
May 14, 4:23 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	RAH	Johnston, Wayne	67 min
May 14, 4:34 PM EDT	Areal Flood Advisory	RAH	Forsyth	3 hr
May 14, 5:23 PM EDT	Areal Flood Advisory	RAH	Sampson	2 hr
May 14, 7:07 PM EDT	Areal Flood Advisory	RAH	Forsyth	6 hr
May 14, 7:55 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RAH	Davidson, Forsyth	65 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.