Alert archive / North Carolina / Tornado Warnings in 2014

Tornado Warning 4, NWS Wilmington, NC

May 15, 2014Brunswick County, Columbus County, North Carolina; Horry County, South Carolina

NWS Wilmington, NC issued this tornado warning at May 15, 2014, 7:46 PM EDT for Brunswick County, Columbus County, North Carolina; Horry County, South Carolina. It was in force for 29 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
May 15, 2014, 7:46 PM EDT (23:46 UTC)
Expired
May 15, 2014, 8:15 PM EDT
In force
29 min
Issued by
NWS Wilmington, NC
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Brunswick County, NC, Columbus County, NC, Horry County, SC

The radar

The Wilmington radar (KLTX), 19 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:49 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.

The watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
May 15, 11:56 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC8 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Charleston AFB, SC (KCHS), launched 12:00Z, 11.8 hours before the alert went out and 178 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, Charleston AFB, SC at 12:00Z on 2014-05-15Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1386 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 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, Charleston AFB, SC at 12:00Z on 2014-05-15The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 146 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
1386 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
609 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
32 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
146 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
154 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.7
Supercell composite
5.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

190 
WFUS52 KILM 152346
TORILM
NCC019-047-SCC051-160015-
/O.NEW.KILM.TO.W.0004.140515T2346Z-140516T0015Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC
746 PM EDT THU MAY 15 2014

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WILMINGTON NC HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHWESTERN BRUNSWICK COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA
  EASTERN HORRY COUNTY IN NORTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA
  SOUTHERN COLUMBUS COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA

* UNTIL 815 PM EDT

* AT 744 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO NEAR LITTLE
  RIVER...MOVING NORTH AT 30 MPH.

* SOME LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE...
   LONGWOOD...
   PIREWAY...
   BUGHILL...
   NAKINA...

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

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 3413 7874 3419 7846 3385 7857 3382 7867
TIME...MOT...LOC 2346Z 180DEG 28KT 3389 7863

$$

III
2 follow-up statements
330 
WWUS52 KILM 152353
SVSILM

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC
753 PM EDT THU MAY 15 2014

NCC019-047-SCC051-160015-
/O.CON.KILM.TO.W.0004.000000T0000Z-140516T0015Z/
COLUMBUS NC-HORRY SC-BRUNSWICK NC-
753 PM EDT THU MAY 15 2014

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 815 PM EDT FOR
SOUTHWESTERN BRUNSWICK...EXTREME EAST CENTRAL HORRY AND SOUTH CENTRAL
COLUMBUS COUNTIES...

AT 749 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR CONTINUED TO INDICATE
A TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR BROOKSVILLE...OR NEAR
LITTLE RIVER...MOVING NORTH AT 30 MPH.

OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO
LONGWOOD...PIREWAY...DULAH...ASH...WACCAMAW...BUGHILL...FREELAND...
HONEY ISLAND...BETHEL AND NAKINA

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 3388 7858 3387 7866 3413 7874 3419 7846
TIME...MOT...LOC 2353Z 180DEG 27KT 3394 7863

$$

III
829 
WWUS52 KILM 152359
SVSILM

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC
759 PM EDT THU MAY 15 2014

NCC019-047-SCC051-160009-
/O.CAN.KILM.TO.W.0004.000000T0000Z-140516T0015Z/
COLUMBUS NC-HORRY SC-BRUNSWICK NC-
759 PM EDT THU MAY 15 2014

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR SOUTHWESTERN BRUNSWICK...EXTREME EAST 
CENTRAL HORRY AND SOUTH CENTRAL COLUMBUS COUNTIES IS 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 3388 7858 3387 7866 3413 7874 3419 7846
TIME...MOT...LOC 2359Z 180DEG 27KT 3399 7863

$$

III

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 15, 2:59 PM EDTCoastal Flood AdvisoryILMNew Hanover10 hr

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in North Carolina, 2014Tornado Warnings in South Carolina, 2014Every tornado warning in 2014Tornadoes in 2014

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.