Alert archive / North Carolina / Tornado Warnings in 2015

Tornado Warning 2, NWS Wilmington, NC

May 21, 2015Columbus County, North Carolina

NWS Wilmington, NC issued this tornado warning at May 21, 2015, 4:12 PM EDT for Columbus County, North Carolina. It was in force for 19 min. 8 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: May 21, 2015, 4:12 PM EDT (20:12 UTC)
Expired: May 21, 2015, 4:31 PM EDT
In force: 19 min
Issued by: NWS Wilmington, NC
Area: Storm-based polygon

County Columbus County, NC

The radar

The Wilmington radar (KLTX), 38 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:11 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 21, 4:13 PM EDT	TORNADO	3 E Bolton, NC	HOME DAMAGED ALONG ANDREW JACKSON HWY. POSSIBLE TORNADO
May 21, 4:15 PM EDT	TORNADO	2 E Bolton, NC
May 21, 4:16 PM EDT	TORNADO	5 Wsw Riegelwood, NC	MANY TREES SNAPPED ON BYRDVILLE-FREEMAN ROAD. POSSIBLE TORNADO
May 21, 4:17 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	5 Ese Bolton, NC	NUMEROUS LARGE BRANCHES BROKEN. DETERMINED DURING NWS STORM SURVEY.
May 21, 4:17 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	5 Ese Bolton, NC	NUMEROUS LARGE BRANCHES BROKEN. DETERMINED DURING NWS STORM SURVEY.
May 21, 4:17 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	5 Ese Bolton, NC	SINGLE LARGE TREE UPROOTED. DETERMINED BY NWS STORM SURVEY.
May 21, 4:23 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	4 Sw Delco, NC	MULTIPLE LARGE LIMBS DOWN ALONG DOGWOOD STAND RD
May 21, 4:24 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	4 Sw Delco, NC	TREES DOWN AND METAL TRACTOR SHED DESTROYED

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.

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
May 21, 12:59 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Newport, NC (KMHX), launched 12:00Z, 8.2 hours before the alert went out and 137 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: 301 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -7 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 535 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 25 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 18 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 141 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

084 
WFUS52 KILM 212012
TORILM
NCC047-212045-
/O.NEW.KILM.TO.W.0002.150521T2012Z-150521T2045Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC
412 PM EDT THU MAY 21 2015

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WILMINGTON NC HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  EASTERN COLUMBUS COUNTY IN SOUTHEASTERN NORTH CAROLINA...

* UNTIL 445 PM EDT
    
* AT 411 PM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
  CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO. THIS DANGEROUS STORM WAS LOCATED
  NEAR FREEMAN...OR 19 MILES EAST OF WHITEVILLE...AND MOVING
  SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  SANDYFIELD...FREEMAN...DELCO...RIEGELWOOD...BOLTON AND EAST
  ARCADIA.

THIS INCLUDES US ROUTE 74 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 411 AND 421.
 
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW. MOVE TO A BASEMENT OR AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST
FLOOR OF A STURDY BUILDING. AVOID WINDOWS. IF YOU ARE IN A MOBILE
HOME OR OUTDOORS...MOVE TO THE CLOSEST SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER AND
PROTECT YOURSELF FROM FLYING DEBRIS.

&&

LAT...LON 3426 7823 3422 7825 3421 7826 3421 7828
      3432 7840 3437 7834 3438 7831 3436 7821
      3435 7820 3435 7817
TIME...MOT...LOC 2011Z 307DEG 19KT 3434 7835 

$$

TRA

2 follow-up statements

250 
WWUS52 KILM 212018
SVSILM

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC
418 PM EDT THU MAY 21 2015

NCC047-212045-
/O.CON.KILM.TO.W.0002.000000T0000Z-150521T2045Z/
COLUMBUS NC-
418 PM EDT THU MAY 21 2015

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 445 PM EDT FOR EAST
CENTRAL COLUMBUS COUNTY...
    
AT 418 PM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 
CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO. THIS DANGEROUS STORM WAS LOCATED 
NEAR FREEMAN...OR 17 MILES WEST OF LELAND...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 20 
MPH.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
SANDYFIELD...FREEMAN...DELCO...RIEGELWOOD AND EAST ARCADIA. 

THIS INCLUDES US ROUTE 74 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 412 AND 421.
 
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW. MOVE TO A BASEMENT OR AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST
FLOOR OF A STURDY BUILDING. AVOID WINDOWS. IF YOU ARE IN A MOBILE
HOME OR OUTDOORS...MOVE TO THE CLOSEST SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER AND
PROTECT YOURSELF FROM FLYING DEBRIS.

&&

LAT...LON 3426 7823 3422 7825 3421 7826 3421 7828
      3430 7838 3437 7834 3438 7831 3436 7821
      3435 7820 3435 7817
TIME...MOT...LOC 2018Z 307DEG 19KT 3432 7831 

$$

TRA

610 
WWUS52 KILM 212031
SVSILM

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC
431 PM EDT THU MAY 21 2015

NCC047-212040-
/O.CAN.KILM.TO.W.0002.000000T0000Z-150521T2045Z/
COLUMBUS NC-
431 PM EDT THU MAY 21 2015

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR EAST CENTRAL COLUMBUS COUNTY IS
CANCELLED...
        
THE STORM WHICH PROMPTED THE WARNING HAS WEAKENED AND EXITED THE 
WARNED AREA. THEREFORE THE WARNING HAS BEEN CANCELLED. 

HOWEVER HAIL AND HEAVY RAIN ARE STILL POSSIBLE WITH THIS 
THUNDERSTORM.

REMEMBER...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING STILL REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR 
PARTS OF EASTERN COLUMBUS COUNTY.

LAT...LON 3426 7823 3422 7825 3421 7826 3421 7828
      3430 7838 3437 7834 3438 7831 3436 7821
      3435 7820 3435 7817
TIME...MOT...LOC 2030Z 307DEG 19KT 3428 7825 

$$

TRA

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 21, 2:04 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	ILM	Robeson	26 min
May 21, 2:30 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	ILM	Robeson	60 min
May 21, 2:52 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	ILM	Bladen	23 min
May 21, 3:14 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	ILM	Bladen	61 min
May 21, 3:20 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILM	Bladen	40 min
May 21, 3:26 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILM	Bladen	49 min
May 21, 3:59 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILM	Bladen, Columbus, Pender	46 min
May 21, 4:04 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	ILM	Columbus	41 min
May 21, 4:26 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILM	Brunswick	33 min
May 21, 4:52 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILM	Brunswick	38 min
May 21, 5:22 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	ILM	New Hanover	8 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in North Carolina, 2015 Every tornado warning in 2015 Tornadoes in 2015

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.