Alert archive / North Carolina / Tornado Warnings in 2020

Tornado Warning 39, NWS Wilmington, NC

December 24, 2020Bladen County, Columbus County, North Carolina

NWS Wilmington, NC issued this tornado warning at Dec 24, 2020, 1:16 PM EST for Bladen County, Columbus County, North 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
Dec 24, 2020, 1:16 PM EST (18:16 UTC)
Expired
Dec 24, 2020, 1:45 PM EST
In force
29 min
Issued by
NWS Wilmington, NC
Area
Storm-based polygon
Tornado
Radar indicated
Hail
0.0 in

Counties Bladen County, NC, Columbus County, NC

The radar

The Wilmington radar (KLTX), 58 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 18:18 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 nearest sounding before it

Newport, NC (KMHX), launched 12:00Z, 6.3 hours before the alert went out and 165 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 2020-12-24Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 35 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, Newport, NC at 12:00Z on 2020-12-24The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 188 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
35 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-16 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1064 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
47 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
188 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
230 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

154 
WFUS52 KILM 241816
TORILM
NCC017-047-241845-
/O.NEW.KILM.TO.W.0039.201224T1816Z-201224T1845Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Wilmington NC
116 PM EST Thu Dec 24 2020

The National Weather Service in Wilmington has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Western Bladen County in southeastern North Carolina...
  North central Columbus County in southeastern North Carolina...

* Until 145 PM EST.
    
* At 116 PM EST, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
  was located near Whiteville, moving north at 40 mph.

  HAZARD...Tornado.

  SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation.

  IMPACT...Expect damage to mobile homes, roofs, and vehicles.

* This dangerous storm will be near...
  Elkton and Emerson around 125 PM EST.
  Bladenboro, Abbottsburg and Lisbon around 130 PM EST.
  Bladen Community College around 140 PM EST.
  Elizabethtown and Ruskin around 145 PM EST.

Other locations impacted by this tornadic thunderstorm include
Dublin, Clarkton, White Lake, Bladen County Hospital, Columbus
Regional Healthcare System and Brunswick.

This includes US Route 74 between mile markers 386 and 398.
 
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 outdoors, in a
mobile home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter
and protect yourself from flying debris.

&&

LAT...LON 3428 7861 3432 7882 3478 7876 3472 7844
TIME...MOT...LOC 1816Z 191DEG 34KT 3439 7870 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
HAIL...0.00IN

$$

21
2 follow-up statements
851 
WWUS52 KILM 241828
SVSILM

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Wilmington NC
128 PM EST Thu Dec 24 2020

NCC047-241838-
/O.CAN.KILM.TO.W.0039.000000T0000Z-201224T1845Z/
Columbus NC-
128 PM EST Thu Dec 24 2020

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTH CENTRAL COLUMBUS COUNTY IS
CANCELLED...
    
The tornadic thunderstorm which prompted the warning has moved out 
of the warned area. Therefore, the warning has been cancelled.

LAT...LON 3472 7844 3442 7856 3443 7858 3443 7860
      3445 7862 3446 7866 3447 7867 3447 7872
      3478 7876
TIME...MOT...LOC 1828Z 191DEG 34KT 3451 7867 

$$

NCC017-241845-
/O.CON.KILM.TO.W.0039.000000T0000Z-201224T1845Z/
Bladen NC-
128 PM EST Thu Dec 24 2020

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 145 PM EST FOR CENTRAL
BLADEN COUNTY...
    
At 128 PM EST, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located near Abbottsburg, or 8 miles southwest of Elizabethtown,
moving north at 40 mph.

HAZARD...TORNADO.

SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation.

IMPACT...Expect damage to mobile homes, roofs, and vehicles.

This dangerous storm will be near...
  Bladen Community College around 140 PM EST.
  Elizabethtown around 145 PM EST.
  Ruskin around 150 PM EST.
  White Oak around 155 PM EST.

Other locations impacted by this tornadic thunderstorm include
Dublin, Clarkton, White Lake and Bladen County Hospital.

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 outdoors, in a
mobile home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter
and protect yourself from flying debris.

&&

LAT...LON 3472 7844 3442 7856 3443 7858 3443 7860
      3445 7862 3446 7866 3447 7867 3447 7872
      3478 7876
TIME...MOT...LOC 1828Z 191DEG 34KT 3451 7867 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
HAIL...0.00IN

$$

21
798 
WWUS52 KILM 241838
SVSILM

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Wilmington NC
138 PM EST Thu Dec 24 2020

NCC017-241848-
/O.EXP.KILM.TO.W.0039.000000T0000Z-201224T1845Z/
Bladen NC-
138 PM EST Thu Dec 24 2020

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR CENTRAL BLADEN COUNTY WILL EXPIRE AT 145
PM EST...
                
The storm which prompted the warning has weakened below severe
limits, and no longer appears capable of producing a tornado.
Therefore, the warning will be allowed to expire.  However gusty
winds are still possible with this thunderstorm.

LAT...LON 3472 7844 3442 7856 3443 7858 3443 7860
      3445 7862 3446 7866 3447 7867 3447 7872
      3478 7876
TIME...MOT...LOC 1838Z 191DEG 34KT 3460 7865 

$$

21

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Dec 24, 8:06 AM ESTWind AdvisoryILMBrunswick, New Hanover, Pender19 hr
Dec 24, 11:48 AM ESTSpecial Weather StatementILMBladen, Robeson57 min
Dec 24, 12:03 PM ESTTornado WarningILMBladen, Columbus, Robeson27 min
Dec 24, 12:12 PM ESTTornado WarningILMBladen, Columbus33 min
Dec 24, 12:57 PM ESTSpecial Weather StatementILMBladen, Columbus, Robeson63 min
Dec 24, 2:01 PM ESTSpecial Marine WarningILM37 min
Dec 24, 2:25 PM ESTTornado WarningILMColumbus35 min
Dec 24, 2:36 PM ESTTornado WarningILMBladen24 min
Dec 24, 2:55 PM ESTTornado WarningILMBladen, Columbus35 min
Dec 24, 3:16 PM ESTTornado WarningILMColumbus29 min
Dec 24, 3:23 PM ESTTornado WarningILMBladen, Columbus37 min
Dec 24, 3:46 PM ESTSpecial Marine WarningILM29 min
Dec 24, 4:01 PM ESTSpecial Weather StatementILMColumbus44 min
Dec 24, 4:47 PM ESTSpecial Weather StatementILMBladen58 min
Dec 24, 4:59 PM ESTSpecial Marine WarningILM61 min
Dec 24, 5:46 PM ESTSpecial Weather StatementILMBrunswick29 min
Dec 24, 5:57 PM ESTSpecial Marine WarningILM63 min
Dec 24, 6:15 PM ESTSpecial Weather StatementILMNew Hanover, Pender45 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in North Carolina, 2020Every tornado warning in 2020Tornadoes in 2020

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.