Alert archive / North Carolina / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2021

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 4, NWS Raleigh, NC

March 18, 20215 counties in North Carolina

NWS Raleigh, NC issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Mar 18, 2021, 5:13 PM EDT for 5 counties in North Carolina. It was in force for 62 min. 5 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: Mar 18, 2021, 5:13 PM EDT (21:13 UTC)
Expired: Mar 18, 2021, 6:15 PM EDT
In force: 62 min
Issued by: NWS Raleigh, NC
Area: Storm-based polygon
Tornado: Possible
Hail: 1.0 in
Wind: 60.0 mph

Counties Alamance County, NC, Chatham County, NC, Davidson County, NC, Guilford County, NC, Randolph County, NC

The radar

The Raleigh/Durham radar (KRAX), 119 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:17 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
Mar 18, 5:25 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	5 Nne Martha, NC	TREES DOWN ALONG JACKSON CREEK RD.
Mar 18, 5:38 PM EDT	TORNADO	3 S Gibsonville, NC	NWS STORM SURVEY TEAM CONFIRMED A DISCONTINUOUS PATH OF DAMAGE TO MULTIPLE STRUCTURES AND TREES CONSISTENT WITH THAT OF AN EF-1 TORNADO. THE TORNADO WAS ON THE GROUND INTERMITTENTLY FOR 6 MINUTES BEFORE LIFTING. PATH LENGTH ESTIMATED AT 2.5 MILES. PATH WIDTH A
Mar 18, 5:40 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	2 S Gibsonville, NC	ROOFS OFF HOUSES, MULTIPLE TREES DOWN ALONG ETHANS WAY.
Mar 18, 5:50 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	1 S Elon College, NC	OVERTURNED AND DAMAGED BUS FROM THUNDERSTORM WINDS REPORTED.
Mar 18, 5:50 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	1 S Elon College, NC	TREE REPORTED DOWN NEAR ELON NC.

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
Mar 18, 4:45 PM EDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	4 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC (KGSO), launched 12:00Z, 9.2 hours before the alert went out and 28 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: 0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL: 486 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 67 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 470 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 562 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

566 
WUUS52 KRAH 182113
SVRRAH
NCC001-037-057-081-151-182215-
/O.NEW.KRAH.SV.W.0004.210318T2113Z-210318T2215Z/

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
Severe Thunderstorm Warning
National Weather Service Raleigh NC
513 PM EDT Thu Mar 18 2021

The National Weather Service in Raleigh has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...
  Alamance County in central North Carolina...
  Southeastern Davidson County in central North Carolina...
  Randolph County in central North Carolina...
  Southeastern Guilford County in central North Carolina...
  Northwestern Chatham County in central North Carolina...

* Until 615 PM EDT.

* At 513 PM EDT, severe thunderstorms were located along a line
  extending from near Randleman to 11 miles east of High Rock Lake,
  moving northeast at 55 mph.

  HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail.

  SOURCE...Radar indicated.

  IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage 
           to roofs, siding, and trees.

* Locations impacted include...
  Burlington, Asheboro, Graham, Randleman, North Carolina Zoo,
  Mebane, Elon, McLeansville, Gibsonville and Pleasant Garden.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 900 PM EDT for central North
Carolina.

Remain alert for a possible tornado! Tornadoes can develop quickly
from severe thunderstorms. If you spot a tornado go at once into the
basement or small central room in a sturdy structure.

Straight line winds can blow down trees, power lines, and damage
mobile homes and other buildings. Seek shelter in a sturdy structure
until the storm has passed. Stay away from windows as flying debris
generated by damaging winds can be deadly.

&&

LAT...LON 3592 7986 3625 7951 3624 7926 3593 7927
      3559 7968 3556 8014 3558 8021 3563 8027
TIME...MOT...LOC 2113Z 243DEG 46KT 3589 7985 3567 8010 

TORNADO...POSSIBLE
HAIL...1.00IN
WIND...60MPH
 
$$

26

2 follow-up statements

639 
WWUS52 KRAH 182144
SVSRAH

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Raleigh NC
544 PM EDT Thu Mar 18 2021

NCC057-182154-
/O.CAN.KRAH.SV.W.0004.000000T0000Z-210318T2215Z/
Davidson NC-
544 PM EDT Thu Mar 18 2021

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR SOUTHEASTERN DAVIDSON COUNTY
IS CANCELLED...

The storms which prompted the warning have moved out of the warned 
area. Therefore, the warning has been cancelled.

A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 900 PM EDT for central North
Carolina.

LAT...LON 3625 7951 3624 7926 3593 7927 3559 7968
      3587 7994 3592 7986
TIME...MOT...LOC 2144Z 243DEG 43KT 3611 7945 3577 7970 

$$

NCC001-037-081-151-182215-
/O.CON.KRAH.SV.W.0004.000000T0000Z-210318T2215Z/
Alamance NC-Randolph NC-Guilford NC-Chatham NC-
544 PM EDT Thu Mar 18 2021

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 615 PM EDT
FOR ALAMANCE...EASTERN RANDOLPH...SOUTHEASTERN GUILFORD AND
NORTHWESTERN CHATHAM COUNTIES...

At 544 PM EDT, severe thunderstorms were located along a line
extending from Burlington to 6 miles southeast of Randleman, moving
northeast at 50 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage to 
         roofs, siding, and trees.

Locations impacted include...
Burlington, Asheboro, Graham, Randleman, Mebane, Elon, McLeansville,
Gibsonville, Pleasant Garden and Liberty.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 900 PM EDT for central North
Carolina.

Remain alert for a possible tornado! Tornadoes can develop quickly
from severe thunderstorms. If you spot a tornado go at once into the
basement or small central room in a sturdy structure.

Straight line winds can blow down trees, power lines, and damage
mobile homes and other buildings. Seek shelter in a sturdy structure
until the storm has passed. Stay away from windows as flying debris
generated by damaging winds can be deadly.

&&

LAT...LON 3625 7951 3624 7926 3593 7927 3559 7968
      3587 7994 3592 7986
TIME...MOT...LOC 2144Z 243DEG 43KT 3611 7945 3577 7970 

TORNADO...POSSIBLE
HAIL...1.00IN
WIND...60MPH
 
$$

Green

247 
WWUS52 KRAH 182212
SVSRAH

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Raleigh NC
612 PM EDT Thu Mar 18 2021

NCC001-037-081-151-182220-
/O.EXP.KRAH.SV.W.0004.000000T0000Z-210318T2215Z/
Alamance NC-Randolph NC-Guilford NC-Chatham NC-
612 PM EDT Thu Mar 18 2021

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR ALAMANCE...EASTERN RANDOLPH...
SOUTHEASTERN GUILFORD AND NORTHWESTERN CHATHAM COUNTIES WILL EXPIRE
AT 615 PM EDT...

The storms which prompted the warning have weakened across Randolph, 
Guilford, and Chatham counties. Therefore, the warning will be 
allowed to expire. A Severe Thunderstorm Warning still remains in 
effect for Alamance County.

A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 900 PM EDT for central North
Carolina.

LAT...LON 3625 7951 3624 7926 3593 7927 3559 7968
      3587 7994 3592 7986
TIME...MOT...LOC 2210Z 243DEG 46KT 3626 7908 3592 7933 

$$

Leins

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Mar 18, 3:55 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	RAH	Davidson, Forsyth	65 min
Mar 18, 4:41 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	RAH	Davidson, Forsyth, Guilford	31 min
Mar 18, 4:54 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	RAH	Guilford, Randolph	66 min
Mar 18, 5:07 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RAH	Halifax	23 min
Mar 18, 5:34 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	RAH	Alamance, Guilford	26 min
Mar 18, 5:37 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RAH	Montgomery, Randolph, Stanly	38 min
Mar 18, 5:58 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	RAH	Alamance, Durham, Orange, Person	62 min
Mar 18, 6:07 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RAH	Anson, Richmond	38 min
Mar 18, 6:09 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RAH	Alamance, Orange	66 min
Mar 18, 6:13 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RAH	Montgomery, Moore, Randolph, Stanly	47 min
Mar 18, 6:39 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	RAH	Durham, Orange	34 min
Mar 18, 6:41 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	RAH	Granville	34 min
Mar 18, 6:45 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RAH	Anson, Hoke, Montgomery, Moore, Richmond	45 min
Mar 18, 6:57 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	RAH	Granville	48 min
Mar 18, 6:59 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RAH	Alamance, Chatham, Orange, Randolph	21 min
Mar 18, 7:11 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	RAH	Halifax, Vance, Warren	54 min
Mar 18, 7:12 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	RAH	Durham, Orange	63 min
Mar 18, 7:25 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	RAH	Franklin, Vance, Warren	47 min
Mar 18, 7:30 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RAH	Cumberland, Harnett, Hoke, Lee, Moore	45 min
Mar 18, 7:41 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	RAH	Hoke, Scotland	64 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in North Carolina, 2021 Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2021

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.