Alert archive / North Carolina / Tornado Warnings in 2026
Tornado Warning 7, NWS Raleigh, NC
NWS Raleigh, NC issued this tornado warning at Jul 28, 2026, 8:16 PM EDT for Durham County, Orange 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
- Jul 28, 2026, 8:16 PM EDT (00:16 UTC)
- Expired
- Jul 28, 2026, 8:37 PM EDT
- In force
- 21 min
- Issued by
- NWS Raleigh, NC
- Area
- Storm-based polygon
- Tornado
- Radar indicated
- Hail
- 0.75 in
Counties Durham County, NC, Orange County, NC
The radar
The Raleigh/Durham radar (KRAX), 72 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:21 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 28, 8:20 PM EDT | TSTM WND DMG | 4 Nnw Durham, NC | Trees down on power lines per Duke Energy map. |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 28, 6:50 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | 6 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC (KGSO), launched 00:00Z, 0.3 hours before the alert went out and 72 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 2896 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -1 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 934 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 38 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 113 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 131 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 2.7
- Supercell composite
- 10.8
The text
As transmitted.
162
WFUS52 KRAH 290016
TORRAH
NCC063-135-290100-
/O.NEW.KRAH.TO.W.0007.260729T0016Z-260729T0100Z/
BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Raleigh NC
816 PM EDT Tue Jul 28 2026
The National Weather Service in Raleigh has issued a
* Tornado Warning for...
Central Orange County in central North Carolina...
West central Durham County in central North Carolina...
* Until 900 PM EDT.
* At 815 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located near Mebane, or 7 miles south of Prospect Hill, moving
east at 30 mph.
HAZARD...Tornado.
SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation.
IMPACT...Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without
shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed.
Damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur. Tree
damage is likely.
* This dangerous storm will be near...
Hillsborough around 820 PM EDT.
Durham around 830 PM EDT.
Other locations impacted by this tornadic thunderstorm include Efland
and Eno River State Park.
This includes the following highways...
Interstate 85 between Mile Markers 163 and 181.
Interstate 40 between Mile Markers 157 and 162, and near Mile Marker
259.
the Durham Freeway near Mile Marker 17.
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 3609 7926 3616 7926 3607 7881 3600 7884
3605 7917
TIME...MOT...LOC 0015Z 283DEG 26KT 3615 7919
TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...<.75 IN
$$
12 follow-up statements
961
WWUS52 KRAH 290026 RRA
SVSRAH
Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Raleigh NC
826 PM EDT Tue Jul 28 2026
NCC063-135-290100-
/O.CON.KRAH.TO.W.0007.000000T0000Z-260729T0100Z/
Orange NC-Durham NC-
826 PM EDT Tue Jul 28 2026
...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM EDT FOR CENTRAL
ORANGE AND WEST CENTRAL DURHAM COUNTIES...
At 826 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located near Hillsborough, moving east at 30 mph.
HAZARD...Tornado.
SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation.
IMPACT...Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without
shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. Damage
to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur. Tree damage is
likely.
This dangerous storm will be near...
Durham and Hillsborough around 830 PM EDT.
Other locations impacted by this tornadic thunderstorm include Eno
River State Park.
This includes the following highways...
Interstate 85 between Mile Markers 165 and 168, and between Mile
Markers 170 and 181.
Interstate 40 near Mile Marker 161.
the Durham Freeway near Mile Marker 17.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
TAKE COVER NOW! Move to a basement or an interior room on the lowest
floor of a sturdy building. Avoid windows. If you are outdoors, in a
mobile home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter
and protect yourself from flying debris.
&&
LAT...LON 3607 7881 3600 7884 3607 7916 3614 7915
TIME...MOT...LOC 0026Z 284DEG 26KT 3613 7909
TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...<.75 IN
$$
1871 WWUS52 KRAH 290037 RRA SVSRAH Severe Weather Statement National Weather Service Raleigh NC 837 PM EDT Tue Jul 28 2026 NCC063-135-290047- /O.CAN.KRAH.TO.W.0007.000000T0000Z-260729T0100Z/ Orange NC-Durham NC- 837 PM EDT Tue Jul 28 2026 ...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR CENTRAL ORANGE AND WEST CENTRAL DURHAM COUNTIES IS CANCELLED... The storm which prompted the warning has weakened below severe limits, and no longer appears capable of producing a tornado. Therefore, the warning has been cancelled. However, gusty winds are still possible with this thunderstorm. && LAT...LON 3607 7881 3600 7884 3607 7916 3614 7915 TIME...MOT...LOC 0036Z 283DEG 26KT 3611 7899 $$ 1
The office that day
Everything else NWS Raleigh, NC issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 28, 8:03 PM EDT | Tornado Warning | RAH | Alamance, Durham, Orange | 42 min |
| Jul 28, 8:14 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | RAH | Durham, Orange | 2 hr |
| Jul 28, 8:24 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RAH | Alamance, Chatham, Durham, Franklin, Granville, Orange and 1 more | 81 min |
| Jul 28, 8:33 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RAH | Halifax | 57 min |
| Jul 28, 8:37 PM EDT | Areal Flood Advisory | RAH | Chatham, Durham, Franklin, Granville, Wake | 3 hr |
| Jul 28, 9:02 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RAH | Anson, Stanly | 22 min |
| Jul 28, 9:08 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RAH | Edgecombe, Franklin, Johnston, Nash, Wake, Wilson | 67 min |
| Jul 28, 9:17 PM EDT | Special Weather Statement | RAH | Halifax | 58 min |
| Jul 28, 9:33 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | RAH | Franklin, Johnston, Nash, Wake, Wilson | 95 min |
| Jul 28, 9:36 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RAH | Johnston, Wake, Wayne, Wilson | 54 min |
| Jul 28, 9:39 PM EDT | Special Weather Statement | RAH | Hoke, Moore, Richmond, Scotland | 81 min |
| Jul 28, 9:57 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RAH | Edgecombe | 22 min |
| Jul 28, 10:06 PM EDT | Special Weather Statement | RAH | Vance, Warren | 54 min |
| Jul 28, 10:14 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RAH | Cumberland, Harnett, Hoke, Moore | 61 min |
| Jul 28, 10:24 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RAH | Johnston, Wayne, Wilson | 66 min |
| Jul 28, 10:52 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | RAH | Cumberland, Harnett, Sampson, Wayne | 53 min |
| Jul 28, 11:19 PM EDT | Special Weather Statement | RAH | Johnston, Sampson, Wayne | 56 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in North Carolina, 2026Every tornado warning in 2026Tornadoes in 2026
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.