Tornadoes · United States · North Carolina · 2011

EF3 tornado, Jason to Castoria, North Carolina, April 16, 2011

Name: EF3 tornado, Jason to Castoria, North Carolina, April 16, 2011
Start: 2011-04-16T21:32:00.000Z
End: 2011-04-16T21:54:00.000Z
Location: Jason to Castoria, North Carolina

From Jason to Castoria, this EF3 tornado ran 20.4 miles across Wayne, Greene and Lenoir counties on April 16, 2011, touching down at 5:32 PM EDT and reaching 400 yards wide. It killed nobody and injured 30, and did $30 million of property damage.

The rating scale

Tracks are drawn in the color of the rating. The Enhanced Fujita scale rates the damage rather than measuring the wind: the speeds are what that damage is taken to imply.

EF065 to 85 mph
Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.
EF186 to 110 mph
Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.
EF2111 to 135 mph
Considerable damage. Roofs torn off well-built houses, frame homes shifted on their foundations, mobile homes destroyed, large trees snapped or uprooted, cars lifted off the ground.
EF3136 to 165 mphthis tornado
Severe damage. Whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, trees debarked, heavy cars lifted and thrown.
EF4166 to 200 mph
Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.
EF5over 200 mph
Incredible damage. Strong frame houses swept off their foundations, car-sized missiles thrown more than 100 meters, steel-reinforced concrete badly damaged, high-rise buildings deformed.
Unrated
The survey recorded a tornado but could not put a number on it, most often because it crossed open country and damaged nothing a rating can be read from.

The record

Rating: EF3
Date: April 16, 2011
Touchdown: 5:32 PM EDT (21:32 UTC)
Lifted: 5:54 PM EDT (21:54 UTC)
On the ground: 22 minutes
Path length: 20.4 miles (32.9 km)
Path width: 400 yards (366 m)
Deaths: 0
Injuries: 30
Property damage: $30 million
Counties: Wayne, Greene and Lenoir counties
Touchdown point: 35.364, -77.843
Lift-off point: 35.548, -77.634
Record number: 1104161532-01

What the Weather Service recorded

One of the largest tornado outbreaks ever observed across eastern North Carolina occurred during the afternoon and evening of April 16th 2011. Several powerful super-cell thunderstorms developed ahead of an approaching cold front. Conditions ahead of the front were favorable for tornadoes with a moderately unstable atmosphere combined with strong winds that veered with height. Altogether 12 tornadoes were reported across the Newport/Morehead City county warning area. These tornadoes combined to produce over 40 million dollars in damages. There were numerous injuries but no fatalities were reported. In addition to the tornadoes there were several reports of damaging winds and large hail.

This is the second segment for the tornado that originally spun up in Lenoir County. The tornado moved into Greene county just west of Highway 903. The tornado produced mainly EF0 and EF1 damage across the southern part of Greene County with damage to trees and a few homes. The tornado intensified to EF3 with winds estimated up to 160 mph southwest of Snow Hill. The tornado continued at EF3 intensity as it crossed Highway 13 just west of Snow Hill. Numerous homes and businesses were severely damaged or destroyed in this area with some almost completely flattened. Numerous vehicles were also destroyed. The strong EF3 tornado continued as it moved north of Snow Hill and severely damaged the Greene County middle school where the roof was torn off. The tornado continued to produce EF3 damage as it moved along Albriton Road where large metal power poles were bent over or completely ripped out of the ground. The tornado finally began to weaken as it passed Taylor road and dissipated near Tysons Church Road. In all about 30 million dollars of damage occurred in Greene County. There were numerous injures, 2 serious. There were no fatalities.

From NOAA NCEI's Storm Events Database, the narrative the local forecast office wrote for Storm Data.

The warnings

33 minutes of warning. NWS RAH issued a tornado warning for this county at 20:59 UTC, 33 minutes before the tornado touched down, in force until 21:45 UTC.

The county was under a tornado watch, issued at 16:05 UTC and running to 00:11 UTC.

Issued (UTC)	Expired	Product	Office
16:05 UTC	00:11 UTC	Tornado Watch	RAH
19:38 UTC	22:30 UTC	Flood Advisory	RAH
20:59 UTC	21:45 UTC	Tornado Warning	RAH
21:30 UTC	21:44 UTC	Tornado Warning	RAH
21:51 UTC	22:15 UTC	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RAH
21:58 UTC	22:30 UTC	Tornado Warning	RAH
22:11 UTC	22:31 UTC	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RAH
22:20 UTC	22:30 UTC	Tornado Warning	RAH

Every warning and watch covering the touchdown point that day, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service products. Lead time is measured from the issue of the warning in force to the touchdown time in the database, both of which were recorded to the minute by different people.

The forecast that day

The Storm Prediction Center had this point in a High Risk, with a 0.30 chance of a tornado within 25 miles, in the hatched area where significant tornadoes were expected. The outlook in force was issued at 20:03 UTC.

SPC's Day 1 convective outlook as it stood when the tornado began, read at the touchdown point. The same archive is on the radar archive.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the tornado touched down, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Raleigh, NC wrote its last area forecast discussion before the tornado touched down at Apr 16, 12:52 PM EDT, 4 hours 40 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 16, 12:52 PM EDT, 4 hours 40 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC
1252 PM EDT SAT APR 16 2011

.SYNOPSIS...
A STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL CROSS OUR REGION TODAY....THEN
MOVE OFFSHORE THIS EVENING. HIGH PRESSURE WILL FOLLOW FOR TONIGHT
THROUGH SUNDAY.

&&

.NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/...
AS OF 1030 AM SATURDAY...

     SEVERE WEATHER OUTBREAK WITH A HIGH RISK FOR SEVERE STORMS
SATURDAY...

A 16Z RAOB HAS BEEN SCHEDULED FOR KGSO. THE GARNER NOAA WEATHER
RADIO IS OFF THE AIR DUE TO PHONE LINE PROBLEMS. TECHNICIANS ARE
WORKING ON THE PROBLEM.

LOOKING OVER RECENT TRENDS AND 12Z SOUNDINGS EVERYTHING REMAINS
PRIMED FOR A SIGNIFICANT SEVERE WEATHER OUTBREAK ACROSS CENTRAL NC
FROM NOON THROUGH 7 PM TODAY. SATELLITE IMAGERY ALONG WITH LIGHTNING
DATA SHOW A BAND OF DEVELOPING STORMS ALREADY STARTING TO ORGANIZE
THEMSELVES EAST OF THE MOUNTAINS. THIS IS OCCURRING IN  A REGION
JUST AHEAD OF THE MID LEVEL DRY AIR WHERE MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES ARE
BEST. BEST SURFACE BASED AND MIXED LAYER CAPE IS STILL OVER SC THIS
MORNING...BUT WITH TEMPS WARMING INTO THE MID 70S AND DEWPOINTS INTO
THE LOWER 60S THIS HIGHER INSTABILITY AIR WILL ADVECT NORTH INTO
CENTRAL NC. LOW LCLS AND HIGH SHEAR FROM THE LOW TO MID LEVELS IS
ALREADY IN PLACE. AS THE INSTABILITY INCREASES AND THE DYNAMICS AND
UPDRAFT VELOCITIES INCREASE AS THE UPPER LOW APPROACHES FROM THE
WEST THE DANGER OF SEVERE WEATHER WILL INCREASE GREATLY.

THE COMBINATION OF ATMOSPHERIC VARIABLES WILL LIKELY RESULT IN
SUPERCELLS DEVELOPING THIS AFTERNOON AHEAD OF A QLCS SQUALL LINE ALL
CAPABLE OF PRODUCING TORNADOES...DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH
AND LARGE HAIL. TIMING OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT SEVERE THREAT IN THE
TRIAD IS FROM NOON THROUGH 3 PM...THE TRIANGLE FROM 1 PM THROUGH 5
PM...THE I-95 CORRIDOR AND THE COASTAL PLAIN FROM 2 PM THROUGH 7 PM.

FLOOD THREAT LOOKS MINIMAL AS SOILS HAVE HAD TIME TO DRY FROM THE
LAST SIGNIFICANT RAINS AND TRAINING OF STORMS IS NOT LIKELY. BRIEF
HEAVY RAINS WILL HOWEVER CAUSE AT LEAST SOME PONDING OF WATER IN
MORE URBAN LOCATIONS AND LOW LYING AREAS.

SHOWERS ENDING IN THE EAST THIS EVENING AS THE FRONT EXITS TO THE
EAST. CLEARING BEHIND THE FRONT OF CLOUDS AND MUCH OF THE NIGHT
SHOULD BE CLEAR.

HIGH TEMPERATURES MID 60S IN THE TRIAD TO MID 70S IN THE TRIANGLE
SOUTH AND EAST WITH LOW TEMPERATURES MID 40S TO LOWER 50S.

&&

.SHORT TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT/...
AS OF 1230 PM SATURDAY...

SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE WILL BE IN CONTROL OF THE WEATHER ACROSS
CENTRAL NC THROUGH THE SHORT TERM AS IT PROGRESSES FAIRLY QUICKLY
EASTWARD ACROSS THE SOUTHEASTERN US. THIS WILL RESULT IN FAIR
WEATHER AND THEN AS RETURN FLOW SETS BY SUNDAY AFTERNOON...A WARMING
TREND THROUGH THE PERIOD. THICKNESS VALUES WILL REBOUND TO NEAR
1380M BY MONDAY AFTERNOON WHICH SHOULD TRANSLATE TO HIGH TEMPS IN
THE MID/UPPER 70S TO NEAR 80 DEGREES (A GOOD FIVE DEGREES WARMER
THAN WHAT IS EXPECTED ON SUNDAY). OVERNIGHT LOWS WILL ALSO BE ON A
MODERATING TREND...WITH UPPER 40S TO NEAR 50 DEGREES EXPECTED SUNDAY
NIGHT AND MID 50S EXPECTED BY MONDAY NIGHT.

&&

.LONG TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/...
AS OF 1245 PM SATURDAY...

DURING THE BEGINNING OF THE LONG TERM PERIOD...THE SUBTROPICAL RIDGE
IS PROGGED TO STRENGTHEN OVER THE SOUTHWESTERN ATLANTIC AND THE
SOUTHEASTERN US. THIS FEATURE IS EXPECTED TO PUSH THE NEXT STORM
SYSTEM MOVING OUT OF THE PLAINS NEXT WEEK NORTH OF THE FORECAST AREA
AS IT TRACKS INTO THE UPPER GREAT LAKES REGION. THEREFORE THE
TRAILING FRONTAL ZONE AND ASSOCIATED PRECIP IS EXPECTED TO INITIALLY
REMAIN NORTH OF THE REGION THROUGH AT LEAST WEDNESDAY...RESULTING IN
DRY CONDITIONS AND A CONTINUED WARMING TREND. HIGH TEMPS ARE
EXPECTED TO RISE FROM THE LOW/MID 80S ON TUESDAY TO THE MID/UPPER
80S BY WEDNESDAY. THE AFOREMENTIONED SUBTROPICAL RIDGE IS THEN
PROGGED TO BECOME SUPPRESSED TO THE SOUTH WHICH SHOULD ALLOW THE
FRONTAL ZONE TO DRIFT SOUTHWARD INTO THE REGION THURSDAY INTO
FRIDAY. MODELS HAVE TRENDED TOWARDS A STRONGER SOUTHWARD PUSH OF
THIS FRONT WHICH SHOULD RESULT IN BETTER PRECIP CHANCES WEDNESDAY
INTO THURSDAY. WILL ALSO SHOW A SLIGHT CHANCE OF PRECIP FRIDAY INTO
SATURDAY AS THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY. SLIGHTLY COOLER TEMPS ARE ALSO
EXPECTED FOR THE END OF THE FORECAST PERIOD..

&&

.AVIATION /12Z SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/...
AS OF 755 AM SATURDAY...

WINDY CONDITIONS IN SOUTHEAST THEN SOUTHERLY FLOW WILL DEVELOP
TODAY...AHEAD OF A STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM THAT WILL CROSS OUR
REGION LATER THIS AFTERNOON. OTHERWISE...EXPECT CURRENT IFR-MVFR
CEILINGS (IN NUMEROUS SHOWERS) AT KINT/KGSO TO RISE TO AROUND 2000
FT THROUGH MIDDAY...WHILE GENERALLY LOW VFR OR HIGH MVFR CEILINGS
DEVELOP AT THE REMAINDER OF CENTRAL NC TAF SITES. SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS WILL BECOME MORE NUMEROUS WITH DAYTIME
HEATING/DESTABILIZATION AND THE APPROACH OF A VERY DYNAMIC STORM
SYSTEM FROM THE WEST BETWEEN 15-19Z. SHOWERS AND STORMS -- --
WITH DAMAGING WINDS...ISOLATED TORNADOES...AND LARGE HAIL -- WILL BE
MOST CONCENTRATED ALONG AND IMMEDIATELY AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT THAT
WILL CROSS CENTRAL NC THIS AFTERNOON. THE PROJECTED TIMING OF THE
MOST CONCENTRATED AND INTENSE STORMS WILL BE APPROXIMATELY BETWEEN
18-20Z AT KINT/KGSO...20-22Z AT KRDU/KFAY...AND 21-23Z AT KRWI.
DRY...VFR CONDITIONS WILL FOLLOW QUICKLY ON THE HEELS OF THE COLD
FRONT AND ASSOCIATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...AS HIGH PRESSURE
WILL BUILD INTO OUR REGION FROM THE WEST TONIGHT.

LOOKING AHEAD: THE HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE WILL CONTINUE TO EXTEND
ACROSS THE SOUTHEASTERN US AND MAINTAIN VFR CONDITIONS THROUGH THE
MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK.

&&

.RAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NONE.

&&

SYNOPSIS...MWS
NEAR TERM...JO
SHORT TERM...KRR
LONG TERM...KRR
AVIATION...MWS

Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 16, 3:21 PM EDT, 2 hours 11 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC
321 PM EDT SAT APR 16 2011

NCZ007>011-024>028-040>043-075>078-085-086-088-089-171930-
PERSON-GRANVILLE-VANCE-WARREN-HALIFAX-ORANGE-DURHAM-FRANKLIN-NASH-
EDGECOMBE-CHATHAM-WAKE-JOHNSTON-WILSON-MOORE-LEE-HARNETT-WAYNE-
SCOTLAND-HOKE-CUMBERLAND-SAMPSON-
321 PM EDT SAT APR 16 2011

...TORNADO WATCH 150 IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM EDT THIS EVENING...

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE
INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS.

   TORNADO WATCH.

THIS STORM SYSTEM WILL LIKELY RESULT IN SUPERCELLS ALONG WITH A
LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING TORNADOES...DAMAGING
WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH AND LARGE HAIL.

THOSE WITH OUTDOOR PLANS AND ACTIVITIES THIS AFTERNOON AND
EVENING SHOULD CONSIDER ALTERNATIVE PLANS. EVERYONE SHOULD CLOSELY
STAY TUNED TO THE LATEST WEATHER CONDITIONS LISTENING FOR WATCHES
AND WARNINGS. STORMS WILL BE MOVING IN EXCESS OF 55 MPH...
ALLOWING LITTLE TIME TO REACT ONCE THE THREAT IS NEAR.

TORNADO WINDS CAN DESTROY MOBILE HOMES...SEVERELY DAMAGE HOMES
AND BUILDINGS... OVERTURN VEHICLES... AND COLLAPSE THE ROOFS OF
STORES... GYMNASIUMS... AND CAFETERIAS. IF A TORNADO WARNING IS
ISSUED OR A TORNADO IS MOVING TOWARDS YOUR AREA... ABANDON MOBILE
HOMES AND SEEK SHELTER IN A STURDY BUILDING. KNOW WHERE THE
SAFEST LOCATION IN ANY BUILDING YOU OCCUPY IS LOCATED. RESIDENTS
OF MOBILE HOMES SHOULD CONSIDER ALTERNATES TO REMAINING HOME THIS
AFTERNOON.

IF YOU ARE INDOORS... TAKE SHELTER IN A BASEMENT. IF NO BASEMENT
IS AVAILABLE... GO TO THE LOWEST FLOOR IN AN INTERIOR ROOM SUCH AS
A CLOSET OR BATHROOM. STAY AWAY FROM DOORS... WINDOWS AND OUTSIDE
WALLS. FLYING DEBRIS CAN EASILY PENETRATE EXTERIOR WALLS. PUT AS
MANY WALLS BETWEEN YOU AND THE TORNADO AS YOU CAN. PROTECT
YOURSELF FROM FLYING AND FALLING DEBRIS WITH PILLOWS OR BLANKETS.

IF YOU ARE DRIVING AND A TORNADO THREATENS... SEEK SHELTER IN A
STRONG BUILDING. DO NOT STOP UNDER OVERPASSES. IF NO SHELTER IS
AVAILABLE... AS A LAST RESORT ABANDON THE VEHICLE AND LIE FLAT IN A
LOW LYING AREA OR DITCH.

MONITOR THE LATEST INFORMATION FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
BY LISTENING TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR BY VISITING OUR WEBSITE AT
HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/RALEIGH. YOU CAN ALSO KEEP UP WITH THE LATEST
WEATHER ON A WEB ENABLED CELL PHONE OR OTHER MOBILE DEVICE BY
VISITING HTTP://MOBILE.WEATHER.GOV.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.

HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED THROUGH THIS
EVENING. SPOTTERS SHOULD REPORT SEVERE WEATHER AS SOON AS IT IS
SAFE TO DO SO. PLEASE STAY TUNED FOR LATER WATCHES AND WARNINGS.

NCZ021>023-038-039-073-074-083-084-171930-
FORSYTH-GUILFORD-ALAMANCE-DAVIDSON-RANDOLPH-STANLY-MONTGOMERY-ANSON-
RICHMOND-
321 PM EDT SAT APR 16 2011

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.

HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Apr 16, 5:15 PM EDT, 17 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC
515 PM EDT SAT APR 16 2011

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0355 PM     TORNADO          2 N NEW HOPE            35.83N  78.56W
04/16/2011                   WAKE               NC   TRAINED SPOTTER

            LARGE HIGH TENSION STEEL WIRE TOWER TWISTED.

&&

EVENT NUMBER RAH1100472

GIH

Local storm report, Apr 16, 5:20 PM EDT, 12 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC
520 PM EDT SAT APR 16 2011

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0515 PM     TORNADO          4 WSW WILSON            35.71N  78.00W
04/16/2011                   WILSON             NC   TRAINED SPOTTER

            LARGE TORNADO NOW ON THE GROUND AT HIGHWAY 795.

&&

EVENT NUMBER RAH1100473

GIH

Local storm report, Apr 16, 5:21 PM EDT, 11 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC
521 PM EDT SAT APR 16 2011

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0250 PM     TSTM WND DMG     4 ESE CARTHAGE          35.32N  79.35W
04/16/2011                   MOORE              NC   PUBLIC

            TWO 18 INCH TREES DOWN NEAR UNION PINES HIGH SCHOOL

&&

EVENT NUMBER RAH1100474

SEC

Local storm report, Apr 16, 5:24 PM EDT, 8 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC
524 PM EDT SAT APR 16 2011

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0522 PM     HAIL             ROANOKE RAPIDS          36.45N  77.65W
04/16/2011  M1.75 INCH       HALIFAX            NC   911 CALL CENTER

            LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTED GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL

&&

EVENT NUMBER RAH1100475

KRR

Local storm report, Apr 16, 5:28 PM EDT, 4 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC
528 PM EDT SAT APR 16 2011

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0420 PM     TORNADO          1 S DUNN                35.30N  78.62W
04/16/2011                   HARNETT            NC   TRAINED SPOTTER

            STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. ROOF OFF FOOD LION GROCERY STORE AND
            FRONT WINDOW BLOWN OUT. NUMEROUS CARS WITH WINDOWS BLOWN
            OUT. LARGE TREES UPROOTED.

&&

EVENT NUMBER RAH1100476

GIH

Local storm report, Apr 16, 5:30 PM EDT, 2 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC
530 PM EDT SAT APR 16 2011

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0529 PM     HAIL             GOLDSBORO               35.37N  77.98W
04/16/2011  M1.00 INCH       WAYNE              NC   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

EVENT NUMBER RAH1100477

KRR

The air that afternoon

The radiosonde launches on either side of the tornado, from the nearest station that was launching then, drawn and analyzed the way Storm Lab does: the same diagram, the same parcel and shear definitions SPC's mesoanalysis uses.

Newport, NC (KMHX), 12:00Z

9.5 hours before the tornado, 108 km from the path. April 16, 2011.

Skew-T log-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed. The warm shading is its CAPE, the cool shading the inhibition it has to break through.

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. RM and LM are the right and left moving storms Bunkers' method gives; the shaded area is the 0 to 1 km storm-relative helicity.

Mixed-layer CAPE: 7 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -6 J/kg
Surface CAPE: 40 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 824 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 47 kt
0-1 km bulk shear: 26 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 201 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 308 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.0
0-3 km lapse rate: 5.4 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

Newport, NC (KMHX), 00:00Z

2.5 hours after it, 108 km from the path. April 17, 2011.

Skew-T log-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed. The warm shading is its CAPE, the cool shading the inhibition it has to break through.

Hodograph

Mixed-layer CAPE: 2506 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -3 J/kg
Surface CAPE: 2270 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 466 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 52 kt
0-1 km bulk shear: 54 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 576 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 688 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 9.2
Supercell composite: 37.9
0-3 km lapse rate: 5.5 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The surface observations

Kinston/Stallings (ISO), 18 km from the path, in the two hours either side.

Time (UTC)	Temp (°F)	Dew point (°F)	Wind	Gust (kt)	Pressure (mb)
19:55 UTC	73.4	62.6	170° 20 kt	29	1005.1
20:55 UTC	73.4	64.4	160° 18 kt	30	1003.7
21:55 UTC	73.4	64.4	160° 25 kt	36	1002.4
22:55 UTC	69.8	66.2	190° 14 kt	22	1002.7

From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of airport observations.

The radar

The Raleigh/Durham radar (KRAX), 72 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 21:31 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment, over the track

Reflectivity and velocity, decoded from the Level II archive in the browser. Volumes take a few seconds to open the first time.

What was reported nearby

Local storm reports within 60 km of the path, in the three hours either side.

Time (UTC)	Report	Where	County	Remark
19:00 UTC	NON-TSTM WND DMG	1 N Elm Grove	Lenoir, NC	REPORT OF ROOF BLOWN OFF HOUSE ON JOE WILLIAMS ROAD. RELAYED FROM 911 CENTER
19:00 UTC	NON-TSTM WND DMG	1 Nne Trinity Woods	Lenoir, NC	TREE BLOWN DOWN AND FELL THROUGH MOBILE HOME ON GREEN ACRES DRIVE. RELAYED FROM 911 CENTER
19:00 UTC	NON-TSTM WND DMG	Trinity Woods	Lenoir, NC	REPORT OF ROOF BLOWN OFF HOUSE ON JOE WILLIAMS ROAD. RELAYED FROM 911 CENTER
19:47 UTC	TORNADO	2 Ne Smithfield	Johnston, NC	SEVERAL OUTBUILDINGS KNOCKED OVER
20:12 UTC	HAIL 0.88	2 Nne Shine	Greene, NC
20:30 UTC	HAIL 1.75	Four Oaks	Johnston, NC	LASTED 5 MIN.
20:35 UTC	HAIL 1	Smithfield	Johnston, NC	TIME ESTIMATED.
20:35 UTC	HAIL 1.75	Selma	Johnston, NC	TIME ESTIMATED.
20:35 UTC	TORNADO	2 Se Four Oaks	Johnston, NC	HWY 96 BLOCKED BY MULTIPLE DOWNED TREES
20:36 UTC	TORNADO	3 Ene Four Oaks	Johnston, NC	GROVE OF 12 TO 14 INCH DIAMTER PINE TREES SNAPPED OFF 20 FT IN THE AIR... TREES HAVE FALLEN ON AND DESTROYED TRAILERS
20:37 UTC	HAIL 1.75	Selma	Johnston, NC	TIME ESTIMATED.
20:42 UTC	HAIL 1	Smithfield	Johnston, NC
20:45 UTC	TSTM WND DMG	1 Ne Smithfield	Johnston, NC	TREE BRANCHES AND BUILDING DEBRIS FALLING FROM THE SKY
20:45 UTC	TORNADO	1 Ne Smithfield	Johnston, NC	TREE BRANCHES AND BUILDING DEBRIS FALLING FROM THE SKY
20:47 UTC	TORNADO	2 Ne Smithfield	Johnston, NC	SEVERAL OUTBUILDINGS KNOCKED OVER
20:48 UTC	TORNADO	Smithfield	Johnston, NC	TORNADO ON GROUND IN SMITHFIELD. DEBRIS BEING REPORED NEAR THE HOSPITAL.
20:49 UTC	TORNADO	2 Ene Selma	Johnston, NC	LIMBS SNAPPED OFF TREES IN PINELEVEL... I-95 CLOSED
20:50 UTC	HAIL 1.75	Selma	Johnston, NC	GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL AT BUFFALO RD AND OLD BEULAH RD. LASTED 5 MIN.
20:50 UTC	HAIL 2	Clinton	Sampson, NC	TIME ESTIMATED.
20:53 UTC	TSTM WND DMG	1 Sw Micro	Johnston, NC	TREES SNAPPED... MOBILE HOME FLIPPED... BOAT FLIPPED... SEMI TRUCK FLIPPED AND BLOCKING I-95
20:53 UTC	TORNADO	1 Sw Micro	Johnston, NC	TREES SNAPPED... MOBILE HOME FLIPPED... BOAT FLIPPED... SEMI TRUCK FLIPPED AND BLOCKING I-95
20:55 UTC	TORNADO	Micro	Johnston, NC	ENTIRE MOBILE HOME PARK DESTROYED NEAR MICRO BETWEEN SELMA AND KENLY. OVER 100 PEOPLE DISPLACED.
21:08 UTC	TSTM WND DMG	La Grange	Lenoir, NC	TURKEY BARN DESTROYED ON TURKEY FARM ROAD. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR.
21:08 UTC	TORNADO	Lucama	Wilson, NC	NUMEROUS HOMES DESTROYED FROM LUCAMA TO WILSON.
21:10 UTC	TORNADO	3 Nne Lucama	Wilson, NC	SEVERAL HOUSES DESTROYED... STRUCTURAL DAMAGE
21:12 UTC	HAIL 0.88	2 Nne Shine	Greene, NC
21:12 UTC	TORNADO	Faison	Duplin, NC	TRAINED SPOTTER REPORTED A TORNADO ON THE GROUND IN FAISON NEAR DAVID BRYANT RD AND WADE DAUGHTRY RD.
21:15 UTC	TORNADO	4 Wsw Wilson	Wilson, NC	LARGE TORNADO NOW ON THE GROUND AT HIGHWAY 795.
21:17 UTC	TORNADO	Wilson	Wilson, NC	NUMEROUS CARS OVERTURNED AND BUILDINGS DESTROYED IN DOWNTOWN WILSON
21:29 UTC	HAIL 1	Goldsboro	Wayne, NC
21:40 UTC	HAIL 1.25	Goldsboro	Wayne, NC	TIME ESTIMATED.
21:42 UTC	HAIL 1.75	2 W Snow Hill	Greene, NC	GOLF BALL SIZED HAIL NEAR SNOW HILL
21:45 UTC	TORNADO	Snow Hill	Greene, NC	RPEORT FROM GREENE COUNTY EMC OF 40-50 HOMES DEYSTROYED IN GREENE COUNTY ALONG WITH 5 TO 6 BUSINESSES. THE MIDDLE SCHOOL WAS SEVERELY DAMAGED AND THE HIGH SCHOOL GYM ROOF IS GONE
21:50 UTC	HAIL 2.75	2 Wsw Contentnea	Greene, NC
21:55 UTC	TSTM WND DMG	Kenansville	Duplin, NC	MULTIPLE TREES DOWN
21:55 UTC	TORNADO	Snow Hill	Greene, NC	3 HOUSES DESTROYED AT THE INTERSECTION OF HWY 91 AND MIDDLE SCHOOL ROAD
21:55 UTC	TORNADO	6 Nne Walnut Creek	Wayne, NC	TORNADO NOW ON THE GROUND NEAR LAGRANGE RD AND PARKSTOWN RD IN SAULSTON. DESTROYED LARGE BARN AT DONALD TURKEY FARM.
21:59 UTC	HAIL 1	1 Nw Farmville	Pitt, NC
22:00 UTC	TSTM WND DMG	Farmville	Pitt, NC	MULTIPLE TREES DOWN
22:01 UTC	TORNADO	Snow Hill	Greene, NC	ANDYS RESTAURANT DESTROYED

From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service local storm reports.

This ground now

The live radar over the track Every 2011 tornado in North Carolina Every tornado in North Carolina since 1950 Warnings in force in North Carolina now The forecast where you are

The other tornadoes of April 16, 2011

56 more were confirmed in the United States that day.

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
April 16	4:50 AM EDT	EF1	Chattahoochee, GA	0.3	50			$250,000
April 16	6:02 AM EDT	EF1	Bibb, GA	3.5	500			$2.0 million
April 16	12:41 PM EDT	EF1	Rowan, NC	4.0	100
April 16	12:59 PM EDT	EF0	Union, NC	3.0	50
April 16	2:03 PM EDT	EF0	Rockbridge, VA	1.3	100			$6,000
April 16	2:06 PM EDT	EF1	Alamance, NC	10.7	300			$980,000
April 16	2:20 PM EDT	EF0	Augusta, VA	3.8	200			$2.2 million
April 16	1:40 PM CDT	EF2	Person, NC to VA	26.2	300		6	$1.1 million
April 16	2:53 PM EDT	EF3	Moore, NC	65.2	500	6	103	$172 million
April 16	3:25 PM EDT	EF1	Dillon, SC	1.5	440		3	$180,000
April 16	3:27 PM EDT	EF0	Clarendon, SC	9.6	40			$12,000
April 16	3:30 PM EDT	EF1	Lunenburg, VA	16.9	300			$100,000
April 16	3:33 PM EDT	EF1	Robeson, NC	0.7	50			$1.5 million
April 16	3:33 PM EDT	EF3	Hoke, NC	52.9	800	2	176	$141 million
April 16	3:47 PM EDT	EF1	Robeson, NC	1.5	352			$3.0 million
April 16	4:13 PM EDT	EF1	Clarendon, SC	8.9	50			$14,000
April 16	4:25 PM EDT	EF2	Bladen, NC	29.9	800	3	13	$11 million
April 16	4:37 PM EDT	EF1	Dinwiddie, VA	7.0	400		5	$1.5 million
April 16	4:50 PM EDT	EF1	Johnston, NC	8.6	100
April 16	4:58 PM EDT	EF2	Bladen, NC	13.1	440	1		$3.1 million
April 16	5:03 PM EDT	EF1	Berkeley, SC	7.9	120
April 16	5:12 PM EDT	EF0	Duplin, NC	0.2	30
April 16	5:12 PM EDT	EF2	Wilson, NC	9.0	200		10	$3.0 million
April 16	5:20 PM EDT	EF2	Halifax, NC	8.2	300			$1.2 million
April 16	5:33 PM EDT	EF0	Columbus, NC	0.2	25
April 16	5:41 PM EDT	EF0	Georgetown, SC	0.2	30			$28,000
April 16	5:45 PM EDT	EF0	Georgetown, SC	0.6	30			$40,000
April 16	5:50 PM EDT	EF1	Southampton, VA	1.9	300			$30,000
April 16	5:53 PM EDT	EF1	Georgetown, SC	0.5	60			$100,000
April 16	5:59 PM EDT	EF1	Georgetown, SC	0.5	60			$60,000
April 16	5:59 PM EDT	EF1	Pitt, NC	3.3	75		5	$1.0 million
April 16	6:05 PM EDT	EF1	Columbus, NC	1.1	50			$35,000
April 16	6:20 PM EDT	EF0	Southampton, VA	1.8	50			$2,000
April 16	6:30 PM EDT	EF1	Middlesex, VA	1.1	400			$100,000
April 16	6:35 PM EDT	EF0	Duplin, NC	0.6	150
April 16	6:45 PM EDT	EF3	Surry, VA	26.5	800	2	24	$8.0 million
April 16	6:55 PM EDT	EF3	Bertie, NC	17.9	1,300	12	58	$3.3 million
April 16	7:05 PM EDT	EF2	Bertie, NC	17.5	500		8	$1.1 million
April 16	7:07 PM EDT	EF2	Jones, NC	2.4	200			$100,000
April 16	7:09 PM EDT	EF0	Martin, NC	0.1	75			$10,000
April 16	7:10 PM EDT	EF2	Isle of Wight, VA	22.6	400			$300,000
April 16	7:12 PM EDT	EF0	Loudoun, VA	4.1	50			$4,000
April 16	7:25 PM EDT	EF2	Middlesex, VA	2.8	400			$6.0 million
April 16	7:37 PM EDT	EF1	Frederick, MD	1.2	50			$50,000
April 16	7:38 PM EDT	EF1	Frederick, MD	4.4	50			$50,000
April 16	7:40 PM EDT	EF0	Craven, NC	0.1	30
April 16	7:47 PM EDT	EF1	Carroll, MD	3.5	50			$30,000
April 16	7:51 PM EDT	EF0	Carroll, MD	1.9	75			$20,000
April 16	8:08 PM EDT	EF0	Beaufort, NC	0.6	30			$4,000
April 16	8:11 PM EDT	EF3	Onslow, NC	3.8	450		30	$9.4 million
April 16	8:20 PM EDT	EF0	York, PA	0.5	200		2	$20,000
April 16	8:43 PM EDT	EF2	Craven, NC	4.1	200		7	$4.0 million
April 16	8:52 PM EDT	EF0	Pamlico, NC	0.1	30
April 16	9:01 PM EDT	EF1	Tyrrell, NC	7.4	550			$400,000
April 16	9:30 PM EDT	EF1	Currituck, NC	2.0	200			$40,000
April 16	9:35 PM EDT	EF1	Dare, NC	0.7	250			$767,000

What this means

Ratings are the survey's, read off the damage rather than measured; the rating scale is above. Tornado counts rise through the record as reporting improved, so a year in the 1950s is not comparable with one today except for the strongest tornadoes, which were always noticed.

Sources

NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, the official record kept by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.