Tornadoes · United States · North Carolina · 2016
EF1 tornado, Huckleberry Spg, North Carolina, February 24, 2016
This EF1 tornado ran 0.4 miles across Durham County on February 24, 2016, touching down at 4:00 PM EST and reaching 30 yards wide. It killed nobody, and did $100,000 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 mphthis tornado
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 mph
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
- EF1
- Date
- February 24, 2016
- Touchdown
- 4:00 PM EST (21:00 UTC)
- Lifted
- 4:01 PM EST (21:01 UTC)
- On the ground
- 1 minutes
- Path length
- 0.4 miles (0.7 km)
- Path width
- 30 yards (27 m)
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $100,000
- County
- Durham County
- Touchdown point
- 36.059, -78.945
- Lift-off point
- 36.063, -78.939
- Record number
- 1602241500-01
What the Weather Service recorded
A few rounds of thunderstorms moved through Central North Carolina in association with a strong low pressure system moving northeastward from the Lower Mississippi River Valley into the Tennessee Valley and Ohio Valley. The resultant highly sheared environment over the coastal plain early in the day and increasing instability across Central North Carolina during the afternoon resulted in numerous severe thunderstorms and a few tornadoes.
The National Weather Service in Raleigh, NC has confirmed a brief tornado touchdown 5 miles northwest of downtown Durham in Durham County North Carolina. The touchdown occurred in a dense forest area near the intersection of Hillandale Road and Rose of Sharon Road. In this area, tree damage was extensive, mainly consisting of snapped trees.
From NOAA NCEI's Storm Events Database, the narrative the local forecast office wrote for Storm Data.
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 Feb 24, 3:20 PM EST, 40 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Feb 24, 3:20 PM EST, 40 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC 320 PM EST WED FEB 24 2016 .SYNOPSIS...A POWERFUL UPPER LEVEL LOW AND ACCOMPANYING SURFACE CYCLONE THAT WILL TRACK THROUGH THE TN AND OH VALLEYS. A TRAILING COLD FRONT WILL SWEEP EAST ACROSS OUR REGION LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. BLUSTERY CONDITIONS WILL FOLLOW AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS EAST TONIGHT AND THU. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... AS OF 320 PM WEDNESDAY... ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY THIS AFTERNOON INTO EARLY EVENING... ...A FEW TORNADOES REMAIN POSSIBLE THROUGH 7 PM... TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH 7 PM...WITH WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ONGOING EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. THE POTENTIALLY STRONGEST LINE IS MOVING EAST OUT OF THE TRIAD AND WILL REACH THE TRIANGLE AND FAYETTEVILLE AREAS 4-5 PM...CONCURRENT WITH INCREASING TORNADO THREAT WITH IMPRESSIVE SHEAR AND INSTABILITY CONTINUING TO INCREASE AS HIGHS CLIMB INTO THE MID 70S. THIS LIVE WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE EAST...SHOULD BE EAST OF THE AREA BY 7 PM WITH LINGERING SHOWERS ALONG THE MAIN COLD FRONT. SKIES WILL SCATTER OUT BY MIDNIGHT AS THE PARENT LOW CONTINUES TO LIFT NORTH OF THE AREA. SOME LESSENING OF THE PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL ALLOW WINDS TO SUBSIDE A BIT...WITH SOUTHWEST WINDS DIMINISHING TO 10 TO 15 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 20 MPH BY MORNING. AS SUCH...THE CURRENT WIND ADVISORY WILL CONTINUE THROUGH MIDNIGHT. MINS WILL BENEFIT FROM MIXING TO OFFSET CLEARING SKIES OVERNIGHT...LOWS MOSTLY FROM 40 TO 45. && .SHORT TERM /THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT/... AS OF 320 PM WEDNESDAY... SHORT WAVE ENERGY WILL CONTINUE TO ROTATE ACROSS THE OHIO VALLEY AROUND THE MAIN UPPER TROF THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT...WITH THE FINAL AND STRONGEST SHORT WAVE SHIFTING THE TROF AXIS OFFSHORE BY FRIDAY MORNING. MOISTURE WILL BE SQUEEZED OUT OVER THE WESTERN SLOPES...WITH SCATTERED TO BROKEN STRATOCUMULUS (PERHAPS A STRAY SPRINKLE OR TWO IN THE TRIAD) SPILLING ACROSS THE NORTHERN TIER. COLD AIR WILL BE REINFORCED...WITH A STRONG PRESSURE GRADIENT LINGERING THURSDAY FEATURING SUSTAINED WESTERLY WINDS OF 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 35 MPH...AND WITH A FEW INFREQUENT GUSTS INTO THE UPPER 30S TO NEAR 40S KTS POSSIBLE. HIGHS WILL BE A CATEGORY OR SO BELOW NORMAL...WITH THE AFOREMENTIONED BLUSTERY CONDITIONS AND AN ASSOCIATED CHILLIER FEEL THAN TEMPERATURES IN THE LOW TO MID 50S WOULD OTHERWISE SUGGEST. SKIES WILL BECOME CLEAR OVERNIGHT...WITH THE DIURNAL TEMPERATURE FALL TEMPERED BY GOOD MIXING TO KEEP FRIDAY MORNING MINS MOSTLY IN THE LOWER 30S. && .LONG TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... AS OF 1000 AM WEDNESDAY... COOL AIR ADVECTION DUE TO BROAD TROFFING ACROSS THE EASTERN CONUS WILL RESULT IN DRY WEATHER THROUGH THE WEEKEND...WITH HIGHS STRUGGLING TO REACH 50 ON BOTH FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. MORNING MINS WILL BE IN THE 30S SATURDAY AND SUNDAY MORNINGS. A FINAL MOISTURE STARVED SHORT WAVE WILL MOVE EAST ACROSS THE AREA LATER SATURDAY...INITIATING A SHORT-LIVED WARMING TREND THAT WILL BEGIN SUNDAY AS PROGRESSIVE SHORT WAVE RIDGING MOVES ACROSS CONCURRENT WITH MILD HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING IN FROM THE SOUTH. HIGHS SUNDAY WILL REACH NEAR NORMAL...MID TO UPPER 50S...AND REACH 60 TO 65 ON MONDAY AHEAD OF OUR NEXT WEAK AND DRY COLD FRONT WHICH WILL MOVE THROUGH LATER MONDAY TO COOL US BACK INTO THE MID AND UPPER 50S ON TUESDAY. THE FRONT WILL DISSIPATE AND LIFT NORTH WITH MILD RETURN FLOW DEVELOPING MID WEEK AS A STRONGER FRONTAL SYSTEM TAKES SHAPE OVER THE LOWER PLAINS...WITH EXPECTED IMPACTS NOT EXPECTED TO REACH THE EAST COAST UNTIL THURSDAY. HIGHS WEDNESAY SHOULD REACH THE LOW TO MID 60S. && .AVIATION /18Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY/... AS OF 1230 PM WEDNESDAY... MAIN HAZARD WILL BE SEVERE STORMS THIS AFTERNOON...INITIAL COLD AIR WEDGE HAS ERODED AND AN INTITIAL LINE OF POTENTIALLY SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE MOVING EAST...INTO THE TRIAD TAF SITES (GSO/INT) BETWEEN 18 AND 20Z. EASTERN SITES MAY EXPECT SCATTERED ACTIVITY THROUGH THE AFTERNOON...WITH THE MAIN LINE REACHING THE SITES 19-22Z. GUSTS ACCOMPANYING THE STORMS COULD REACH 50 KNOTS AND POSSIBLY PRODUCE A TORNADO OR TWO. MEANWHILE...THE PREVAILING CONDITIONS THROUGH 00Z WILL FEATURE ROUNDS OF SHOWERS WITH MVFR CEILINGS AND SUSTAINED SOUTHERLY WINDS 15 TO 20 KNOTS WITH GUSTS TO 30 KNOTS. AFTER THE CONVECTION WANES...VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED OVERNIGHT...WITH SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WINDS SUBSIDING TO 10 TO 15 KNOTS GUSTING 20 TO 25 OVERNIGHT. CONDITIONS THURSDAY REMAIN VFR...BUT WINDS WILL PICK UP AGAIN BY MIDMORNING...WITH SOUTHWEST TO WEST WINDS 15 TO 20 GUSTING TO 30 KNOTS AFTER 15Z...SUBSIDING TO LESS THAN 10 KNOTS AROUND 00Z TOMORROW EVENING (BEYOND THE VALID TAF PERIOD). FRIDAY AND BEYOND...VFR CONDITIONS WITH NO PRECIPITATION ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THE WEEKEND...LIKELY LINGERING INTO MIDWEEK. && .RAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WIND ADVISORY THROUGH MIDNIGHT EST TONIGHT FOR NCZ008>011-024>028-040>043-073>078-083>086-088-089. && SYNOPSIS...26/MLM NEAR TERM...22/MLM SHORT TERM...26/MLM LONG TERM...MLM AVIATION...MLM
Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 24, 11:27 AM EST, 4 hours 33 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC 1127 AM EST WED FEB 24 2016 NCZ007-021>023-038-039-251630- PERSON-FORSYTH-GUILFORD-ALAMANCE-DAVIDSON-RANDOLPH- 1127 AM EST WED FEB 24 2016 ...TORNADO WATCH 26 IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM EST 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. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. STRONG...BLUSTERY WINDS ARE LIKELY ON THURSDAY...WITH SUSTAINED SPEEDS AROUND 20 MPH AND GUSTS TO AROUND 35 MPH. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. NCZ008>011-024>028-040>043-073>078-083>086-088-089-251630- GRANVILLE-VANCE-WARREN-HALIFAX-ORANGE-DURHAM-FRANKLIN-NASH-EDGECOMBE- CHATHAM-WAKE-JOHNSTON-WILSON-STANLY-MONTGOMERY-MOORE-LEE-HARNETT- WAYNE-ANSON-RICHMOND-SCOTLAND-HOKE-CUMBERLAND-SAMPSON- 1127 AM EST WED FEB 24 2016 ...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT EST TONIGHT... ...TORNADO WATCH 26 IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM EST 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. WIND ADVISORY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. STRONG...BLUSTERY WINDS ARE LIKELY ON THURSDAY...WITH SUSTAINED SPEEDS AROUND 20 MPH AND GUSTS TO AROUND 35 MPH. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. 26
In the hours before
Local storm report, Feb 24, 2:46 PM EST, 1 hour 14 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC
246 PM EST WED FEB 24 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0157 PM TSTM WND DMG 5 ESE WHITE STORE 34.87N 80.18W
02/24/2016 ANSON NC 911 CALL CENTER
POWER LINE DOWN ON UNION CHURCH RD NEAR HWY 109 SOUTH.
&&
EVENT NUMBER RAH1600408
KCLocal storm report, Feb 24, 2:51 PM EST, 1 hour 9 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC
251 PM EST WED FEB 24 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0120 PM TSTM WND DMG 3 WSW WINSTON-SALEM 36.09N 80.31W
02/24/2016 FORSYTH NC PUBLIC
TREES UPROOTED.
&&
EVENT NUMBER RAH1600409
KRDLocal storm report, Feb 24, 2:55 PM EST, 1 hour 5 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC
255 PM EST WED FEB 24 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0246 PM TSTM WND DMG MOUNT GILEAD 35.22N 80.00W
02/24/2016 MONTGOMERY NC 911 CALL CENTER
TREES DOWN IN MT. GILEAD NEAR HWY 109 SOUTH.
&&
EVENT NUMBER RAH1600410
KCLocal storm report, Feb 24, 2:56 PM EST, 1 hour 4 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC
256 PM EST WED FEB 24 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0248 PM TSTM WND DMG TROY 35.36N 79.89W
02/24/2016 MONTGOMERY NC 911 CALL CENTER
TREE DOWN IN TROY. NO ADDITIONAL INFORMATION GIVEN.
&&
EVENT NUMBER RAH1600411
KCLocal storm report, Feb 24, 3:38 PM EST, 22 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC
338 PM EST WED FEB 24 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0310 PM TSTM WND DMG 1 W COLERIDGE 35.64N 79.62W
02/24/2016 RANDOLPH NC BROADCAST MEDIA
TREES DOWN IN THE 6600 BLOCK OF NC HWY 42 SOUTH NEAR
DEEP RIVER CHURCH RD.
&&
EVENT NUMBER RAH1600412
KCLocal storm report, Feb 24, 3:51 PM EST, 9 minutes before
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</html>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.
Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC (KGSO), 12:00Z
9.0 hours before the tornado, 86 km from the path. February 24, 2016.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 4 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -286 J/kg
- Surface CAPE
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 406 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 58 kt
- 0-1 km bulk shear
- 53 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 703 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 750 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 2.0
- 0-3 km lapse rate
- 3.0 K/km
The surface observations
Williams_airport_(Asos) (IGX), 18 km from the path, in the two hours either side.
| Time (UTC) | Temp (°F) | Dew point (°F) | Wind | Gust (kt) | Pressure (mb) | Weather |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 00:00 UTC |
From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of airport observations.
The radar
The Raleigh/Durham radar (KRAX), 60 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 20:59 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.
This ground now
The live radar over the trackEvery 2016 tornado in North CarolinaEvery tornado in North Carolina since 1950Warnings in force in North Carolina nowThe forecast where you are
The other tornadoes of February 24, 2016
25 more were confirmed in the United States that day.
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 24 | 1:26 AM EST | EF1 | Lee, GA | 0.2 | 75 | $50,000 | ||
| February 24 | 2:45 AM EST | EF1 | Grady, GA | 12.8 | 400 | $20,000 | ||
| February 24 | 4:04 AM CST | EF0 | Shelby, AL | 1.1 | 80 | |||
| February 24 | 12:27 PM EST | EF1 | Manatee, FL | 8.6 | 50 | |||
| February 24 | 12:45 PM EST | EF1 | Patrick, VA | 1.4 | 800 | $205,000 | ||
| February 24 | 12:45 PM EST | EF0 | Hillsborough, FL | 0.9 | 30 | |||
| February 24 | 12:57 PM EST | EF0 | Duplin, NC | 0.5 | 150 | $5,000 | ||
| February 24 | 1:10 PM EST | EF0 | Wayne, NC | 1.0 | 75 | $50,000 | ||
| February 24 | 1:13 PM EST | EF1 | Duplin, NC | 0.2 | 100 | $100,000 | ||
| February 24 | 1:15 PM EST | EF0 | Charlotte, FL | 0.2 | 50 | $50,000 | ||
| February 24 | 1:22 PM EST | EF1 | Charlotte, FL | 2.7 | 100 | 1 | $1.6 million | |
| February 24 | 2:31 PM EST | EF1 | Sussex, VA | 8.9 | 300 | 3 | 8 | $2.6 million |
| February 24 | 2:54 PM EST | EF0 | Bertie, NC | 0.5 | 50 | $25,000 | ||
| February 24 | 3:16 PM EST | EF0 | Chesterfield, SC | 8.9 | 70 | |||
| February 24 | 3:27 PM EST | EF0 | Campbell, VA | 0.4 | 125 | $10,000 | ||
| February 24 | 3:28 PM EST | EF3 | Appomattox, VA | 16.9 | 400 | 1 | 7 | $11 million |
| February 24 | 4:10 PM EST | EF0 | Fluvanna, VA | 4.4 | 350 | $325,000 | ||
| February 24 | 4:32 PM EST | EF2 | Granville, NC | 5.1 | 125 | $600,000 | ||
| February 24 | 4:48 PM EST | EF1 | Mecklenburg, VA | 5.0 | 150 | $260,000 | ||
| February 24 | 6:34 PM EST | EF3 | King and Queen, VA | 30.3 | 500 | 25 | $9.2 million | |
| February 24 | 7:12 PM EST | EF0 | Saint Mary's, MD | 6.5 | 75 | |||
| February 24 | 7:20 PM EST | EF1 | Bradford, PA | 1.1 | 100 | $25,000 | ||
| February 24 | 7:38 PM EST | EF2 | Lancaster, PA | 4.9 | 400 | $8.0 million | ||
| February 24 | 8:25 PM EST | EF1 | Middlesex, VA | 6.1 | 150 | $387,000 | ||
| February 24 | 8:35 PM EST | EF1 | Middlesex, VA | 4.0 | 150 | $275,000 |
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.