The Palm Sunday, March 28, 2010, Severe Thunderstorm Outbreak

Severe Thunderstorm Threat From the Central Plains to the Northeast; Extreme HeatRisk for the East Coast

Strong to severe thunderstorms are possible from the central Plains to the Northeast through this evening. Widespread damaging winds are the primary threat but hail and a tornado or two is also possible. Extremely dangerous heat continues across the Eastern U.S. Warm overnight low temperatures will provide little to no relief. Read More >

NOUS42 KGSP 292123 PNSGSP NCZ057-300130- PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 523 PM EDT MON MAR 29 2010 ...TORNADO CONFIRMED NEAR SPENCER IN ROWAN COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA... LOCATION...SPENCER IN ROWAN COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA DATE...MAR 28 2010 ESTIMATED TIME...645 PM EDT MAXIMUM EF-SCALE RATING...EF1 ESTIMATED MAXIMUM WIND SPEED...100 MPH MAXIMUM PATH WIDTH...0.5 MILES PATH LENGTH...3.37 MILES BEGINNING LAT/LON...35.68N / 80.42W ENDING LAT/LON...35.72N / 80.38W * FATALITIES...0 * INJURIES...0 * THE INFORMATION IN THIS STATEMENT IS PRELIMINARY AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE PENDING FINAL REVIEW OF THE EVENT(S) AND PUBLICATION IN NWS STORM DATA. ...SUMMARY... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC HAS CONFIRMED A TORNADO NEAR SPENCER IN ROWAN COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA ON MAR 28 2010. THE TORNADO FIRST TOUCHED DOWN NEAR A FOOD LION SHOPPING CENTER AT THE CORNER OF N SALISBURY AVE AND JEFFERSON ST. PORTIONS OF THE FACADE AND ROOF OF THE SHOPPING CENTER WERE DAMAGED...ALONG WITH THE FRONT DOOR OF A FREESTANDING STORE ON SITE. THE TORNADO THEN TRAVELED ACROSS N SALISBURY AVE AND DAMAGED NUMEROUS HOMES AND A FAST FOOD RESTAURANT WHERE ITS AWNING WAS BLOWN AWAY. 2 TREES WERE BLOWN ON A HOUSE. MOST OF THE HOMES HAD SHINGLE DAMAGE OF LESS THAN 20 PERCENT AND A WINDOW OR TWO BLOWN OUT. ONE HOUSE HAD A BRICK CHIMNEY BLOWN OFF ITS ROOF... WHILE A FEW OTHER HOUSES HAD MINOR DAMAGE TO AN EAVE. THE TORNADO THEN TOOK A CIRCUITOUS ROUTE ALONG N YADKIN AVE TO CAIN STREET BEFORE CROSSING BACK OVER N SALISBURY AVE. MANY HOMES HAD MINOR SHINGLE DAMAGE WITH MANY TREES DOWN. ONE APARTMENT HAD A TREE FALL ON AND DESTROY A DECK. A TREE FELL ON ANOTHER HOUSE...WITH A DIFFERENT TREE FALLING ON A CAR ON CAIN ST. MINOR SHINGLE AND TREE DAMAGE CONTINUED ALONG N SALISBURY STREET BEFORE MORE SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE OCCURRED TO A HOME ON HACKETT ST. HERE A SHED AND BOAT AWNING WERE DESTROYED WHILE A LARGE TREE FALL ON AND DAMAGED 40 PERCENT OF A HOUSE. THE TORNADO DID MINOR DAMAGE TO A FACTORY JUST PAST HACKETT ST. THE TORNADO THEN TOOK AN EASTERLY TURN AND BLEW DOWN SOME TREES FARTHER DOWN HACKETT STREET. THE COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGER THEN ADVISED THE TORNADO CONTINUED EAST CROSSING OVER I-85 BEFORE CROSSING THE YADKIN RIVER INTO DAVIDSON COUNTY. THIS INFORMATION CAN ALSO BE FOUND ON OUR WEBSITE AT WEATHER.GOV/GSP. FOR REFERENCE...THE ENHANCED FUJITA SCALE CLASSIFIES TORNADOES INTO THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES: EF0...WIND SPEEDS 65 TO 85 MPH. EF1...WIND SPEEDS 86 TO 110 MPH. EF2...WIND SPEEDS 111 TO 135 MPH. EF3...WIND SPEEDS 136 TO 165 MPH. EF4...WIND SPEEDS 166 TO 200 MPH. EF5...WIND SPEEDS GREATER THAN 200 MPH. $$ RWH