Summary of February 24, 2016 Severe Event

February 24, 2016 Severe Event

Overview

The combination of strong wind shear, moderate instability and deep moisture led to several lines of severe thunderstorms and a few tornadoes during the afternoon and evening of February 24, 2016. This was part of a much larger storm system which produced severe thunderstorms and tornadoes along the Gulf Coast on the previous afternoon and evening. While no deaths or injuries were reported in eastern North Carolina, 3 fatalities occurred in southeast Virginia during the late afternoon.

Ahead of the storm, much of eastern North Carolina was placed in an Enhanced Risk of Severe Thunderstorms with an area of the eastern Piedmont of North Carolina in a Moderate Risk of Severe Weather (Figure 1). The pre-storm environment was characterized by strong wind shear with south to south-southwest winds at 850 mb at 50-60 knots (Figure 2), and southwest to west winds at 500 mb (Figure 3). Much of eastern North Carolina was placed in a Tornado Watch at 1115 am (Figure 4), with the Watch being extended into the late evening hours. The Significant Tornado Parameter (STP) from the Storm Prediction Center, which combines wind shear and instability, was quite high for this part of the country with values of 3 (Figure 5). A majority of significant tornadoes (EF-2 or greater damage) have been associated with STP values greater than 1. The main severe-weather producer across eastern North Carolina was a long-track supercell that produced numerous reports of damage along its track from around noon through mid-afternoon from Duplin (Figure 6) through Lenoir, Greene and Pitt Counties producing minor damage. (Figures 7, 8).

Figure 1. Storm Prediction Center's Convective Outlook from February 24, 2016 showing an Enhanced to Moderate risk of severe thunderstorms.

Figure 2. 850 MB Analysis from the morning of February 24, 2016.

Figure 3. 500 MB Analysis from the morning of February 24, 2016.

Figure 4. Tornado Watch issued at 1115 am February 24, 2016.

Figure 5. Significant Tornado Parameter (STP) valid at 3 pm Wednesday February 24, 2016 showing high values of around 3.

Figure 6. Tornadic circulation just east of Warsaw, NC at 1258 pm February 24, 2016.

Figure 7. Tree damage from Warsaw, NC, February 24, 2016.

Figure 8. Damage to a billboard west of Lagrange, NC, February 24, 2016.

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEWPORT/MOREHEAD CITY NC
858 PM EST WED FEB 24 2016

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

1241 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST 2 SW ORIENTAL           35.02N  76.71W
02/24/2016  M43 MPH          PAMLICO            NC   PUBLIC          

            PUBLIC REPORTED A 43 MPH NON-THUNDERSTORM WIND GUST OFF 
            A PERSONAL WEATHER STATION IN ORIENTAL. 

1255 PM     TSTM WND DMG     8 E CALYPSO             35.15N  77.96W
02/24/2016                   DUPLIN             NC   EMERGENCY MNGR  

            EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT REPORTED TREE DOWN NEAR 
            WAYNE/DUPLIN BORDER. CORRECTED... TIME BASED ON RADAR. 

1259 PM     TSTM WND GST     WALLACE                 34.74N  77.99W
02/24/2016  M52 MPH          DUPLIN             NC   PUBLIC          

            PUBLIC REPORTED A 52 MPH GUST OFF A PERSONAL WEATHER 
            STATION IN WALLACE. 

0100 PM     TSTM WND DMG     WARSAW                  35.00N  78.09W
02/24/2016                   DUPLIN             NC   SOCIAL MEDIA    

            PUBLIC REPORTED TREES SNAPPED AND LARGE LIMBS DOWN IN 
            WARSAW. TIME BASED ON RADAR. 

0115 PM     TSTM WND DMG     SUMMERLINS CROSSROADS   35.08N  77.96W
02/24/2016                   DUPLIN             NC   SOCIAL MEDIA    

            POWER LINES DOWN 

0123 PM     TSTM WND DMG     1 W LA GRANGE           35.31N  77.81W
02/24/2016                   LENOIR             NC   SOCIAL MEDIA    

            TRUCK BLOWN OFF ROAD ON US 70 

0125 PM     TSTM WND DMG     LA GRANGE               35.31N  77.79W
02/24/2016                   LENOIR             NC   BROADCAST MEDIA 

            BROADCAST MEDIA RELAYED REPORT OF STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO 
            SMALL BUILDINGS AND A BILLBOARD DESTROYED ALONG HWY 70 
            NEAR LA GRANGE. 

0130 PM     TSTM WND DMG     JASON                   35.38N  77.78W
02/24/2016                   GREENE             NC   BROADCAST MEDIA 

            BROADCAST MEDIA RELAYED REPORT OF LARGE TREE BRANCHES 
            DOWN IN JASON ALONG HWY 903. 

0135 PM     TSTM WND DMG     CASTORIA                35.54N  77.67W
02/24/2016                   GREENE             NC   EMERGENCY MNGR  

            EMERGENCY MANAGER REPORTED TREES DOWN IN CASTORIA. TIME 
            BASED ON RADAR. 

0147 PM     TSTM WND DMG     WINTERVILLE             35.53N  77.40W
02/24/2016                   PITT               NC   SOCIAL MEDIA    

            PUBLIC REPORTED A PORCH BLOWN OFF A MOBILE HOME ON 
            REEDY BRANCH ROAD IN WINTERVILLE. TIME BASED ON RADAR. 

0153 PM     HAIL             GREENVILLE              35.60N  77.37W
02/24/2016  E1.25 INCH       PITT               NC   SOCIAL MEDIA    

            PUBLIC REPORTED HALF DOLLAR SIZED HAIL IN GREENVILLE. 
            TIME BASED ON RADAR. 

0155 PM     TSTM WND DMG     1 W AYDEN               35.47N  77.44W
02/24/2016                   PITT               NC   LAW ENFORCEMENT 

            POWER LINES DOWN 

0218 PM     TSTM WND DMG     WILLIAMSTON             35.85N  77.06W
02/24/2016                   MARTIN             NC   PUBLIC          

            BROADCAST MEDIA RELAYED A PUBLIC REPORT OF LARGE TREE 
            LIMBS DOWN IN WILLIAMSTON. TIME BASED ON RADAR. 

0218 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST 1 ESE DOUGLAS CROSSROAD 35.52N  76.93W
02/24/2016  M49 MPH          BEAUFORT           NC   OTHER FEDERAL   

            BUNYAN RAWS REPORTED A 49 MPH NON-THUNDERSTORM WIND 
            GUST. 

0245 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST NEW BERN                35.12N  77.08W
02/24/2016  M49 MPH          CRAVEN             NC   ASOS            

            NEW BERN ASOS KEWN REPORTED A 49 MPH NON-THUNDERSTORM 
            WIND GUST. 

0323 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST BOGUE                   34.71N  77.03W
02/24/2016  M40 MPH          CARTERET           NC   ASOS            

            BOGUE AIR FIELD ASOS KNJM REPORTED A 40 MPH 
            NON-THUNDERSTORM WIND GUST. 

0500 PM     NON-TSTM WND DMG FAIRFIELD HARBOUR       35.08N  76.96W
02/24/2016                   CRAVEN             NC   AMATEUR RADIO   

            LARGE TREE DOWN 


&&

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEWPORT/MOREHEAD CITY NC
503 PM EST THU FEB 25 2016

...TORNADO CONFIRMED NEAR WARSAW IN DUPLIN COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA...

LOCATION...WARSAW IN DUPLIN COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA
DATE...02/24/16
ESTIMATED TIME...1257 PM EST
MAXIMUM EF-SCALE RATING...EF0
ESTIMATED MAXIMUM WIND SPEED...80 MPH
MAXIMUM PATH WIDTH...150 YARDS
PATH LENGTH...0.5 MILE 
BEGINNING LAT/LON...34.998/-78.089 
ENDING LAT/LON...35.008/-78.086
* 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 NEWPORT/MOREHEAD CITY NC HAS CONFIRMED
A TORNADO NEAR WARSAW IN DUPLIN COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA ON 02/24/16.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

...TORNADO CONFIRMED EAST OF CALYPSO IN DUPLIN COUNTY NORTH
CAROLINA...

LOCATION...EAST OF CALYPSO IN DUPLIN COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA
DATE...02/24/16
ESTIMATED TIME...113 PM EST
MAXIMUM EF-SCALE RATING...EF1
ESTIMATED MAXIMUM WIND SPEED...100 MPH
MAXIMUM PATH WIDTH...100 YARDS
PATH LENGTH...300 YARDS
BEGINNING LAT/LON...35.16/-77.974 
ENDING LAT/LON...35.162/-77.973
* 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 NEWPORT/MOREHEAD CITY NC HAS CONFIRMED
A TORNADO NEAR CALYPSO IN DUPLIN COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA ON 02/24/16.

EIGHT POWERPOLES WERE SNAPPED OFF AND A ROOF WAS BLOWN OFF A
MOBILE HOME.