June 11, 2004 Severe Wind, Hail and Tornado Event

Event Overview 

A backdoor front moved across North and South Carolina Friday night and Saturday (June 11 into June 12). It is unusual for a cold front to make it well into South Carolina during the summer months. The result of this unusual weather pattern was a widespread line of severe thunderstorms producing mostly high wind, along with some large hail, and one report of a tornado. Mid and upper level flow was out of the NW which would favor the southeast movement of the surface cold front into the southeast states. A strong mid level disturbance moved from the lower Great lakes into the Mid Atlantic region Friday night. The air mass ahead of the cold front was very unstable. High temperatures on Friday reached into the lower 90s, with dew points around 70. The combination of low level convergence along the strong front, lift from the upper disturbance, and plentiful low level moisture and instability all resulted in deep convection across eastern North Carolina Friday night, June 11, 2004. The deep convection raced southeastward across the Newport County Warning Area (CWA) producing numerous bow shaped radar echoes indicative of high wind.

A Severe Thunderstorm Watch was issued for the northern part of our area from 827 PM EDT to 11 PM EDT. The Newport/Morehead City NWS Office issued 2 Tornado Warnings and 15 Severe Thunderstorm Warnings for our CWA.

Preliminary Local Storm Reports:

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

1043 PM     TORNADO          FARMVILLE               35.59N 77.59W 
06/11/2004                   PITT               NC   PUBLIC          

            PUBLIC REPORTED A TORNADO NEAR FARMVILLE WHICH KNOCKED 
            DOWN SEVERAL TREES

1100 PM     TSTM WND DMG     SNOW HILL               35.45N 77.67W 
06/11/2004                   GREENE             NC   PUBLIC          

            NUMEROUS LARGE LIMBS DOWN ACROSS PORTIONS OF SNOW HILL

1100 PM     TSTM WND DMG     JAMESVILLE              35.81N 76.90W 
06/11/2004                   MARTIN             NC   FIRE DEPT/RESCUE

            TREES DOWN IN RURAL PORTIONS OF JAMESVILLE

1100 PM     TSTM WND DMG     COLUMBIA                35.92N 76.25W 
06/11/2004                   TYRRELL            NC   PUBLIC          

            LARGE LIMBS DOWN AROUND HWY 64
            
1130 PM     TSTM WND GST     10 NE BATH              35.58N 76.69W 
06/11/2004  65 MPH           BEAUFORT           NC   PUBLIC          

            PUBLIC REPORTED A THUNDERSTORM WIND GUST OF 65 MPH 
            BETWEEN BATH AND BELHAVEN

1140 PM     TSTM WND DMG     8 N KENANSVILLE         35.08N 77.97W 
06/11/2004                   DUPLIN             NC   COUNTY OFFICIAL 

            911 CENTER REPORTED TREES DOWN NORTH OF KENANSVILLE

1150 PM     TSTM WND DMG     PINK HILL               35.06N 77.74W 
06/11/2004                   LENOIR             NC   TRAINED SPOTTER 

            SKYWARN REPORTS TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN IN PINK HILL. 
            POSSIBLE STRUCTURAL DAMAGE SOUTH OF PINK HILL
            
1155 PM     HAIL             NEW BERN                35.12N 77.08W 
06/11/2004  1.75 INCH        CRAVEN             NC   COUNTY OFFICIAL 

            911 CENTER REPORTED GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL IN NEW BERN
              
1157 PM     HAIL             WARSAW                  35.00N 78.09W 
06/11/2004  1.00 INCH        DUPLIN             NC   PUBLIC          

            PUBLIC REPORTED QUARTER SIZE HAIL IN WARSAW

1157 PM     HAIL             RICHLANDS               34.90N 77.55W 
06/11/2004  0.75 INCH        ONSLOW             NC   PUBLIC          

            PUBLIC REPORTED PENNY SIZE HAIL IN RICHLANDS

1200 AM     TSTM WND DMG     PLYMOUTH                35.86N 76.75W 
06/12/2004                   WASHINGTON         NC   COUNTY OFFICIAL 

            TREE DOWN ON HIGHWAY 99 NEAR PLYMOUTH REPORTED BY 911 
            CENTER
            
1200 AM     TSTM WND DMG     ARAPAHOE                35.02N 76.83W 
06/12/2004                   PAMLICO            NC   COUNTY OFFICIAL 

            POWER LINES DOWN IN ARAPAHOE REPORTED BY 911 CENTER

1205 AM     TSTM WND DMG     4 S COLUMBIA            35.86N 76.25W 
06/12/2004                   TYRRELL            NC   PUBLIC          

            LARGE LIMBS BLOW DOWN
            
1215 AM     TSTM WND DMG     ENGELHARD               35.49N 75.99W 
06/12/2004                   MAINLAND HYDE      NC   PUBLIC          

            POWER LINES DOWN IN ENGELHARD

1238 AM     TSTM WND GST     OCRACOKE                35.10N 75.98W 
06/12/2004  58 MPH           OUTER BANKS HYDE   NC   TRAINED SPOTTER 

            SPOTTER REPORTED A 58 MPH THUNDERSTORM WIND GUST IN 
            OCRACOKE
            
0103 AM     TSTM WND GST     HATTERAS VILLAGE        35.22N 75.69W 
06/12/2004  60 MPH           OUTER BANKS DARE   NC   PUBLIC          

            PUBLIC REPORTED WIND GUST OF 60 MPH