June 23, 2004 Severe Weather Outbreak

Event Overview

An area of low pressure was riding northeast along a slow moving frontal boundary near the Virginia/North Carolina border on the afternoon and evening of the 23rd. A mid level disturbance moved across the area during the evening hours to further enhance instability across Eastern North Carolina. There was strong surface heating and a moisture was plentiful ahead of the front, adding to the instability. Thunderstorms already developing along and ahead of the front would be moving into a favorable environment for them to become strong to severe. Eastern North Carolina was placed under a severe thunderstorm watch from around 430 PM until 900 PM EDT. The Newport/Morehead City NWS office issued 4 tornado warnings and 4 severe thunderstorm warnings during the event.

Radar Imagery

June 11-12, 2004 Radar Imagery - Click for a Loop

June 23, 2004 Severe Weather Reports

Preliminary Local Storm Reports:

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

0741 PM     TSTM WND GST     5 W EAST LAKE           35.87N 76.05W 
06/23/2004  58 MPH           TYRRELL            NC   PARK/FOREST SRVC

0812 PM     TSTM WND DMG     KINSTON                 35.28N 77.59W 
06/23/2004                   LENOIR             NC   EMERGENCY MNGR  

            POWER LINES DOWN WITHIN THE KINSTON CITY LIMITS.

0835 PM     TSTM WND DMG     NAGS HEAD               35.94N 75.63W 
06/23/2004                   OUTER BANKS DARE   NC   EMERGENCY MNGR  

            MULTIPLE REPORTS OF TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN IN NAGS 
            HEAD AREA.

0835 PM     TORNADO          DOVER                   35.22N 77.43W 
06/23/2004                   CRAVEN             NC   EMERGENCY MNGR  

            TORNADO SPOTTED ON HWY 70 NEAR THE CITY OF DOVER.

0835 PM     TORNADO          2 NE DOVER              35.24N 77.41W 
06/23/2004                   CRAVEN             NC   EMERGENCY MNGR  

            TORNADO SPOTTED ON WINTERGREEN RD JUST NORTHEAST OF THE 
            CITY OF DOVER.
            
0840 PM     TSTM WND DMG     SOUTHERN SHORES         36.12N 75.73W 
06/23/2004                   OUTER BANKS DARE   NC   EMERGENCY MNGR  

            TREE DOWN IN SOUTHERN SHORES AT 840 PM.
            
0845 PM     TSTM WND DMG     FORT BARNWELL           35.27N 77.33W 
06/23/2004                   CRAVEN             NC   EMERGENCY MNGR  

            MULTIPLE TREES DOWN IN FORT BARNWELL AREA AT 845 PM.


0917 PM     TSTM WND DMG     NEW BERN                35.12N 77.08W 
06/23/2004                   CRAVEN             NC   EMERGENCY MNGR  

            POWER LINES DOWN ON BROAD ST. IN NEW BERN AT 917 PM.