Tornadoes Across the Western Piedmont From The Carolinas/Virginia Outbreak of 16 April 2011

Thunderstorms Across the Southeast U.S.; Elevated to Locally Critical Fire Weather in Colorado

A few strong to marginally severe thunderstorms are possible across the Southeast U.S. Friday. A Marginal Risk (Level 1 of 5) outlook has been issued. Strong winds and hail will be the main threats. Elevated to locally critical fire weather conditions will persist across south-central Colorado today due to dry conditions and gusty winds. Read More >

NOUS42 KGSP 180216 PNSGSP NCZ082-180645- PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 1016 PM EDT SUN APR 17 2011 ...TORNADO CONFIRMED ROUGHLY 3 MILES NORTH OF MONROE IN UNION COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA... LOCATION...ROUGHLY 3 MILES NORTH OF MONROE IN UNION COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA DATE...04/16/2011 ESTIMATED TIME...1:00 PM EDT MAXIMUM EF-SCALE RATING...EF0 ESTIMATED MAXIMUM WIND SPEED...80 MPH MAXIMUM PATH WIDTH...50 YARDS PATH LENGTH...2.5 MILES BEGINNING LAT/LON...35.02 / 80.57W ENDING LAT/LON...35.05 / 80.54 * FATALITIES...NONE * INJURIES...NONE * 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 ROUGHLY 3 MILES NORTH OF MONROE IN UNION COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA ON 04/16/2011. INTERMITTENT TORNADO DAMAGE WAS FOUND IN A NARROW SWATH ACROSS UNION COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA...JUST NORTH OF THE CITY OF MONROE. THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM INSTIGATING THE DAMAGE BEGAN OFF HIGHWAY 74 AND WILLIAMS ROAD...AT THE LOWES STORE...WHERE A FEW SMALL SHEDS WERE DESTROYED...TWO SMALL TREES WERE TOPPLED AND PART OF A FENCE WAS KNOCKED DOWN. THIS WAS CAUSED BY STRAIGHT LINE WINDS. THE STORM MOVED QUICKLY NORTHEAST WITH A TORNADO BRIEFLY TOUCHING DOWN SOUTHWEST OF SECREST HILL ROAD AND RED FOX RUN...OR JUST WEST OF STATE ROAD 1501. HERE A LARGE METAL SHED WAS HEAVILY DAMAGED WITH DEBRIS THROWN BACK TO THE WEST- NORTHWEST...WHILE LARGE TREES WERE KNOCKED DOWN IN MULTIPLE DIRECTIONS AT THE SAME LOCATION. STRAIGHT LINE WINDS QUICKLY RESUMED...JUST TO THE NORTHEAST ON SECREST HILL ROAD...WHERE TREES WERE KNOCKED DOWN IN A UNIFORM DIRECTION. SOME MINOR STRUCTURAL DAMAGE WAS NOTED TO HOMES WITH FACADE TORN IN PLACES. VERY SHORTLY THEREAFTER THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM STORM PRODUCED ANOTHER TORNADO TOUCHDOWN JUST SOUTH OF RIDGE ROAD AND IMMEDIATELY WEST OF HIGHWAY 601. THE TORNADO CROSSED RIDGE ROAD...HIT A LARGE GARAGE STRUCTURE AND CONTINUED INTO A NEARBY DENSELY WOODED AREA. THE DOORS OF THE GARAGE STRUCTURE WERE DESTROYED WHILE SHINGLING AND THE METAL STRUCTURE OF THE GARAGE WAS TOSSED ABOUT 100 YARDS INTO THE DENSELY WOODED AREA. MEANWHILE LARGE SOFT AND HARD WOOD TREES WERE KNOCKED DOWN IN A CONVERGENT PATTERN. THE STORM THEN RESUMED SPORADIC STRAIGHT LINE WINDS...MAINLY ALONG AND WEST OF HIGHWAY 601...FOR A FEW HUNDRED MORE YARDS BEFORE THE DAMAGE ENDED. 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. $$ STUREY