Raleigh Tornado
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| Date of tornado outbreak: | November 28, 1988 |
| Duration1: | ~ 5 hours |
| Maximum rated tornado2: | F4 tornado |
| Tornadoes caused: | 7 |
| Damages: | +$285 million (non-normalized) |
| Fatalities: | 4 |
| Areas affected: | North Carolina, Virginia |
|
1Time from first tornado to last tornado |
|
The Raleigh, North Carolina tornado of November 28, 1988 was the most destructive of the 7 tornadoes reported in northeastern North Carolina and southeastern Virginia between 1:00 A.M. and 5:45 A.M. The Raleigh tornado produced over $77 million in damage, along with four fatalities (two in the city of Raleigh, and two in Nash County) and 154 injuries. The damage path from the storm was measured at 84 miles long, and 1/2 mile wide at times.
Contents |
[edit] Confirmed Tornadoes
| Confirmed Total |
Confirmed F0 |
Confirmed F1 |
Confirmed F2 |
Confirmed F3 |
Confirmed F4 |
Confirmed F5 |
| 7 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Sources: [1]
| F# | Location | County | Time (EST) | Path length | Damage | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | ||||||
| F4 | Raleigh | Wake, Franklin, Nash, Halifax, Northampton | 01:00 | 84 miles |
Violent tornado began near I-40 in Umstead State Park, before crossing suburban North Raleigh. At least $75 million and damage was produced by this storm, which eventually dissipated east of I-95. | |
| F2 | near Seaboard | Northampton | 03:00 | 3 miles |
Very brief touchdown shortly after previous tornado dissipated - the 2nd in a 3-tornado family that moved into Virginia. | |
| F1 | east of Bayboro | Pamlico | 03:30 | 30 miles |
Weak tornado that criss-crossed inlets in eastern Pamlico County. | |
| F1 | Hyde County | Hyde | 04:05 | 4 miles |
Brief touchdown in very sparsely populated area. | |
| F0 | Manteo | Dare | 05:40 | 1 mile |
Brief touchdown with little damage on Roanoke Island. | |
| Virginia | ||||||
| F1 | near Alberta | Brunswick | 01:15 | 3 miles |
Brief touchdown. | |
| F2 | Franklin | Southampton, City of Franklin, Isle Of Wight | 03:20 | 12 miles |
Multi-vortex F2 tornado began just into Virginia, shortly after the Seaboard tornado dissipated. The last tornado from the series that first formed in Raleigh. | |
[edit] The Raleigh Tornado
Rated at F4 strength (see Fujita scale), the Raleigh tornado touched down shortly after 1:00 A.M. on the 28th November in the Umstead State Park, between the western city limits of Raleigh and Raleigh-Durham International Airport. It was spawned by a high-precipitation supercell that formed east of Charlotte in the southern Piedmont region and began to exhibit severe and rotational characteristics as it crossed nearby Chatham County; earlier in the afternoon and evening, strong thunderstorms had been noted in the Charlotte area and also in the mountainous northwest corner of North Carolina. However, at 1:00 A.M. no severe thunderstorm or tornado watch had been issued for Raleigh and Wake County, NC, in part because the radar of the local National Weather Service office was down for repairs.
Warnings were quickly issued as the storm began carving a path through suburban north Raleigh, damaging or destroying nearly 2500 residences and over 75 businesses including entire shopping centers. By 1:30 A.M., the tornado had moved out of northern Wake County and into Franklin County, NC. Fluctuating between F1 and F3 in strength, the storm finally dissipated after crossing I-95 between Roanoke Rapids and the Virginia state line.
[edit] Additional Tornadoes - NC and VA
Shortly after the Raleigh tornado formed, a second supercell produced a weak (F1) tornado near Alberta, VA and I-85.
After the Raleigh tornado dissipated, the parent supercell spawned a weaker second tornado (F2) that caused minor damage in a brief touchdown near Seaboard, NC. The storm then spawned a third (also F2) tornado that produced $500,000 in damage in Southampton County, VA, Isle Of Wight County, VA, and the City of Franklin, VA.
Meanwhile, a third supercell later produced weak (F0 and F1) tornadoes in Pamlico County, NC, Hyde County, NC, and the Manteo area on Roanoke Island in Dare County, NC.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- Jarvis, C. (1988, November 29). Recovering from surprise tornadoes. United Press International
- Thompson, M. S. (1988, November 29) Twisters Rip N. Carolina; 4 Killed, Scores Injured; First Storm Struck Area With No Warning. Washington Post, p. A3.
- Jarvis, C. (1988, November 30). Tornado had winds up to 200 mph. United Press International
