Carolina Weather Group

The National Weather Service in Raleigh has confirmed three tornadoes that occurred during Thursday’s severe storms in North Carolina. No injuries or deaths have been reported as a result of these tornadoes, but several homes were severely damaged with roofs ripped off. Surveys are still ongoing, so all ratings are preliminary.

A long-lived cell dropped the first tornado southeast of High Point at 5:01 PM, blowing down trees and powerlines. Initial reports suggest structural damage occurred near I-85, with major roof damage in the area. It stayed on the ground for roughly a mile before lifting, with peak winds estimated around 85 mph.

The same cell went on to produce another tornado to the east of Greensboro, touching down just north of I-40. It carved a discontinuous 2.5-mile damage path towards Elon, NC before lifting around 5:44 PM. The initial damage survey found significant tree and roof damage, thus earning the tornado an EF-1 rating.

The last tornado from this cell occurred a little after 6 PM in a remote portion of Orange County, NC. Despite traveling through a sparsely populated area, it managed to rip the roof off of one home on Pentecost Road. It has been awarded a preliminary EF-1 rating.

Elsewhere in the Carolinas, scattered reports of wind damage and small hail accompanied strong to severe thunderstorms. A damaged barn led to the deployment of a survey team near Roanoke Rapids, where they found evidence of straight-line winds up to 88 mph.

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A risk of severe weather is forecast to bring tornadoes, damaging wind, hail, and other severe weather to the Carolinas Thursday. The Carolina Weather Group is timing the threat and providing the latest forecast analysis.

This audio comes from our live broadcast on YouTube Wednesday evening.

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This week we're nerdy out and wondering: What happened to that snow we wanted this winter? Our guest tonight is fellow weather nerd, Eric Webb, who is also taking us inside his popular map-making and Twitter feed.

See Eric's Twitter: https://twitter.com/webberweather

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Join the network of trained weather spotters across the Carolinas! The Carolina Weather Group is hosting free SKYWARN Storm Spotter training with the National Weather Service Office in Columbia, South Carolina on Fri., March 26 at 6:30 p.m. Everyone is welcome! The class is free and will teach you all you need to know to submit priceless storm reports to the U.S. National Weather Service (NWS) nearest you. 

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Sunday marked one hundred days until the start of the 2021 hurricane season on June 1st. It's never too early to prepare for the 2021 tropical season. After the record-breaking 2020 hurricane season in the Atlantic, many wonder what this next season could bring.

The 403rd Wing, a unit of the United States Air Force assigned to the Air Force Reserve Command and home to the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, are known for their hurricane hunter missions. Maj. Jeremy Dehart and his colleagues fly directly into - and through - hurricanes to record vital data used in the weather forecast. Dehart, who grew up in Lenior, North Carolina, joins the Carolina Weather Group panel to discuss the upcoming season, their offseason preparations, and his memories from the 2020 hurricane season.

Early access to this episode was made available to our Patreon supporters. Join today to get early access to future episodes, and unlock extras from this episode. Learn how at https://patreon.com/carolinaweathergroup.

More ice is on its way to the Carolinas. Winter Storm Warnings and Winter Weather Advisories are posted for most of North Carolina. 

The Thursday morning ice threat could cause power outages and cause hazardous travel. 

Here is audio from our hourlong, special streamed live Wednesday night. We're providing forecast analysis, timing, and a look at impacts. 

Plus, a story of survival after an EF-3 tornado killed two people, injured 10 others, and destroyed homes in Ocean Isle Beach, a community in Brunswick County, North Carolina.

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An unknown number of people were trapped after a tornado caused structural and home damage in Brunswick County, North Carolina late Monday night, the county emergency manager tells the National Weather Service.

The damage was reported in the Windsor Circle area of Ocean Ridge Plantation, located near Highway 17 and Highway 904, after the tornado moved through the community around 11:38 p.m. et Monday.

The tornado then continued to the northeast at 50 mph. A tornado warning remained in effect for communities stretching 25 miles to the northwest of the known damage.

Meteorologists from the National Weather Service office in Wilmington, North Carolina will likely survey the damage Tuesday to learn more about the impacts - and the strength - of the tornado.

James Brierton reports from Charlotte, North Carolina.

WATCH THIS REPORT: https://youtu.be/PnHqwk3tb6I

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One last look back at 2020!  We're reviewing the finalized climate data for North Carolina, South Carolina, and the entire Southeast in this week's episode featuring our own Jordan McLeod. 

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The U.S. has sustained 285 weather and climate disasters since 1980 where overall damages/costs reached or exceeded $1 billion (including CPI adjustment to 2020). The total cost of these 285 events exceeds $1.875 trillion.

In 2020, there were 22 weather/climate disaster events with losses exceeding $1 billion each to affect the United States. These events included 1 drought event, 13 severe storm events, 7 tropical cyclone events, and 1 wildfire event. Overall, these events resulted in the deaths of 262 people and had significant economic effects on the areas impacted. The 1980–2020 annual average is 7.0 events (CPI-adjusted); the annual average for the most recent 5 years (2016–2020) is 16.2 events (CPI-adjusted).

2020 sets the new annual record of 22 events - shattering the previous annual record of 16 events that occurred in 2011 and 2017. 2020 is the sixth consecutive year (2015-2020) in which 10 or more billion-dollar weather and climate disaster events have impacted the United States. Over the last 41 years (1980-2020), the years with 10 or more separate billion-dollar disaster events include 1998, 2008, 2011-2012, and 2015-2020.

READ MORE: https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/billions/

Frying Pan Tower is located 32 miles off the coast of North Carolina and rises 135' above the Atlantic Ocean. It helps provide safety to Mariners in the Atlantic ocean, is used for environmental research and education studies, and is a shelter to a natural ecosystem for marine wildlife.

Its location makes it a prime spot to observe tropical weather off the Carolina coast, including a direct hit by Hurricane Irene in 2011. Weather conditions are observed on-board by weather sensors and a live streaming webcam.

In 2010, the government placed the Frying Pan Tower up for auction, with the winning bid going to Richard Neal of Charlotte, NC. Richard is our guest on this episode of the Carolina Weather Group. He joins us via video chat from the tower.

The tower is powered using wind turbines and solar energy for electricity. It has a filtration system for potable water and high-speed Internet for communications. 

You can learn more about the tower, and make a donation to its upkeeping, on https://fptower.org/.

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