The Daily Southerner, Tarboro, NC

Local News

August 13, 2012

Tornado-carrying cell misses Tarboro

Editor and Publisher John H. Walker

TARBORO — A line of sever thunderstorms that began developing in the early afternoon Saturday produced what is suspected to be a tornado in Wilson County, but delivered only torrential rainfall in Edgecombe County.

The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a severe thunderstorm warning for Wilson and Edgecombe about mid-afternoon, then upgraded it to a tornado warning when the cell containing the suspected tornado moved through Sharpsburg at 5:12 p.m., damaging 10 homes. Stantonsburg police reported no injuries.

The warning was issued about 5:15 p.m. and lasted until 6:15 p.m., although the area had already been drenched with thunderstorms earlier in the day and later into the evening.

The NWS issued the warning when Doppler radar indicated a possible tornado tracking through Wilson County. The storms moved from the southwest to the northeast and were tracking at speeds of 30 miles per hour and better.

The weather service was to have surveyed the damage today to determine if it was caused by a tornado.

Earlier Saturday afternoon, a Wilson man escaped serious injury (See separate story) when his vehicle hit a puddle of water near Pinetops and hydroplaned, eventually turning over in a ditch.

Local weather was somewhat calmer on Sunday following passage of a “cold” front that bought an occasional breeze that was cooler that the sauna effect experienced over the last several days.

The long-range forecast for today through Thursday has lows in the mid-to-upper 60s and highs in the mid-80s to lower 90s. On Friday, the high is forecast to be 86 with a low of 70 and a chance for late afternoon and evening thunderstorms.

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