27:
751:
and the
Virginia state line. Overall, four people were killed: 2 children in Raleigh, 9-year-old Janet Barnes and 12-year-old Pete Fulghum, and a couple in their mobile home in Nash County. The tornado was responsible for destroying 425 residences and 78 businesses, including a Kmart at 6600 Glenwood
216:
in the 50s to the northwest from southeastern air with temperatures in the 70s and dew points in the 60s. A large upper level progressive amplitude trough stretched from the Great Lakes to the
Mississippi Gulf Coast, and an also large amplitude ridge was situated over the western Atlantic with an
738:
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 AM, the tornado had moved out of northern Wake County and into
734:
article on the 25th anniversary of the storm, Joseph M. Pelissier, deputy meteorologist at the
National Weather Service office at RDU Airport, stated that the tornado formed almost directly above the airport where there was a blind spot in the radar system.
724:; 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 AM no severe thunderstorm or tornado watch had been issued for Raleigh and
823:
1014:
1004:
938:
611:
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.
994:
709:
188:) and 154 injuries. The damage path from the storm was measured at 84 miles (135 km) long, and .5 miles (0.8 km) wide at times.
619:
425:
385:
984:
891:
Thompson, M. S. (1988, November 29) Twisters Rip N. Carolina; 4 Killed, Scores
Injured; First Storm Struck Area With No Warning.
999:
924:
744:
740:
373:
795:
784:
721:
599:
457:
381:
728:. The weather conditions were believed to not be conducive to the development of such storms. Also, according to a Raleigh
979:
931:
437:
Very brief touchdown shortly after previous tornado dissipated – the 2nd in a 3-tornado family that moved into
Virginia.
780:
752:
Avenue that was completely destroyed and injured three workers. Over 157 people were injured as a result of the storms.
591:
872:
811:
799:
725:
519:
488:
482:
377:
369:
185:
989:
560:
228:
was located over the Ohio River valley. Positive buoyant energy was estimated at 1200 j/kg over the
Raleigh area
1009:
717:
184:
tornado produced over $ 77 million in damage, along with four fatalities (two in the city of
Raleigh, and two in
720:
in the southern
Piedmont region and began to exhibit severe and rotational characteristics as it crossed nearby
776:
419:
451:
363:
232:
181:
212:
previously located in the coastal plains had moved into the piedmont, separating air with temperatures and
803:
513:
26:
197:
205:
235:
was watching the eastern half of the United States for possibility for severe weather, according to
788:
705:
595:
585:
730:
760:
Shortly after the Raleigh tornado formed, a second supercell produced a weak (F1) tornado near
947:
761:
554:
743:. Fluctuating between F1 and F3 in strength, the storm finally dissipated after crossing
779:. The storm then spawned a third (also F2) tornado that produced $ 500,000 in damage in
775:
spawned a weaker second tornado (F2) that caused minor damage in a brief touchdown near
807:
748:
347:
173:
142:
848:
973:
209:
704:, the Raleigh tornado touched down shortly after 1:00 AM on Monday, November 28 in
701:
691:
661:
635:
313:
249:
155:
93:
218:
911:
225:
916:
772:
713:
221:
213:
224:
axis extended from the Gulf of Mexico to the Savannah River Basin. A polar
794:
Meanwhile, a third supercell later produced weak (F0 and F1) tornadoes in
537:
201:
177:
172:
was the most destructive of the seven tornadoes reported in northeastern
146:
236:
898:
Jarvis, C. (1988, November 30). Tornado had winds up to 200 mph.
885:
Jarvis, C. (1988, November 29). Recovering from surprise tornadoes.
874:
Past Times: Violent storms marked Thanksgiving weekend 25 years ago
469:
Weak tornado that criss-crossed inlets in eastern Pamlico County.
765:
920:
217:
axis extending from Bermuda to the Canadian Maritimes. A
196:
A surface-level pressure trough was located east of the
180:
on November 28, 1988, between 1:00 AM and 5:45 AM. The
824:
List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
531:
Brief touchdown with little damage on Roanoke Island.
680:
654:
634:
138:
130:
122:
100:
86:
76:
56:
48:
771:After the Raleigh tornado dissipated, the parent
708:, between the western city limits of Raleigh and
500:Brief touchdown in very sparsely populated area.
932:
8:
843:
841:
839:
629:
402:
19:
939:
925:
917:
628:
25:
18:
1015:November 1988 events in the United States
712:. It was spawned by a high-precipitation
535:
345:
308:
246:
1005:20th century in Raleigh, North Carolina
835:
161:Time from first tornado to last tornado
7:
912:News coverage from WRAL-TV, 11/28/88
710:Raleigh-Durham International Airport
16:Weather event in the United States
14:
690:Most severe tornado damage; see
154:Most severe tornado damage; see
741:Franklin County, North Carolina
655:
576:
544:
504:
473:
441:
409:
354:
134:+$ 285 million (non-normalized)
87:
796:Pamlico County, North Carolina
785:Isle Of Wight County, Virginia
1:
20:1988 Raleigh tornado outbreak
781:Southampton County, Virginia
31:Path of the Raleigh tornado.
995:Tornadoes in North Carolina
812:Dare County, North Carolina
800:Hyde County, North Carolina
726:Wake County, North Carolina
403:See section on this tornado
1031:
900:United Press International
887:United Press International
684:4 fatalities, 154 injuries
126:4 fatalities, 154 injuries
954:
948:Tornado outbreaks of 1988
688:
676:
672:
668:
650:
646:
642:
276:
273:
270:
267:
264:
261:
258:
255:
152:
118:
114:
110:
72:
68:
64:
44:
40:
36:
24:
985:F4 tornadoes by location
877:, Retrieved 18 Mar 2015.
777:Seaboard, North Carolina
700:Rated at F4 strength on
248:Confirmed tornadoes by
630:Raleigh, North Carolina
625:Raleigh, North Carolina
233:Storm Prediction Center
1000:1988 in North Carolina
231:All that weekend, the
198:Appalachian Mountains
980:F4 tornadoes by date
756:Additional tornadoes
716:that formed east of
170:1988 Raleigh tornado
731:News & Observer
631:
252:
243:Confirmed tornadoes
21:
789:Franklin, Virginia
787:, and the City of
706:Umstead State Park
247:
200:and extended from
990:Tornadoes of 1988
967:
966:
849:"Raleigh Tornado"
762:Alberta, Virginia
698:
697:
621:
615:
614:
572:Brief touchdown.
307:
306:
176:and southeastern
166:
165:
60:November 28, 1988
1022:
1010:1988 in Virginia
941:
934:
927:
918:
878:
870:
864:
863:
861:
859:
845:
657:
632:
618:
309:
253:
103:tornado outbreak
89:
52:Tornado outbreak
29:
22:
1030:
1029:
1025:
1024:
1023:
1021:
1020:
1019:
970:
969:
968:
963:
950:
945:
908:
893:Washington Post
882:
881:
871:
867:
857:
855:
847:
846:
837:
832:
820:
758:
627:
608:
581:
569:
549:
528:
509:
497:
478:
466:
446:
434:
414:
394:
359:
245:
194:
159:
102:
78:
32:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1028:
1026:
1018:
1017:
1012:
1007:
1002:
997:
992:
987:
982:
972:
971:
965:
964:
962:
961:
955:
952:
951:
946:
944:
943:
936:
929:
921:
915:
914:
907:
906:External links
904:
903:
902:
896:
889:
880:
879:
865:
834:
833:
831:
828:
827:
826:
819:
816:
808:Roanoke Island
757:
754:
749:Roanoke Rapids
722:Chatham County
696:
695:
686:
685:
682:
678:
677:
674:
673:
670:
669:
666:
665:
659:
652:
651:
648:
647:
644:
643:
640:
639:
626:
623:
613:
612:
609:
605:
602:
589:
582:
577:
574:
573:
570:
566:
563:
558:
550:
545:
542:
541:
533:
532:
529:
525:
522:
517:
510:
505:
502:
501:
498:
494:
491:
486:
479:
474:
471:
470:
467:
463:
460:
455:
447:
442:
439:
438:
435:
431:
428:
423:
415:
410:
407:
406:
395:
391:
388:
367:
360:
355:
352:
351:
348:North Carolina
343:
342:
337:
332:
327:
322:
317:
305:
304:
301:
298:
295:
292:
289:
286:
283:
279:
278:
275:
272:
269:
266:
263:
260:
257:
244:
241:
193:
190:
174:North Carolina
164:
163:
150:
149:
143:North Carolina
140:
139:Areas affected
136:
135:
132:
128:
127:
124:
120:
119:
116:
115:
112:
111:
108:
107:
104:
98:
97:
91:
84:
83:
80:
74:
73:
70:
69:
66:
65:
62:
61:
58:
54:
53:
50:
46:
45:
42:
41:
38:
37:
34:
33:
30:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1027:
1016:
1013:
1011:
1008:
1006:
1003:
1001:
998:
996:
993:
991:
988:
986:
983:
981:
978:
977:
975:
960:
957:
956:
953:
949:
942:
937:
935:
930:
928:
923:
922:
919:
913:
910:
909:
905:
901:
897:
894:
890:
888:
884:
883:
876:
875:
869:
866:
854:
853:www4.ncsu.edu
850:
844:
842:
840:
836:
829:
825:
822:
821:
817:
815:
813:
809:
805:
801:
797:
792:
790:
786:
782:
778:
774:
769:
767:
763:
755:
753:
750:
746:
742:
736:
733:
732:
727:
723:
719:
715:
711:
707:
703:
694:
693:
687:
683:
679:
675:
671:
667:
663:
660:
653:
649:
645:
641:
637:
633:
624:
622:
620:
610:
606:
603:
601:
600:Isle Of Wight
597:
593:
590:
588:
587:
583:
580:
575:
571:
567:
564:
562:
559:
557:
556:
551:
548:
543:
540:
539:
534:
530:
526:
523:
521:
518:
516:
515:
511:
508:
503:
499:
495:
492:
490:
487:
485:
484:
480:
477:
472:
468:
464:
461:
459:
456:
454:
453:
448:
445:
440:
436:
432:
429:
427:
424:
422:
421:
416:
413:
408:
405:
404:
399:
396:
392:
389:
387:
383:
379:
375:
371:
368:
366:
365:
361:
358:
353:
350:
349:
344:
341:
338:
336:
333:
331:
328:
326:
323:
321:
318:
316:
315:
311:
310:
302:
299:
296:
293:
290:
287:
284:
281:
280:
254:
251:
250:Fujita rating
242:
240:
238:
234:
229:
227:
223:
220:
215:
211:
207:
203:
199:
191:
189:
187:
183:
179:
175:
171:
162:
158:
157:
151:
148:
144:
141:
137:
133:
129:
125:
121:
117:
113:
109:
105:
99:
95:
92:
85:
81:
75:
71:
67:
63:
59:
55:
51:
47:
43:
39:
35:
28:
23:
958:
899:
892:
886:
873:
868:
856:. Retrieved
852:
793:
770:
759:
737:
729:
702:Fujita scale
699:
692:Fujita scale
689:
616:
584:
578:
552:
546:
536:
512:
506:
481:
475:
449:
443:
417:
411:
401:
397:
362:
356:
346:
339:
334:
329:
324:
319:
312:
230:
195:
169:
167:
160:
156:Fujita scale
153:
959:November 28
592:Southampton
483:Hyde County
426:Northampton
386:Northampton
335:Path length
219:subtropical
186:Nash County
101:Duration of
974:Categories
830:References
802:, and the
681:Fatalities
594:, City of
330:Time (EST)
226:jet stream
214:dew points
123:Fatalities
773:supercell
718:Charlotte
714:supercell
617:Sources:
607:12 miles
561:Brunswick
465:30 miles
393:84 miles
222:jetstream
208:. A warm
106:~ 5 hours
79:confirmed
77:Tornadoes
895:, p. A3.
818:See also
806:area on
747:between
596:Franklin
586:Franklin
568:3 miles
538:Virginia
496:4 miles
450:east of
433:3 miles
420:Seaboard
398:4 deaths
374:Franklin
320:Location
202:Maryland
192:Synopsis
178:Virginia
147:Virginia
57:Duration
664:tornado
638:tornado
555:Alberta
527:1 mile
458:Pamlico
452:Bayboro
382:Halifax
364:Raleigh
237:WRAL-TV
206:Georgia
182:Raleigh
96:tornado
858:1 July
804:Manteo
658:rating
604:03:20
565:01:15
524:05:40
514:Manteo
493:04:05
462:03:30
430:03:00
390:01:08
340:Damage
325:County
277:Total
131:Damage
90:rating
553:near
418:near
210:front
860:2018
766:I-85
764:and
745:I-95
656:Max.
520:Dare
489:Hyde
378:Nash
370:Wake
168:The
145:and
88:Max.
49:Type
810:in
274:F5
271:F4
268:F3
265:F2
262:F1
259:F0
256:FU
204:to
976::
851:.
838:^
814:.
798:,
791:.
783:,
768:.
662:F4
636:F4
598:,
579:F2
547:F1
507:F0
476:F1
444:F1
412:F2
400:–
384:,
380:,
376:,
372:,
357:F4
314:F#
303:7
300:0
297:1
294:0
291:2
288:3
285:1
282:0
239:.
94:F4
940:e
933:t
926:v
862:.
82:7
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.