Tracking tornado warnings, severe weather in the Carolinas

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Tornado warnings were activated for Burke and Caldwell counties late into the evening Wednesday night, prompting the WCNC Charlotte weather team to advise residents to seek shelter. 

Strong storms were possible Wednesday evening in Charlotte and across the Carolinas — and these storms were potentially strong enough to produce damaging wind and tornadoes.

Panovich is tracking the line of storms associated with a cold front this is pushing out of Tennessee and into the Carolinas. Panovich said that line could combine with instability in the atmosphere, creating the ingredients for strong thunderstorms. 

Across the Carolinas, heavy rains and storms could disrupt the evening commute by creating poor visibility and flooding.

The city of Morganton said approximately 1,000 customers were without power in the northern part of the city due to a tree that had fallen on a power line on Kirksey Drive following the rain and wind conditions. 

If any of the storms reach the criteria needed to become severe, the WCNC Charlotte will broadcast any warnings issued by the National Weather Service.

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“Even though we’re really stable here, the fact that some warm air is getting pulled up ahead of the main front is something that we need to watch,” Panovich said. “That potentially could lead to some strong storms.”

Panovich said he’s also monitoring the significant tornado parameters, which measures the potential for rotation in storms, as well as the supercell parameter from the Storm Prediction Center. 

Indian Land Schools announced some schools would dismiss students early due to the threat of severe weather. Buford Middle School, Buford High School, Andrew Jackson Middle School, Andrew Jackson High School, and Indian Land Middle School will dismiss at noon. Lancaster High, AR Rucker Middle School, South Middle School dismiss at 12:30 p.m., and Indian Land High School will dismiss at 1 p.m. 

🌩️ If you like weather, watch Brad Panovich and the WCNC Charlotte First Warn Weather Team on their YouTube channel, Weather IQ. 🎥

Throughout Wednesday afternoon, storms in the Carolinas remained below severe criteria. That could change later in the evening.

“These could be supercells, these are ones you definitely got to watch, right around 5, 6 o’clock, pushing through,” Panovich said. “So while not overwhelming support for severe weather, the fact we’ve got some of these isolated cells this evening is something to watch.”

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RELATED: Tornado Alley is shifting east, how does this affect the Carolinas? Weather IQ

RELATED: Tornado safety: What you should do during a tornado warning

A 5% chance is much lower than the 10-15% chance areas out west have had, but it only takes one to make the difference. There will be a lot of wind shear to the atmosphere that allows for storms to rotate. The worst scenario would be isolated rotating thunderstorms (supercells) that are typically stronger and have better chances to produce tornadoes.

The wind threat is at 15%, which means that roughly 1 out of every 6 thunderstorms could produce damaging wind gusts exceeding 58 mph. Regardless of any thunderstorms, this approaching front will drive up the winds.

Winds will be gusting from 25-40 mph for most of the area. These winds will be even higher in the mountains. We can blame the low-level jet on this. This jet stream is about a mile up and it will be blasting some very warm and unstable winds aloft. This will also add that twist to the atmosphere mentioned above.

This threat diminishes compared to the threats over the last couple of days, but these strong thunderstorms could produce a lot of rain that would lead to some localized and urban flooding. Up to 2 inches of rain is possible for some locations in the Charlotte area. 

Severe weather requires some preparation in advance, even when it’s not the season for storms. Knowing what you can do when tornado warnings are issued will help you, no matter where you are.

When at home, you and your family need to go to their safe place. First, go to the lowest level of your home immediately. A basement is ideal, but if you don’t have one, find the most interior room of your house away from windows. 

Crouch on the floor and cover your head as much as you can. If you have helmets, put them on.

Your safe place should have a flashlight, as well as food and water. You should always wear shoes because if there is damage, you may have to walk through nails or broken glass. 

In an apartment or condo

The same rules apply if you live in an apartment or condo building. Get to the lowest level, but use the stairs since an elevator could lose power. A place like under the staircase, an interior hallway or a room with no windows is your safe place. Crouch and cover your head. 

In your car

One of the worst places you can be during a tornado is in your car. This is the riskiest place to be during a tornado. If the tornado is far enough away you can drive away from it at 90-degree angles until you find a safe place. If it is nearby, DO NOT try to outrun it. Instead, pull over. Keep your seatbelt on and duck below the winds and cover your head.  

An EF1 tornado can push a car and an EF2 can lift it off the road. DO NOT seek shelter under a bridge or overpass. Flying debris tends to move even faster, making it more dangerous.

At work or out shopping

Most importantly, don’t panic. Be mindful of others and move as quickly and safely as possible to an interior bathroom or storage room. Any enclosed place away from windows is your target. Some establishments will have a marked tornado shelter.

Out in the open

If you are out in the open, and there is no nearby shelter, find the lowest-lying area away from trees and anything that could produce debris. Lay flat on the ground and put your hands behind your head. 

Theater or house of worship

If a tornado warning sounds while you are in a house of worship like a church or synagogue, or if you’re at the theater, you’ll want to find the lowest interior room without windows. But if there is no time, hide under the pews or seats.

Mobile home

If a car is a bad place to be during a tornado, a mobile home is even worse. This is because mobile homes don’t have the foundation a house does, meaning tornado deaths are more common for those who live in mobile homes.

Your only option is to get out of the mobile home and run to a tornado shelter nearby.

The first step in making sure that you and your family are prepared for severe weather is pledging to prepare. This includes developing a family emergency and communications plan. In short, know what to do before severe weather strikes by creating an emergency plan today.

Your family may not be together when a disaster strikes, so it is important to plan in advance: how you will get to a safe place; how you will contact one another; how you will get back together; and what you will do in different situations. 

Ready NC has made a simple preparedness kit list you can get together well in advance:

• First Aid kit
• Cash (power outages mean banks and ATMs may be unavailable)
• Road maps 
• Battery-operated radio
• Flashlight 
• Extra batteries
• Important documents and records (Photos, IDs, proof of residence, etc)
• Three-day supply of non-perishable food items
• One gallon of bottled water per person, per day
• Coolers for food and ice storage
• Fire extinguisher
• Blankets
• Sleeping bags
• Extra clothing
• Extra medications and prescriptions
• Hearing aids and other specialty medical items
• Eyeglasses and sunglasses 
• Toilet paper
• Clean-up supplies
• Duct tape
• Tarp
• Rope
• Can opener
• Knife
• Tools
• Booster cables
• Baby, elderly and pet supplies if necessary
• Cell phone chargers
• Family communication plan with emergency contact information
• Maps of the area