92nd American Meteorological Society Annual Meeting (January 22-26, 2012)

Wednesday, 25 January 2012
The 16 April 2011 EF3 Tornado in Greene and Pitt Counties, Eastern North Carolina
Hall E (New Orleans Convention Center )
Thomas M. Rickenbach, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC

This poster presents an overview of the EF0-EF3 tornado that impacted Greene and Pitt Counties, North Carolina on 16 April 2011 during a rare and widespread tornado outbreak across central and eastern North Carolina. Damage consistent with an EF0 tornado commenced in southern Greene County as the mesocyclone entered a period of spin-up and contraction, culminating in EF3 damage from a confirmed 300m wide tornado on the ground near the town of Snow Hill. NEXRAD observations suggested that the mesocyclone subsequently widened and weakened as surface damage from the tornado decreased to EF0 intensity. The weakened mesocyclone passed directly over a meteorological station on East Carolina University's West Research Campus, providing an opportunity for validation of the dissipating EF0 tornado.

Supplementary URL: