storms (Raleigh, Durham, Wake Forest: tornado, live, metro)

[AJ1972]

It seems like this year you guys have had a lot of storms (with tornado warnings). Is this common for this area, or has this season been overboard?
Do you get tornadoes (if so, are they big like EF3's+, or generally the occasional EF0-1)?
Thanks.

[dansdrive]

I have lived in Wake Forest for almost 5 years now and have not had a single tornado affect us. Yes we have warnings and I lived in upstate NY prior to here and we had tornado watches and warning there as well. Its one of those weather things, if it can it will, if its a watch than listen and if its a warning than take cover!

[ausmerika]

We seem to be getting more than the normal, but we always have some warnings in the spring. I hope this isn't a foreshadowing of what's to come in hurricane season. :0

[mfrank2109]

Everything you wanted to know about tornadoes in NC:

North Carolina ranks 20th in the United States in average annual number of tornadoes, based on 52 years of data from 1953 to 2004. During this period, the numbers and types of tornadoes reported in North Carolina were as follows:
• 372 (F0)
• 419 (F1)
• 172 (F2)
• 45 (F3)
• 27 (F4)
• 0 (F5)
These totals equate to an average of seven F0, seven F1, three F2, less than one F3, less than one F4, and zero F5 tornadoes reported in North Carolina per year.

During the same period (1950 to 2006), a total of 28 tornadoes were reported in Wake County. A total of 83 tornadoes were reported during that time for the eight metro counties (Wake, Alamance, Chatham, Durham, Harnett, Johnston, Lee, and Orange). The largest reported tornado, an F4, occurred in November 1988 in Wake and Nash counties. This tornado resulted in four fatalities and approximately $250 to $285 million in damage.

[cool_mommy]

This is an interesting site to learn about the tornado history of a specific region Tornado History Project - Tornado Database

[saturnfan]

The last really big one in Raleigh was an F-4 in North Raleigh in 1988.

Very bad.

[JQ Public]

The only Raleigh Tornado I know of in my 25 years here is that 1988 N. Raleigh tornado. I am not really too scared of them. I enjoy thunderstorms, and if it gets too rough we have protocols...just no sirens. It is not really that common.