PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC
313 PM EST FRI JAN 18 2013

...MICROBURST /STRAIGHT LINE WIND DAMAGE/ CONFIRMED NEAR
CHADBOURN 5N IN COLUMBUS COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA...





LOCATION...5N CHADBOURN IN COLUMBUS COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA
DATE...JANUARY 17 2013 
ESTIMATED TIME...6:44 TO 6:46 PM EST
ESTIMATED MAXIMUM WIND SPEED...75 MPH 
MAXIMUM PATH WIDTH...1.1 MILES 
PATH LENGTH...1.15 MILES 
BEGINNING LAT/LON...34.3882N / -78.8222W 
ENDING LAT/LON...34.4029N / -78.8124W
* FATALITIES...0
* INJURIES...0

* THE INFORMATION IN THIS STATEMENT IS PRELIMINARY AND SUBJECT TO
CHANGE PENDING FINAL REVIEW OF THE EVENT(S) AND PUBLICATION IN
NWS STORM DATA.

...SUMMARY...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WILMINGTON NC HAS CONFIRMED A
MICROBURST /STRAIGHT LINE WIND DAMAGE/ NEAR 5N CHADBOURN IN
COLUMBUS COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA ON JANUARY 17 2013.

A MICROBURST IMPACTED A SMALL MOBILE HOME COMMUNITY APPROXIMATELY 
5 MILES NORTH OF CHADBOURN NC. THERE WERE APPROXIMATELY 12 MOBILE 
HOMES THAT EXPERIENCED DAMAGE (1 MAJOR). TWO PICKUP TRUCKS WERE 
DAMAGED BY DOWNED TREES...A DOZEN SHEDS AND STORAGE BUILDINGS
WERE DAMAGED OR DESTROYED. THERE WERE MANY BROKEN WINDOWS ON THE
MOBILE HOMES AND DEBRIS VARYING IN SIZE WAS STREWN ACROSS A WIDE
AREA. ABOUT A DOZEN TREES WERE DOWNED OR SNAPPED ALONG WITH 
MULTIPLE LARGE LIMBS DOWN. 

THERE WERE TWO WIND MAXIMUMS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS MICROBURST.
A 70 MPH WIND MAX WAS FOUND ALONG JOE BROWN HIGHWAY JUST SOUTH
OF MACMILLAN ROAD...AND ANOTHER 75 MPH MAX OCCURRED IN THE
VICINITY OF BEST ROAD JUST EAST OF JOE BROWN HIGHWAY. THE MICRO-
BURST DISSIPATED NORTH OF BEST ROAD...BUT WELL SOUTH OF OLD
LUMBERTON ROAD.  

THIS INFORMATION CAN ALSO BE FOUND ON OUR WEBSITE AT
WEATHER.GOV/ILM.

FOR REFERENCE...
A MICROBURST IS A CONVECTIVE DOWNDRAFT WITH AN AFFECTED OUTFLOW
AREA OF LESS THAN 2 1/2 MILES WIDE AND PEAK WINDS LASTING LESS THAN
5 MINUTES. MICROBURSTS MAY INDUCE DANGEROUS HORIZONTAL/VERTICAL
WIND SHEARS...WHICH CAN ADVERSELY AFFECT AIRCRAFT PERFORMANCE AND
CAUSE PROPERTY DAMAGE. STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS ARE GENERALLY ANY WIND
THAT IS NOT ASSOCIATED WITH ROTATION...USED MAINLY TO
DIFFERENTIATE THEM FROM TORNADIC WINDS.

$$

SRP/DRH