Tornado warnings impact NC counties as state prepares for stormy Christmas Eve
Three tornado warnings impacted the state before 1 p.m. on Christmas Eve day. The Triangle is under a level 2 severe weather threat, and some eastern counties are under a level 3 threat. Keep a close eye on WRAL for weather updates this holiday.
VIEWING AREA. RIGHT NOW, A TORNADO WARNING. >>> WE ARE SEEING THESE STORMS FIRE OFF AND I WANT TO TAKE YOU TO A TORNADO WARNING THAT WE ARE SEEING RIGHT NOW FOR LINCOLN COUNTY AS WELL AS COLUMBUS COUNTY AND I DO WANT YOU GUYS TO FOCUS ON THIS. WE ARE TRACKING THE POTENTIAL FOR THIS TO CONTINUE AS WE HEAD INTO 12:30. THAT WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR COLUMBUS COUNTY AS WELL AS UNTIL 12:30. SO IF YOU KNOW ANYONE IN THIS AREA, GET TO THE LOWEST LEVEL OF THE BASEMENT! YOU WANT TO GET INTO THE MOST INTERIOR ROOM AS 4 WE ARE STARTING TO SEE THE POTENTIAL FOR A ROTATION TAKE SHAPE RIGHT NOW. I DO WANT TO TRANSITION THIS AND TAKE YOU OUT. ESSENTIALLY, THIS IS OUR DETECTOR AND AS WE TAKE A LOOK AT THAT, WE ARE CONTINUING TO SEE THAT WE ARE NOT SEEING MUCH WITH THE DEBRIS DETECTOR AS THIS RADAR INDICATED. IF YOU KNOW ANYONE IN THIS AREA TOWARD THE EAST OF LUMBERTON ON THE COUNTY LINE, YOU DEFINITELY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE SEEKING SHELTER AND GET TO THE LOWEST LEVEL OF THE BASEMENT. AND MAKE SURE THAT YOU TURN OFF THE TV THINKING PLEASE CALL THE ALIAS THAT WE SEE THE POTENTIAL FOR A TORNADO RIGHT NOW, RIGHT THIS AFTERNOON. TAKE A LOOK AT THE CORRELATION. WE ARE NOT SEEING MUCH DEBRIS FLYING UP WITH THIS BUT DO NOT LET YOUR GUARD DOWN. MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE SEEKING SHELTER. LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT THE RAIN AS WE TAKE A LOOK AT WAKE COUNTY. RALEIGH, APEX, WE ARE GETTING IN ON SOME HEAVY RAIN. WE ARE GETTING DRENCHED AND THIS IS ALL DUE TO THE FRONT THAT IS MOVING THROUGH WELL TOWARDS THE WEST OF US. AND WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO SEE THAT CONTINUE AS WE HEAD INTO THE AFTERNOON. AND YOU CAN SEE EVEN OFF TO THE NORTH, WE ARE SEEING SOME OF THAT HEAVY RAIN TAKE SHAPE. I DO WANT TO CALL OUT BRIAN SHRADER. BRIAN, IF YOU CAN PASS ME THAT CLICKER SO THAT WE CAN GET THIS GOING AND SHOW PEOPLE WHERE WE ARE SEEING THE STORMS THIS AFTERNOON, YOU CAN SEE AS WE ZOOM OUT, EVEN TO THE SOUTH IN LEE COUNTY, LIGHT RAIN GOING ON AT THIS HOUR AND WE ARE SEEING ALL OF THOSE SHOWERS TAKE SHAPE FOR US BUT IF YOU ARE IN COLUMBUS RIGHT NOW, THERE IS A TORNADO WARNING GOING ON. HERE'S A LOOK AT THE BIGGER PICTURE OF THE FRONT MAKING ITS WAY TO THE SOUTH AND TO THE EAST. WE EXPECT WINDY CONDITIONS TO PICK UP AND EVEN CONTINUE TO GET ALL OF THAT MOISTURE TO STREAM IN FROM THE SOUTH. LET'S GO HOUR BY HOUR AND I WILL SHOW YOU WHAT WE EXPECT HEADING INTO THE AFTERNOON. WINDS MOVING IN AND OUT OF THIS OUT. 45-50 MILES AN HOUR. WE HAD INTO 2:00 AND WE ARE STARTING TO SEE SOME OF THOSE STORMS. YOU CAN SEE IT IS GOING TO TAKE SHAPE ALONG THE I-95 CORRIDOR. WE ARE SEEING THOSE STORMS FIRE OFF AND THAT IS GOING TO CONTINUE INTO 2:00, 3:00, 4:00 AND EVEN 5:00. WE WILL WATCH THE RADAR CLOSELY BECAUSE WE CAN GET SOME SALES GETTING GOING THIS AFTERNOON AND WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO SEE THAT MAKE ITS WAY OFF TO THE EAST. HERE'S A LOOK AT THE MAIN FRONT AS WE HEAD INTO 8:00 THIS EVENING. WATCH IT CLOSELY. IT IS GOING TO MOVE INTO THE TRIANGLE. WE HAD THE POTENTIAL FOR STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS AND THEN IT IS GRADUALLY GOING TO CLEAR OUT LEAVING BEHIND A FEW LINGERING SHOWERS. AS WE TAKE A LOOK AT THE WINDS, WE HAVE A WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 1:00. WE ARE LIKELY TO SEE WINDS COST UPWARDS OF 45-50 MILES AN HOUR. BEHIND THAT, IT IS GOING TO GET
