The greatest danger for the severe storms comes from the combination of ingredients which could bring heavy rain, damaging wind, and even more tornadoes to our region Wednesday.
This is because of the way the jet stream is configured around this storm. The jet stream is a ribbon of fast moving air that is between 25,000 and 35,000 feet aloft. The job it does in severe weather production is to act as a vacuum. It helps pull more air from the low levels of the atmosphere into the upper levels, which in turn helps develop strong updrafts in thunderstorms.
It also can cause these thunderstorms to begin spinning, which then produces tornadoes. The combination of the jet stream, high dew point air, and a couple upper disturbances passing through will all combine to produce severe storms across parts of Eastern Carolina.
The primary threats again look to be damaging wind gusts, large hail, isolated tornadoes and heavy rainfall. That heavy rainfall potential could pose a problem for the northern and western counties of Martin, Pitt, Greene and Lenoir, which had several inches of rain Tuesday with widespread flooding reported. Additional rainfall Wednesday could result in more significant flash flooding problems.
By Thursday, the jet stream will move off the coast, taking the greatest severe threat with it. However, there could still be heavy rain and gusty winds with storms that continue, especially east of Highway 17.
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