NOUS42 KRAH 111646
PNSRAH
NCZ007>011-021>028-038>043-073>078-083>086-088>089-112300-

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC
1240 PM EDT SAT AUG 11 2007

...DAMAGE SURVEY OF GOLDSBORO NC...

ON AUGUST 10TH STARTING AT 614 PM...SEVERE WINDS FROM A LARGE-SCALE 
DOWNBURST...OTHERWISE KNOWN AS A MACROBURST... CREATED WIDESPREAD 
DAMAGE IN GOLDSBORO AND THE SURROUNDING AREA. THE MACROBURST BEGAN 
NEAR FINCHS STATION ON CLARIDGE NURSERY ROAD JUST NORTHWEST OF 
DOWNTOWN GOLDSBORO WHERE AN 85 MPH WIND GUST WAS RECORDED AT 614 PM 
BY A RAWS MESONET STATION. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING WAS ISSUED 
FOR WAYNE COUNTY AT 545 PM HIGHLIGHTING DAMAGING WINDS IN GOLDSBORO. 
THE WARNING WAS EFFECTIVE UNTIL 630 PM. EMERGENCY CALLS STARTED 
COMING INTO THE 911 CENTER AROUND 620 PM REPORTING DAMAGE THROUGHOUT 
THE CITY. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONTACTED THE 911 CENTER AT 
LEAST TWICE ALERTING THEM TO THE DAMAGING STORM DEVELOPING WEST OF 
GOLDSBORO. THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING WAS REISSUED AT 626 PM 
EXTENDING THE WARNING UNTIL 715 PM FOR WAYNE COUNTY.  

STRAIGHT LINE WINDS RACED EAST THROUGH THE NORTH SIDE OF GOLDSBORO
WITH PEAK WIND SPEEDS ESTIMATED BETWEEN 85 AND 90 MPH BASED ON THE 
DAMAGE SURVEY. THE OVERALL MACROBURST WAS VERY LARGE REACHING A 
WIDTH OF ABOUT TWO AND A HALF MILES AND EXTENDING DOWNWIND FROM THE 
POINT OF ORIGIN FOR ABOUT 6 MILES. DAMAGING WINDS EXTENDED FROM 
CLARIDGE NURSERY ROAD JUST NORTHWEST OF DOWNTOWN GOLDSBORO THROUGH 
THE CITY ENDING AT HIGHWAY 13. TREE DAMAGE WAS EXTENSIVE ALL ALONG 
U.S. 70...BUSINESS 70...ROYAL AVENUE AND ASHE STREET. ABOUT A DOZEN 
HOMES IN THE AREA EXPERIENCED DAMAGE FROM FALLING TREES. NUMEROUS 
ROADS WERE BLOCKED BY TREES AND POWER LINES ESPECIALLY FROM WAYNE 
MEMORIAL DRIVE EAST TO HIGHWAY 13. 

THE WORST DAMAGE OCCURRED TO THE DAYS INN ON HIGHWAY 70. ABOUT 85 TO 
90 MPH STRAIGHT LINE WIND CAUSED THE ROOF OF THE HOTEL TO VAULT OR 
BECOME AIRBORNE AND FLIP OVER. WIND TRAPPED UNDER THE EAVE OF THE 
HOTEL EXERTED AN UPWARD FORCE ON THE ROOF RESULTING IN UPLIFT 
FAILURE. THE OLDER HOTEL ROOF WAS CONSTRUCTED OF WOOD JOISTS AND 
LACKED ANY WIND STRAPS TO ANCHOR THE ROOF BASED ON INITIAL 
INSPECTION. THE HOTEL WAS BUILT TO CODE AT THE TIME OF CONSTRUCTION 
ACCORDING TO THE LOCAL BUILDING INSPECTOR. HOWEVER...NEW 
CONSTRUCTION REQUIRES ADDITIONAL ROOF ANCHORING SINCE GOLDSBORO 
FALLS WITHIN THE WIND CODE AREA REQUIRING SUCH BUILDING TECHNIQUES. 
THIS PARTIALLY EXPLAINS THE LACK OF SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO 
SURROUNDING NEWER BUILDINGS. THE FAILURE OF THE ROOF STRUCTURE WAS 
DUE LARGELY IN PART TO THE COMBINATION OF UPLIFT FORCING AND TOE 
NAIL TYPE CONSTRUCTION IN THE TRUSSES AND JOISTS. THE ROOF BECAME 
AIRBORNE LANDING IN THE PARKING LOT AND DAMAGING ABOUT A DOZEN 
VEHICLES. ONE PERSON IN THE PARKING LOT NARROWLY ESCAPED SERIOUS 
INJURY RUNNING FROM THEIR CAR INTO THE HOTEL MERE SECONDS BEFORE THE 
ROOF CRUSHED THE VEHICLE. AT LEAST A DOZEN VEHICLES SUSTAINED DAMAGE 
FROM FLYING DEBRIS IN THE DAYS INN PARKING LOT.

ONE EYE WITNESS WHO IS A RETIRED POLICE OFFICER REPORTED SEEING A 
LITERAL WALL OF WIND RUSHING DOWN HIGHWAY 70 TOWARDS THE WAL-MART ON 
BEST RD. THE WAL-MART AND A HOLIDAY INN ACROSS THE STREET 
SUSTAINED MINOR ROOF DAMAGE. 

WAYNE COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT REPORTED A TOTAL OF FOUR MINOR 
INJURIES AND NO FATALITIES. SPECIAL THANKS GOES TO WAYNE COUNTY 
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT...NORTH CAROLINA EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND THE 
WAYNE COUNTY BUILDING INSPECTOR FOR ASSISTING WITH THE DISASTER 
SURVEY.

&&

ORROCK