North Raleigh Tornado Page 1 North Raleigh Tornado – November 28, 1988 Compiled by Mike Legeros. This is version 3.2 of this document. Created December 7, 2013. Updated November 30, 2016 Change log: Added additional photographs. Contents Introduction Maps Raleigh Fire Department Profile Wake County EMS Profile Response Summary Run Card Aerial Photos News & Observer Photos Log Book Entries News & Observer Graphic Sources Introduction This document contains information about the Raleigh Fire Department and its response to the “north Raleigh tornado,” a storm that struck without warning on November 28, 1988. The tornado touched down in Raleigh just after 1:00 a.m. It remained on the ground for 84 miles, carving a path that eventually reached Northampton County, northeast of Roanoke Rapids. The tornado impacted six North Carolina counties. Four people were killed, two in Nash County, and two children iN Raleigh. Also in Raleigh, it injured over 157 people. The storm destroyed 425 residential structures and seventy-eight commercial buildings. Over 2,000 homes sustained some form of damage, and nearly 1,000 residents were displaced. Damage totals reached around $77 million.
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North Raleigh Tornado Page 1
North Raleigh Tornado – November 28, 1988
Compiled by Mike Legeros.
This is version 3.2 of this document. Created December 7, 2013. Updated November 30, 2016
Change log: Added additional photographs.
Contents
Introduction
Maps
Raleigh Fire Department Profile
Wake County EMS Profile
Response Summary
Run Card
Aerial Photos
News & Observer Photos
Log Book Entries
News & Observer Graphic
Sources
Introduction
This document contains information about the Raleigh Fire Department and its response to the “north Raleigh tornado,” a
storm that struck without warning on November 28, 1988. The tornado touched down in Raleigh just after 1:00 a.m. It
remained on the ground for 84 miles, carving a path that eventually reached Northampton County, northeast of Roanoke
Rapids.
The tornado impacted six North Carolina counties. Four people were killed, two in Nash County, and two children iN
Raleigh.
Also in Raleigh, it injured over 157 people. The storm destroyed 425 residential structures and seventy-eight commercial
buildings. Over 2,000 homes sustained some form of damage, and nearly 1,000 residents were displaced. Damage totals
reached around $77 million.
North Raleigh Tornado Page 2
Maps
Raleigh Fire Department Profile
The Raleigh Fire Department in November 1988 protected 201,111 residents and 86.95 square miles with eighteen fire
stations, nineteen engines, four aerial ladder trucks, two service ladder trucks, and two rescue units. The fire companies were
supervised by three District Chiefs. The fire stations included the earlier location for Station 4, at 2913 Wake Forest Road.
North Raleigh Tornado Page 3
Their special units included three brush trucks called mini-pumpers, two hazardous materials unit, a foam truck (pick-up with
high-expansion generator), and a combination mobile air and command post unit (extended panel van).
The fire chief was Sherman A. Pickard. He supervised three Assistant Chiefs: Robert M. Whittington (Operations), E. Buck
King (Services), and Fire Marshal James T. Owens (Fire Prevention). The Raleigh Fire Department had 355 authorized
positions in FY88 (including 335 firefighters) and answered 9,409 fire calls that year.
Wake County EMS Profile
Wake County EMS in November 1988 operated from three stations. Station 1 at 201 W. Martin Street housed three
ambulances (EMS 1, EMS 4, EMS 5), and a shift supervisor (EMS 103, EMS 104, EMS 105, depending on who was
working. They were personally assigned unit numbers). Station 2 at 2024 Noble Road housed two ambulances (EMS 2 and
EMS 6). Station 3 at 5305 Six Forks Road, the former Six Forks Volunteer Fire Department building, housed EMS 3. Each
ambulance was staffed with two paramedics.
The organization was led by Director Gerald Brown (EMS 100). He supervised Operations Director Linwood Barham (EMS
101) and two Training Officers, Joseph Zalkin (lead) and Steve Gardner (assistant). They were each paramedics and also
participated in emergency responses as available or requested.
Response Summary
On November 30, 1988, the Raleigh Fire Department submitted this response summary to the City Manager’s office:
Tornado Disaster Incident - November 28, 1988
City of Raleigh Units and Personnel Responding
Number of personnel - Approximately 225
• 50 Captain
• 50 Firefighter II
• 125 First Class and Firefighter I
Number of units:
• 12 Engines
• 2 Trucks
• 3 Mini-Pumpers
• 2 Rescue Units
• 1 Foam Unit
• 11 Cars
• 1 Special Risk Unit
• 1 Firefighter on personal vehicle using chain saw to remove trees and limbs from road - 8 gals.
Number of gallons of fuel - 638
Mileage of all equipment - 1,550
North Raleigh Tornado Page 4
Number of overtime hours - Approximately 1443.75
[ Raleigh Police Department information was not included in the report. ]
Wake County Fire Units and Personnel:
• Apex FD
o 19 Personnel
o 2 Brush Trucks
o 1 Car
o 1 Utility Truck
• Bay Leaf FD
o 33 Personnel
o 3 Engines
o 1 Car
• Cary City
o 3 Personnel
o 1 Brush Truck
• Durham Highway FD
o [ This fire department was not included in the report ]
• Fairgrounds FD
o 20 Personnel
o 1 Engine
o 1 Brush Truck
o 1 Car *
• Fairview FD
o 18 Personnel
o 1 Engine
o 1 Brush Truck
• Fuquay-Varina FD
o 5 Personnel
o 2 Engines
• Garner FD
o 8 Personnel
o 2 Engines
• Knightdale FD
o 24 Personnel
o 2 Engines
o 3 Brush Trucks
• Morrisville FD
o 11 Personnel
o 1 Engine
o 1 Brush Truck
• Six Forks FD
o 27 Personnel
o 4 Engines
o 1 Brush Truck *
• Stony Hill FD
o 12 Personnel
o 1 Engine
o 1 Brush Truck
• Swift Creek FD
o 4 Personnel
o 1 Brush Truck *
• Wake New Hope FD
o 33 Personnel
o 2 Engines
o 1 Light Truck *
• Yrac FD
o 15 Personnel
o 2 Engines
*Indicates volunteer [fire department] that the city of Raleigh contracts with.
Wake County Fire Marshal's Office:
3 Personnel
North Raleigh Tornado Page 5
Wake County EMS/Rescue [Squad] Units:
• Apex
o 2 Ambulances
• Cary
o 3 Ambulances
o Crash Unit
o Command Post
• Fuquay
o 2 Ambulances
• Garner
o 2 Ambulances
o Crash Truck
• Knightdale
o 2 Ambulances
o Crash Truck
• Northern Wake
o Ambulances
• Six Forks
o 2 Ambulances
o Crash Truck
• Wendell
o 2 Ambulances
o Crash Truck
• Zebulon
o 1 Ambulance
• Wake County EMS
o Various Units
[ Private ambulance companies that responded included two Duke LifeFlight mobile units. ]
Wake County Sheriff's Department:
• Approximately Forty (40) Cars
• Forty (40) Personnel
[ The sheriff’s department’s mobile command post was not included in the report . ]
[ Other responding law enforcement agencies, such as the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, were also not included in the
report. ]
Durham County Units and Personnel:
• Bahama FD
o 2 Personnel
• Bethesda FD
o 9 Personnel
o 1 Engine
o 1 Rescue Truck
o 1 Ambulance
• Durham County EMS
o 4 Personnel
o 3 Ambulances
• Lebanon FD
o 4 Personnel
o 1 Engine
• Parkwood FD
o 8 Personnel
o 2 Ambulances
o 1 Crash Unit
• Redwood FD
o 9 Personnel
o 1 Engine
o 1 Ambulance
o 1 Rescue Truck
North Raleigh Tornado Page 6
[ What other fire departments outside Wake and Durham counties responded? Every fire department in Johnston County was
alerted and/or dispatched to the incident. Those departments were:
• Antioch FD
• Archer Lodge FD
• Benson FD
• Bentonville FD
• Bethany FD
• Blackman’s Crossroads FD
• Brogden FD
• Clayton FD
• Cleveland FD
• Corinth-Holders FD
• Elevation FD
• 50/210 FD
• Four Oaks FD
• Kenly FD
• Meadow FD
• Micro FD
• Pine Level FD
• Princeton FD
• Selma FD
• Smithfield FD
• Strickland’s Crossroads FD
• Thanksgiving FD
• West Johnston FD
• Wilson’s Mills FD ]
Other Outside EMS/Rescue Squad Units:
• South Granville Rescue Squad
o 2 Ambulances
• Clayton Rescue
o 2 Ambulances
• Kenly Rescue
o 1 Ambulance
• Angier Rescue
o 1 Ambulance
• Selma Rescue
o 2 Ambulances
• Dunn Rescue
o 1 Ambulance
• Erwin Rescue
o 1 Ambulance
• Coats Rescue
o 1 Ambulance
• Boone Trail Rescue
o 1 Ambulance
• Orange County Rescue
o 1Ambulance
• Smithfield Rescue
o 1 Crash Truck,
o 1 Ambulance
o 1 Car
Gasoline/Diesel Used Other Than Raleigh:
• Redwood FD - 15 gallons gasoline
• New Hope FD - 16.5 gallons gasoline
• South Granville Rescue - 23 gallons gasoline
• Durham [FD?] - 2 gallons gasoline
• Redwood FD- 25 gallons diesel
• Bethesda FD - 31 gallons diesel
• Parkwood FD - 40 gallons diesel
[ The Raleigh Fire Department fuel truck was present, along with fuel trucks from the Wake County School System. ]
[ Other resources at the scene included a Capital Area Transit bus, used for responder rehab. ]
North Raleigh Tornado Page 7
Aerial Photos
CCBI photographer Gary Knight took this aerial photo of the command post and staging area at the Townridge Shopping Center on Highway 70 on the morning of November 28, 1988.
This wider view shows the destroyed K-Mart.
North Raleigh Tornado Page 8
This west-facing view shows Central Make Sales in the center of the frame, and the Durham Highway fire station in the center-left of the frame.
Here’s a closer (and distorted) view of the Durham Highway fire station on Davis Circle. The circa 1965 building suffered minor damage, but was not blown down, as some have remembered as having happened.
North Raleigh Tornado Page 9
News & Observer Photos
North Raleigh Tornado Page 10
November 28, 1988. Courtesy (Raleigh) News & Observer
Run Card
Raleigh Fire Departments units that responded included:
E4 (at 0800)
E5
E6
E7
E9
E10 (at 0700)
E12
E14
E15
E16
E17
E18
T15
T16
R6
R7
C51
C53
Mini 3
Mini 9
Mini 17
Foam 5 (pick-up truck, used as personnel transport)
SR 1 (mobile command post/air truck)
Car 91
M-30 (shop truck)
M-32 (fuel truck)
Plus call back personnel, many of whom responded to the scene in personal vehicles.
Coverage at Raleigh fire stations included:
Station 6 – Engine 13.
Station 12 – Knightdale Fire Department.
Raleigh units that did not respond:
E1
E2
E3
E8
E11
E19
T1
T8
T11
C52 (?).
North Raleigh Tornado Page 11
Log Book Entries
Introduction
The following log book entries were hand-entered by Raleigh Fire Department company officers and chief officers, in the
hours and days following the tornado. They have been reproduced with minimal corrections to spelling and syntax.
Note that the tornado’s first strike in Wake County occurred at 1:08 a.m. in Umstead State Park, near Interstate 40. The
storm system was unexpected. At 1:00 a.m., no severe thunderstorm or tornado warning had been issued for Raleigh or Wake
County. By 1:30 a.m., the storm had moved out of northern Wake County.
Station19
Forthcoming.
Station18
11/27
0156 – 7405 Old Fox Tr. From this time on, Eng 18 assigned as needed because of damage from tornado.
1130 – “C” shift relieved of duty. “A” shift 10-8 on Eng 18.
Station17
11/28
0118 – Eng 17 responded to 5928 Shadetree Ln.
0125 – Eng 17 10-23 building collapse from tornado. Eng 17 & Mini 17 were involved in search & rescue. Off-duty
personnel on “A” & “B” shift were called on duty. Eng 17 & Mini 17 continued with disaster search & rescue.
1101 – Eng 17 & Mini 17 10-8.
Station has some minor damage.
Tree have been removed from parking lot at front of station.
2110 – Power to station restored.
11/29
0800 – Roll call. “B” shift on duty.
0953 – Eng. 17 responded to 4501 Creedmoor Rd.
0958 – Eng. 17 10-8.
2156 – Eng. 17 responded to 6500 Glenwood Ave.
2159 – Eng. 17 10-23. Fire for warmth.
2201 – Eng. 17 10-8.
11/30
0800 – Roll call. “A” shift on duty.
1200 – Eng 17 returned from shop and reserve unit sent back to shop.
12/2
1108 – Eng 17 responded 6600 Glenwood [Avenue] – K-Mart.
0200 – “A” shift personnel called in for emergency situation in west Raleigh.
0800 – Eng. 4 10-7 to Town Ridge Shopping Ctr., search & rescue.
1130 – “C” shift & Eng. 4 back at Station.
1300 – Eng. 4 10-8.
Station3
11/28
0200 – Notified Dockery, Owens, Stewart to come in due to tornado. Could not contact Patterson.
0210 – Mini Three and R. J. Moore to Station One.
0230 – Scott Owens reported to Station Three. Owens riding E-3, Captain Dockery, & C. Stewart.
1530 – Eng 3 to Station 1 to pick up Mini 3.
Station2
11/27
0800 – Roll call, “C” shift working, S. T. Eudy, C. M. Altman, A. R. Cooper – F. E. Bridges, comp time.
2100 – F. E. Bridges at work.
11/28
0200 – Capt. Eudy called in “A” shift off-duty as instructed by Car 3.
R. A. Pearce, T. N. Pearce, E. T. Beasley, & D. W. Kelly.
0330 – Eng #2 personnel taking Car #91 and M-30 to N. Raleigh to assist during disaster.
0350 – D. W. Kelly manning M-32 to command post on Glenwood Ave.
0800 – “A” shift on duty. J. E. Williams on “vac”, R. A. Pearce, E. T. Beasley, T. N. Pearce, D. W. Kelly detailed in from
Eng 13. “A” shift personnel called in at 0200 hr. to assist during disaster (tornadoes).
1200 – “C” shift personnel relieved from duty.
1450 – D. W. Kelly back at Station #1 with M-31.
Station1
11/28
0130 – Eng 13 to Station 6, to fill in.
Called in off-duty personnel, due to tornado.
North Raleigh Tornado Page 17
1045 – Eng 13 10-8 at Station 1.
Car51
11/27
0800 – Chief Robertson on Duty
11/28
0100 – All equipment in D-1 except E-19 dispatched to various calls resulting from tornados in our area. “A” shift personnel
called in & several volunteer [fire] depts. Rendered mutual aid. Most severe damage in Lynn & Ray Rd., Six Forks, Litchford
Rd. areas. Bldgs & houses collapsed, trees uprooted, power lines down.
1040 – “C” shift personnel released as they get back to stations.
Hunnicutt Sector 1 Commander
Units that assisted in search & rescue:
1. Eng 11
2. Engine 15
3. Wake New Hope Fire Dept.
4. Stony Hill Fire Dept.
5. Bay Leaf Fire Dept. Wake Co. Sherriff Dept.
Car52
11/27
0800 – Chief Atkinson on duty.
11/28
0200 – “A” shift. District 2 reported to work due to tornado damages.
0800 – Chief King on duty.
11/29
0800 – Chief Sandy on duty.
0800 – SR1 10-7.
0800 – Foam Unit 5 to repair shop to get the tires fixed.
1200 – Picked up SR1.
Car53
11/27
0800 – D/C R. Davis on duty.
0110 – Car 53 responded to a collapse structure at 5948 Shade Tree Lane, Cooper’s Pond Apt. Upon arrival, I found several
building[s] severely damaged by a tornado that touched down earlier. Command position was established and personnel were
assigned to each flatten[ed] structure. The flatten[ed] structure will be referred to as “A” & “B”. The apartment manager was
on the scene, with her assistance and the assistance of many of the residents, we were able to account for all occupants. One
resident was trapped under the rubble in Bldg. “A”. He was rescued. He suffered minor injuries and was transported by EMS.
North Raleigh Tornado Page 18
Part of Bldg “B”’s structure was standing with people trapped on the 3rd floor. Their condition was not threaten[ed] to a great
extent initially. They were told that they would be rescued after the situation was stabilized. They were rescued safely.
Car 53 returned to command post SR1 and assisted with searching & rescue.
11/28
0800 – D/C Beasley on duty. Capt. Barnett back sv, myself, and Eng 14 crew (A) reported to command at K-Mart,
Glenwood. Stayed with SR1 until 1300 hrs. All companies 10-8. Station 17 damaged.
To City Manager’s office, gave info. Also Asst. City Manager was talked to [at] 1600 hours. Picked up batteries for 53 spare.
Car 53 to shop, fixed 3 flat tires.
11/29
0800 – D/C Fowler on duty. Took Car 4 “53” in for new tires. Took car in for windshield repair. Told to bring back next
week. Engine 17 10-7, replaced with reserve.
News & Observer Graphic
Published as part of a twentieth anniversary story on November 26, 1988.
North Raleigh Tornado Page 19
Sources
1988 Raleigh tornado outbreak, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1988_Raleigh_tornado_outbreak, retrieved December 4, 2013.
Event Summary, National Weather Service, Raleigh Tornado, November 28, 1988, http://www4.ncsu.edu/~nwsfo/storage/cases/19881128, retrieved December 5, 2013.