Alert archive / North Carolina / Flash Flood Warnings in 2026

Flash Flood Warning 1, NWS Raleigh, NC

May 25, 2026Sampson County, North Carolina

NWS Raleigh, NC issued this flash flood warning at May 25, 2026, 3:58 PM EDT for Sampson County, North Carolina. It was in force for 92 min. 1 report came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
May 25, 2026, 3:58 PM EDT (19:58 UTC)
Expired
May 25, 2026, 5:30 PM EDT
In force
92 min
Issued by
NWS Raleigh, NC
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

County Sampson County, NC

The radar

The Raleigh/Durham radar (KRAX), 72 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 19:57 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
May 25, 4:15 PM EDTFLASH FLOODClinton, NCMultiple calls for flooding and high water in Clinton to 911 call center at about 4:15pm.

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

Did it verify

Verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow matched one storm report to this flash flood warning; the first came 17 minutes after it went out.

Cow counts a report within 15 km of the polygon while the warning was in force: a tornado for a tornado warning; hail of 1 inch or more, a gust of 58 mph or more or wind damage for a severe thunderstorm warning; a flash flood report for a flash flood warning.

The nearest sounding before it

Newport, NC (KMHX), launched 12:00Z, 8.0 hours before the alert went out and 134 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Newport, NC at 12:00Z on 2026-05-25Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 573 joules per kilogram.LCLEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Newport, NC at 12:00Z on 2026-05-25The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 107 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
573 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-4 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
593 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
21 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
107 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
94 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

959 
WGUS52 KRAH 251958
FFWRAH
NCC163-252130-
/O.NEW.KRAH.FF.W.0001.260525T1958Z-260525T2130Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Flash Flood Warning
National Weather Service Raleigh NC
358 PM EDT Mon May 25 2026

The National Weather Service in Raleigh has issued a

* Flash Flood Warning for...
  Central Sampson County in central North Carolina...

* Until 530 PM EDT.

* At 358 PM EDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing 
  heavy rain across the warned area. Between 1 and 3 inches of rain 
  have fallen. Additional rainfall amounts up to 1 inch are possible 
  in the warned area. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin 
  shortly.

  HAZARD...Flash flooding caused by thunderstorms.

  SOURCE...Radar.

  IMPACT...Flash flooding of small creeks and streams, urban
           areas, highways, streets and underpasses as well as
           other poor drainage and low-lying areas.

* Some locations that will experience flash flooding include...
  Clinton, Roseboro, Salemburg, and areas along Highway 24.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood 
deaths occur in vehicles.

&&

LAT...LON 3505 7817 3497 7822 3486 7847 3497 7860
      3506 7842 3514 7828 3515 7825

FLASH FLOOD...RADAR INDICATED

$$

LH
1 follow-up statement
885 
WGUS72 KRAH 252138
FFSRAH

Flash Flood Statement
National Weather Service Raleigh NC
538 PM EDT Mon May 25 2026

NCC163-252148-
/O.EXP.KRAH.FF.W.0001.000000T0000Z-260525T2130Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
Sampson NC-
538 PM EDT Mon May 25 2026

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING HAS EXPIRED FOR CENTRAL SAMPSON COUNTY...

The heavy rain has ended. Flooding is no longer expected to pose a 
threat. Please continue to heed remaining road closures.

&&

LAT...LON 3505 7817 3497 7822 3486 7847 3497 7860
      3506 7842 3514 7828 3515 7825

$$

LH

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this flash flood warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Raleigh, NC wrote its last area forecast discussion before this flash flood warning went out at May 25, 2:05 PM EDT, 1 hour 53 minutes earlier. Its key messages:

  • As of 205 PM Monday... 1) Numerous showers and isolated to scattered storms both today and Tue may produce pockets of heavy rainfall, although not everyone will see heavy rain. 2) Wetter pattern begins to break down, although most of the extended forecast will still have a chance of showers.
Area forecast discussion, May 25, 2:05 PM EDT, 1 hour 53 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Raleigh NC
205 PM EDT Mon May 25 2026

.WHAT HAS CHANGED...

* Isolated pockets of heavy rainfall remain possible through this
  evening, and are possible again Tue.

&&

.KEY MESSAGES...
As of 205 PM Monday...

1) Numerous showers and isolated to scattered storms both today and
Tue may produce pockets of heavy rainfall, although not everyone
will see heavy rain.

2) Wetter pattern begins to break down, although most of the
extended forecast will still have a chance of showers.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
As of 205 PM Monday...

KEY MESSAGE 1... Numerous showers and isolated to scattered storms
both today and Tue may produce pockets of heavy rainfall, although
not everyone will see heavy rain.

As previous shifts have noted, we remain in a high-PW environment
near 2", about 175-200% of normal, with a deep feed of moisture from
the Atlantic and Gulf from the surface through the mid levels. This
is manifesting in spotty areas of decent rain rates, from a tenth to
over a half inch per hour within storm clusters from just south of
the Triad into the Triangle and down into the S Coastal Plain and E
Sandhills. The surface front analyzed from the S Plains across the
Mid Miss Valley and Ohio Valley to the E Great Lakes will remain to
our N through Tue, keeping us status quo within steady influx of
warm moist air amidst broad SBCAPE and shots of dynamic forcing for
ascent, including that generated by subtle mid level perturbations
and MCVs being drawn N and NNE around the periphery of the offshore-
centered mid level anticyclone. RAP-based mesoanalysis shows 1000-
2500 SBCAPE over the area, supporting the current convection despite
deep layer bulk shear generally under 20 kts. Hi-res models show the
current area of showers and storms persisting over mainly our
central and SE, as activity continues to track NNE from SC into
early evening. We'll also see convection blossoming over the higher
terrain spreading NE and E late afternoon through this evening
affecting the N and W Piedmont, with lift boosted in the right
entrance region of a jet core to our N, augmented by MCVs rolling up
from the Gulf Coast. Will start with highest pops from the Hwy 1
corridor east, followed quickly by a peak on pops from the Triangle
to the N and W through this evening. While river and stream levels
are very low due to the ongoing drought conditions, any high rain
rates could result in rapid runoff and ponding of water on roads and
in low and poor drainage areas. The exit of dynamic forcing and
nocturnal relative stabilization should result in a trend to a lull
in pops after 2 AM tonight.

Looking ahead to Tue, with no significant change in air mass, source
region, or forcing mechanisms, persistence should rule. After
considerable overnight stratus and patches of fog, another slow
lifting of this low deck is expected through the morning, then any
bit of insolation and heating will push up CAPE values to support
scattered to numerous showers and storms in the still-damp column.
While this will mean another threat of storm clusters with locally
high rain rates, exactly where this rain might fall is difficult to
pinpoint. The latest HREF members show a somewhat similar pattern to
today, with the highest afternoon pops in our SE, trending to having
the higher pops in the NW by evening as activity rolls off the
mountains. Overall, though, pops will be above normal, and isolated
street flooding will again be possible.

KEY MESSAGE 2 ... Wetter pattern begins to break down, although most
of the extended forecast will still have a chance of showers.

A stationary front that has been anchored across Virginia will slide
south through North Carolina Wednesday night into Thursday. While
this will still keep a high chance of rain in the forecast, flow out
of the west will not contain as much moisture as the southerly flow
that has been occurring over the weekend, and overall rain totals
should be less. Much of Thursday night and Friday should be dry
across the area. However, the front should then become hung up
across South Carolina and Georgia through the weekend, and a wave of
low pressure will ride along the front. The low should bring some
higher chances of rain back into the forecast, primarily to the
south of US-64 and the highest on Saturday and Saturday night. The
front will then continue to push south, and the chance of rain will
decrease. Highs will be in the 80s Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday,
with highs dropping into the 70s for Saturday, Sunday, and Monday.

&&

.AVIATION /18Z MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/...
As of 120 PM Monday...

Most central NC terminals have improved from earlier IFR conditions
to MVFR cigs (including GSO/RDU/RWI), with IFR conditions shifted to
the NW of central NC, and RWI/FAY periodically VFR as holes break
within the lower cloud deck. But FAY/RWI/RDU have the highest chance
of seeing scattered to numerous showers and isolated clusters of
storms through this afternoon and early evening, producing brief
gusty and erratic winds and brief sub-VFR vsbys. Starting mid
evening at 01z-03z, northern areas including GSO/RDU have the
highest chance of showers and isolated storms, lasting into the
overnight hours before weakening and dissipating by 06z. Otherwise,
cigs will continue to slowly rise today, and a short period of
mostly VFR conditions is expected at central NC terminals from 20z
to about 02z. Soon after 02z, a redevelopment of MVFR then IFR
clouds is expected, with the lowest cigs expected 07z-13z Tue
morning. Gradual improvement is again expected late morning to early
afternoon Tue, toward the end of the TAF valid period, with cigs
likely to be high-end MVFR or VFR by 17z. Another round of scattered
to numerous showers and a few storms is again possible starting late
morning Tue, and these could affect any of the terminals. Surface
winds will be mainly from the SSW or SW at 8-14 kts, except mostly
under 8 kts during the nighttime hours.

Looking beyond 18z Tue, showers and isolated storms may again impact
central NC terminals through the evening. The cycle of low stratus
and patchy fog from late evening through mid morning will persist
through Thu, with daily scattered to numerous showers and storms
possible. Drier weather is expected Fri behind a cold front, but a
few showers and storms may return Sat.

&&

.CLIMATE...

Record High Minimum Temperatures:

May 25: KGSO: 70/2019 KRDU: 71/2019 KFAY: 71/2019

May 26: KGSO: 70/2019 KRDU: 73/2011 KFAY: 75/2004

May 27: KRDU: 72/1991 KFAY: 72/2006

May 28: KGSO: 70/2012 KRDU: 74/1914

&&

.RAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
None.

&&

DISCUSSION...Hartfield/Green
AVIATION...Hartfield
CLIMATE...RAH
Hazardous weather outlook, May 25, 2:53 PM EDT, 1 hour 5 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook...UPDATED
National Weather Service Raleigh NC
253 PM EDT Mon May 25 2026

NCZ007>011-021>028-038>043-073>078-083>086-088-089-261100-
Person-Granville-Vance-Warren-Halifax-Forsyth-Guilford-Alamance-
Orange-Durham-Franklin-Nash-Edgecombe-Davidson-Randolph-Chatham-Wake-
Johnston-Wilson-Stanly-Montgomery-Moore-Lee-Harnett-Wayne-Anson-
Richmond-Scotland-Hoke-Cumberland-Sampson-
253 PM EDT Mon May 25 2026

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central North Carolina.

.DAY ONE...This afternoon and tonight.

Locally heavy rainfall will be possible through this evening.
Isolated flooding in low lying or urban areas is possible.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday.

Isolated pockets of heavy rainfall are possible again on Tuesday,
with the highest chances in the Triad area. Localized flooding of
streets and poor drainage areas may occur.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Weather spotters are encouraged to report significant weather
conditions according to Standard Operating Procedures.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 25, 1:39 PM EDT, 2 hours 19 minutes before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Raleigh NC
139 PM EDT Mon May 25 2026

NCZ008-025-026-041-251815-
Franklin NC-Durham NC-Wake NC-Granville NC-
139 PM EDT Mon May 25 2026

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL IMPACT SOUTHERN GRANVILLE...NORTHEASTERN
WAKE...SOUTHERN DURHAM AND NORTHWESTERN FRANKLIN COUNTIES THROUGH 215
PM EDT...

At 139 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking strong thunderstorms along
a line extending from near Durham to near Raleigh. Movement was
northeast at 30 mph.

HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 mph.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
         unsecured objects.

Locations impacted include...
Raleigh, Durham, Creedmoor, Louisburg, Wake Forest, Butner,
Franklinton, Rolesville, Youngsville, and Stem.

This includes the following highways...
 Interstate 85 between Mile Markers 177 and 202.
 Interstate 440 between Mile Markers 8 and 11.
 Interstate 540 between Mile Markers 2 and 19.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

&&

LAT...LON 3624 7851 3618 7850 3618 7849 3616 7846
      3616 7842 3619 7840 3608 7816 3581 7861
      3597 7896 3631 7866
TIME...MOT...LOC 1739Z 225DEG 27KT 3597 7885 3588 7866

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN
MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH

Green
Special weather statement, May 25, 2:13 PM EDT, 1 hour 45 minutes before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Raleigh NC
213 PM EDT Mon May 25 2026

NCZ009-010-026-251915-
Franklin NC-Vance NC-Warren NC-
213 PM EDT Mon May 25 2026

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT SOUTHEASTERN VANCE...WARREN AND
NORTHERN FRANKLIN COUNTIES THROUGH 315 PM EDT...

At 213 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm over
Franklinton, or 7 miles west of Louisburg, moving northeast at 30
mph.

HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 mph.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
         unsecured objects.

Locations impacted include...
Louisburg, Warrenton, Franklinton, Norlina, Littleton, Kittrell,
Macon, Centerville, Ingleside, and Gillburg.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

&&

LAT...LON 3645 7791 3643 7792 3638 7791 3629 7795
      3600 7841 3611 7853 3617 7850 3618 7850
      3654 7808 3654 7802
TIME...MOT...LOC 1813Z 227DEG 26KT 3612 7842

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN
MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH

Green

The office that day

Everything else NWS Raleigh, NC issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 25, 1:39 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRAHDurham, Franklin, Granville36 min
May 25, 2:13 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementRAHFranklin, Warren62 min
May 25, 3:01 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryRAHWayne3 hr
May 25, 3:30 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryRAHSampson3 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in North Carolina, 2026Every flash flood warning in 2026

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.