High Wind, Wake
- When
- April 1, 12:00 PM EST to 10:00 PM EST
- Where
- Wake forecast zone
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph)
- Deaths
- 1 direct, 0 indirect
- Injuries
- 1 direct, 0 indirect
- Coordinates
- 35.790, -78.650 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind in North Carolina, April 1, 1997
A strong low pressure system exited North Carolina early on the 1st, followed by a strong gradient wind behind the associated surface cold front. Winds gusted to around 45 knots during the day and were sustained at 30 knots at times from the northwest during the afternoon.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The toll
- Deaths
- 1
- Injuries
- 1
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 1
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
What happened
The episode as NWS RAH wrote it up.
A strong low pressure system exited North Carolina early on the 1st, followed by a strong gradient wind behind the associated surface cold front. Winds gusted to around 45 knots during the day and were sustained at 30 knots at times from the northwest during the afternoon. Several trees were blown down across the county.Many of the fallen trees had damaged root systems related to Hurricane Fran hitting the area in September 1996.While planting azaleas in his front yard, a man was crushed by a pine tree that snapped off about 15 feet above the ground. He died at the hospital due to a broken neck and chest injuries. Another man was injuried by a falling tree while working on a roof.About 10,000 customers lost electric service in the Raleigh area due to trees falling on power lines.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The people who died
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High Wind, Wake | 1997-04-01 | 40 | Male | Outside/Open Areas | Direct |
What these are
- High Wind
- Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Heavy Snow and Strong Wind in Massachusetts, April 1, 1997
- Drought in Texas, April 1 to 30, 1997
- Heavy Snow and Strong Wind in Rhode Island, April 1, 1997
- Heavy Snow and Strong Wind in Connecticut, April 1, 1997
- Flooding in Louisiana, April 1 to 20, 1997
- Flooding in Iowa, April 1 to 10, 1997
- Winter Storm and Hail in Kansas, April 1 to 29, 1997
- Heavy Snow and High Wind in New Jersey, April 1, 1997
- Cold in West Virginia, April 1 to 30, 1997
- Cold in North Carolina, April 1 to 18, 1997
- Flooding in South Dakota, April 1 to 30, 1997
- High Wind in New York, April 1, 1997
More
Every storm in North Carolina in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in North Carolina, April 1997
Sources
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5592551.