Flash Flooding and Damaging Winds in North Carolina, August 18, 2001

Name: Flash Flooding and Damaging Winds in North Carolina, August 18, 2001
Start: 2001-08-18T16:15
End: 2001-08-18T23:00
Location: North Carolina

August 18, 2001 · NWS RAH · 4 events in 3 counties and zones

2 thunderstorm wind, 2 flash flood, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 2 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 4

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 forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, 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 the first event at Aug 18, 1:00 PM EST, 3 hours 15 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 18, 1:00 PM EST, 3 hours 15 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC
200 PM EDT SAT AUG 18 2001

WEAK SFC BOUNDARY...UNSTABLE AIR...AND PASSAGE OF UPPER TROF...WILL
COMBINE TO KEEP SHWRS AND TRW FORMING IN CENTRAL NC NEXT 60 HOURS.
BEST CHC WILL BE IN THE EAST...AHEAD OF THE BOUNDARY. ON TUESDAY...A
STRING OF REASONABLY COMFORTABLE WEATHER FOR AUGUST WILL BEGIN AND
CONTINUE PROBABLY THRU THE END OF THE WEEK.

.RAH...NONE.

GL

The radar

The Raleigh/Durham radar (KRAX), 121 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:14 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 thunderstorm wind, 2 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Randolph

When: August 18, 4:15 PM EST
Where: Randolph County, Asheboro
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 35.700, -79.833

Multiple trees and power lines were blown down along Lassiter Mill Road.

Thunderstorm Wind, Randolph

When: August 18, 4:40 PM EST
Where: Randolph County, Asheboro Muni Arpt
Measured: 60 kt (69 mph)
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 35.650, -79.883

An airplane was damaged when blown loose from its tie downs.

Flash Flood, Warren

When: August 18, 5:13 PM EST to 6:30 PM EST
Where: Warren County, Norlina
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 36.397, -78.107 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Highway 158 was flooded with a foot of water.

Flash Flood, Stanly

When: August 18, 5:30 PM EST to 11:00 PM EST
Where: Stanly County, West Portion
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 35.312, -80.251 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several roads were flooded in western Stanly County when Bear Creek overflowed its banks.

What these are

Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
Flash Flood: Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in North Carolina in 2001 Every state in 2001 This day in weather history Warnings in North Carolina, August 2001

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: 5262823, 5262824, 5262826, 5262825.