3 flash flood, 1 thunderstorm wind, as filed by the National Weather Service.
Every event with a place to put it; 3 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
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 Sep 22, 7:30 PM EST, 4 hours 30 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC 830 PM EDT MON SEP 22 2003 NO UPDATE EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. FORECAST ON TRACK WITH FRONT FORECAST TO COASTAL PLAINS TOWARD SUNRISE. MORNING LOWS PERHAPS A TOUCH HIGH...BUT NOT CONFIDENT ENOUGH TO DROP. AFTERNOON HIGHS TUESDAY REASONABLE. .RAH...NONE. RLH
NCZ007>011-021>028-038>043-073>078-083>086-088-089-221110- HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC 530 AM EDT MON SEP 22 2003 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT.. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS LATE DAY INTO TONIGHT MAINLY OVER THE WESTERN HALF OF CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA. THE RISK OF SEVERE STORMS WILL BE MAINLY ALONG AND WEST OF A LINE FROM OXFORD...RALEIGH...LILLINGTON...TO FAYETTEVILLE. THE MAIN THREAT FROM THESE STORMS WILL BE STRONG DAMAGING WINDS WITH ISOLATED TORNADOES POSSIBLE. THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE STORMS IS MOST LIKELY FROM AROUND 6PM THROUGH ABOUT MIDNIGHT. A COLD FRONT APPROACHING FROM THE WEST IS EXPECTED TO CROSS CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA TONIGHT. STRONG WINDS JUST ABOVE THE SURFACE MAY MIX DOWN TO THE SURFACE PRODUCING DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AND POSSIBLY SPAWN A TORNADO. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY... SCATTERED SHOWERS AND POSSIBLY A THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE ENDING OVER THE EASTERN THIRD OF CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA DURING THE MORNING ON TUESDAY. THEN HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING IN FROM THE NORTHWEST WILL BRING DRY WEATHER TO THE REGION LATER TUESDAY CONTINUING INTO THE WEEKEND. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER NETWORK ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED LATE THIS EVENING INTO TONIGHT. RA
NCZ021>023-038-039-230045- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC 745 PM EDT MON SEP 22 2003 ...SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN MOVING NORTHEAST THROUGH THE TRIAD... AT 745 PM... NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED SHOWERS WITH HEAVY RAIN FROM NEAR LEXINGTON THROUGH THOMASVILLE TO HIGH POINT. THESE SHOWERS WERE MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH... AND WILL AFFECT MUCH OF NORTHEAST DAVIDSON... NORTHWEST RANDOLPH... GUILFORD... AND EASTERN FORSYTH COUNTIES THROUGH 845 PM. RAINFALL IN EXCESS OF AN INCH IN THE HOUR WILL LIKELY OCCUR IN AREAS FROM NEAR HIGH POINT AND ARCHDALE TO GREENSBORO. MOTORISTS SHOULD BE ALERT FOR POOR TRAVEL CONDITIONS... AND FOR MINOR FLOODING. BADGETT
NCZ007>010-023>026-040>042-074>077-083-084-086-088-230145- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC 820 PM EDT MON SEP 22 2003 ...SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN MOVING THROUGH THE WESTERN AND SOUTHERN PIEDMONT... SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH INTO THE WESTERN PIEDMONT AND SANDHILLS AT 820 PM. THE HEAVIEST SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM STANLY AND ANSON COUNTIES NORTHEAST THROUGH MONTGOMERY... NORTHERN RICHMOND... ALAMANCE... AND WESTERN PERSON COUNTIES. THIS INCLUDED THE CITIES AND TOWNS OF NORWOOD... ALBEMARLE... ANSONVILLE... BADIN... UNION RIDGE... AND ROXBORO. THIS ACTIVITY IS EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO ORANGE... CHATHAM... MOORE... LEE... AND RICHMOND COUNTIES... INCLUDING THE AREAS FORM HILLSBOROUGH AND PITTSBORO THROUGH SOUTHERN PINES... SANFORD... AND ELLERBE BETWEEN 820 PM AND 900 PM. RAINFALL AMOUNTS WILL AVERAGE AROUND 0.25 OF AN INCH WITH LOCAL AMOUNTS AS MUCH AS 0.50 OF AN INCH IN AN HOUR. BADGETT
NCZ007>010-021>026-038>041-073>077-084-085-230337- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC 1007 PM EDT MON SEP 22 2003 ...SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN MOVING NORTHEAST THROUGH THE PIEDMONT AND SANDHILLS... AT 1000 PM... THE LEADING EDGE OF A LARGE AREA OF SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM NEAR OXFORD IN GRANVILLE COUNTY SOUTHWEST THROUGH DURHAM... PITTSBORO... CARTHAGE... AND ROCKINGHAM IN RICHMOND COUNTY. THIS AREA OF SHOWERS WAS MOVING TO THE EAST NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH... WHILE INDIVIDUAL SHOWERS WITHIN THE AREA WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH. THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL AT 1000 PM WAS LOCATED FROM UNION RIDGE IN ALAMANCE COUNTY SOUTHWEST THROUGH GREENSBORO IN GUILFORD COUNTY... ASHEBORO IN RANDOLPH COUNTY... AND NORWOOD IN STANLY COUNTY. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED OVER BADIN LAKE AND MORROW MOUNTAIN IN STANLY COUNTY. RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF AROUND A QUARTER OF AN INCH PER HOUR WILL FALL WITHIN THIS AREA OF RAINFALL. LOCAL AREAS WILL RECEIVE BETWEEN 0.50 AND 0.75 PER HOUR IN THE BANDS OF HEAVY RAINFALL. THIS LARGE AREA OF SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL PROGRESS EAST AND REACH THE ROANOKE RAPIDS... RALEIGH... CARY... LILLINGTON... AND FAYETTEVILLE AREAS BETWEEN 1030 PM AND 1130 PM. LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS CAN BE EXPECTED THROUGH MUCH OF THE OVERNIGHT PERIOD. MOTORISTS SHOULD BE ALERT FOR MINOR ROAD AND STREET FLOODING. SLOW DOWN TO AVOID HYDROPLANING. BADGETT
NCZ007>010-021>026-038>041-073>077-084-085-230545- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC 1145 PM EDT MON SEP 22 2003 ...SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN MOVING NORTHEAST THROUGH THE PIEDMONT AND SANDHILLS... AT 1140 PM... THE LEADING EDGE OF A LARGE AREA OF SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM NEAR WARRENTON IN WARREN COUNTY... SOUTHWEST THROUGH DURHAM... SANFORD... SOUTHERN PINES... TO ROCKINGHAM IN RICHMOND COUNTY. THIS AREA OF SHOWERS WAS MOVING TO THE EAST NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH... WHILE INDIVIDUAL SHOWERS WITHIN THE AREA WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH. THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL AT 1140 PM EXTENDED FROM BURLINGTON AND HILLSBOROUGH SOUTH THROUGH SNOW CAMP... SILER CITY... AND SEAGROVE. RAINFALL RATES IN EXCESS OF 1 INCH PER HOUR WERE FALLING IN THESE AREAS. IN ADDITION... ANOTHER AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN WAS LOCATED OVER DAVIDSON AND FORSYTH COUNTIES... FROM HIGH ROCK AND DENTON TO LEXINGTON... THOMASVILLE AND WINSTON-SALEM. RAINFALL RATES WITH THIS ACTIVITY WAS NEARLY 1.5 INCHES PER HOUR. THESE LARGE AREAS OF SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL PROGRESS EAST AND REACH THE ROANOKE RAPIDS... LOUISBURG... RALEIGH... LILLINGTON... AND FAYETTEVILLE AREAS BETWEEN 1200 AM AND 130 AM. LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS CAN BE EXPECTED THROUGH MUCH OF THE OVERNIGHT PERIOD... WITH A GRADUAL TAPERING OFF OF THE RAIN FROM THE TRIAD AREA SOUTH INTO THE ALBEMARLE AND WADESBORO AREAS BETWEEN 300 AND 500 AM. MOTORISTS SHOULD BE ALERT FOR MINOR ROAD AND STREET FLOODING. SLOW DOWN TO AVOID HYDROPLANING. BADGETT
The Roanoke radar (KFCX), 134 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 04:58 UTC.
3 flash flood, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Large trees were uprooted and snapped from I-85 Exit 102 northeast across Veteran's Park. A few homes were damaged from the falling trees. Minor shingle damage occurred to a day care center, a machine shop, and a church.
Several creeks produced moderate to major flooding including Hamby Creek, Rich Fork Creek, and Abbotts Creek. Several roads and bridges were washed out, and 34 roads were under water. 21 homes, 4 apartments, one school, and one fire station were flooded. Areas around Lexington and Thomasville sustained the worst flooding.
Some homes were flooded.
Buffalo Creek flooded, damaging at least 40 apartments near Four Seasons Mall. Many homes around Latham Park were flooded. As much as 3 feet of water inundated some homes.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in North Carolina in 2003Every state in 2003This day in weather historyWarnings in North Carolina, September 2003
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: 5337986, 5337987, 5337989, 5337988.