3 tornado, as filed by the National Weather Service.
Every event with a place to put it. 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 Aug 29, 8:40 AM EST, 30 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC 940 AM EDT SUN AUG 29 2004 .SHORT TERM (REST OF TODAY THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT)... REST OF TODAY THROUGH MONDAY... PER LATEST RADAR TRENDS...HAVE ADJUSTED POPS MAINLY ACROSS THE SOUTHERN HALF AND INCREASED POPS NORTHERN HALF LATER IN THE AFTERNOON. ALSO WILL MAKE MINOR ADJUSTMENTS TO TEMPERATURES...MAINLY SOUTHERN TIER. && .PREVIOUS DISCUSSION... THE FOLLOWING WAS ORIGINALLY ISSUED AT 705 AM EDT SUN AUG 29 2004 SHORT TERM (REST OF TODAY)... BASED ON FASTER NORTHWARD TRANSLATION OF RAIN ASSOCIATED WITH GASTON...UPDATED GRIDS TO REFLECT HIGHER POPS/QPF OVER REGION. FFA MAY NEED TO BE UPDATED LATER THIS MORNING TO HIGHLIGHT INCREASE FLOODING POTENTIAL LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. FORECAST TEXT OUT SHORTLY. THE FOLLOWING WAS ORIGINALLY ISSUED AT 340 AM EDT SUN AUG 29 2004 SHORT TERM (TODAY THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT)... CHANGES REQUIRED TO FORECAST AS APPEARS THAT REMNANTS OF GASTON WILL TRACK ACROSS CENTRAL NC LATE TONIGHT AND MON. MOST CHANGES REQUIRED INCREASING POPS INTO LIKELY/CATEGORICAL RANGES TONIGHT-MON AND TO DECREASE MAX TEMPS MON DUE TO CLOUDS/RAIN. GASTON WILL BE MORE OF A WET STORM VERSUS WIND FOR CENTRAL NC. SATELLITE PRECIP WATER ESTIMATES INDICATE VALUES AROUND 2.5 INCHES. WITH PRECIP WATER VALUES LIKELY BETWEEN 2-2.25 INCHES OVER REGION LATE TONIGHT AND MON AND EXPECTED SLOW NORTHWARD DRIFT TO LOW/MID LEVEL CIRCULATION CENTER OVER CENTRAL NC...POTENTIAL FOR BANDS OF PRECIP TO SET UP OVER REGION. MID/UPPER LEVEL FLOW FAIRLY PARALLEL TO THE SYSTEM WITH SHEAR HOVERING AROUND 30 KTS (PER GFS...ETA MUCH WEAKER). PER LOCAL RESEARCH...THIS SUGGEST POTENTIAL FOR SWATH OF HEAVY PRECIP ALONG AND ABOUT 50 NM EITHER SIDE OF TRACK. THIS WOULD COVER MUCH OF CENTRAL NC. THUS PLAN TO ISSUE A FFA WITH THIS FORECAST PACKAGE. WHILE HIGHEST POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY/LOCALLY EXCESSIVE RAINFALL LIES ALONG AND EAST OF U.S. 1...DECIDED TO INCLUDE WESTERN PIEDMONT COUNTIES WELL AS A PRE-CAUTIONARY MOVE. ONCE GASTON MAKES CLEAR HIS INTENTION AS FAR AS TRACK...WATCH MAY NEED TO BE DROPPED FOR CERTAIN SECTIONS OF FORECAST REGION. WILL INDICATE SWATH OF 1-3 INCHES ACROSS CENTRAL NC WITH HIGHEST AMOUNTS OVER THE EASTERN SANDHILLS AND COASTAL PLAIN. LOCALIZED HEAVIER AMOUNTS OF UP TO 6 INCHES POSSIBLE WHERE BANDS SET UP. AS STATED EARLIER...DO NOT EXPECT MUCH WIND WITH SYSTEM AS IT WILL BE OVER LAND A GOOD 12-15 HOURS BEFORE IT ENTERS SE COUNTIES OF CENTRAL NC. THUS EXPECT SUSTAINED WIND SPEEDS NO HIGHER THAN 20-25 MPH WITH POTENTIAL FOR GUSTS AROUND 30 IN THE FAR SE OVERNIGHT HOURS TONIGHT/EARLY MON. CURRENT TRACK WOULD SUGGEST STRONG LOW LEVEL SHEAR HOWEVER OVER THE COASTAL PLAIN COUNTIES OVERNIGHT INTO THE FIRST HALF OF MON. POTENTIAL FOR ISOLATED TORNADOES COASTAL PLAIN TONIGHT INTO MONDAY. BY TUESDAY...WEAK BOUNDARY OVER REGION COUPLED WITH RESIDUAL MOISTURE SHOULD SUPPORT ISOLATED TO SCATTERED CONVECTION DURING THE HEAT OF THE DAY. PLAN TO BEEF UP CLOUD COVERAGE. PRODUCTS WILL LIKELY BE ISSUED A LITTLE LATER THAN NORMAL. HOPE TO HAVE THEM ALL OUT NO LATER THAN 445 AM. LONG TERM (WEDNESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY)... MEDIUM RANGE MODELS STALL FRONTAL BOUNDARY JUST SOUTH OF THE STATE. MODELS DEPICT ABUNDANT RESIDUAL LOW-LEVEL MOISTURE ALONG AND JUST NORTH OF THE FRONT AS A LARGE AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN FROM THE GREAT LAKES REGION. ALOFT...HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE JUST OVER THE WESTERN ATLANTIC ALIGNS RIDGE AXIS SOUTHEAST TO NORTHWEST ACROSS THE STATE. ORIENTATION OF RIDGE AXIS SHOULD KEEP BULK OF RAIN TO THE SOUTH...BUT SHOULD SEE CONSIDERABLE CLOUDINESS GIVEN MARITIME FEED. WILL CONTINUE DRY FORECAST BUT WILL BEEF UP CLOUD COVERAGE THROUGH THE PERIOD. DEPENDING ON AMOUNT OF CLOUD COVERAGE...TEMPERATURES THROUGH THE PERIOD WILL RANGE FROM NORMAL TO 2-4 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL. POWERFUL HURRICANE FRANCIS SHOULD BEGIN TO MAKE HER IMPACT SOMEWHERE OVER THE SOUTHERN U.S. BY NEXT WEEKEND. AVIATION... MID AND HIGH LEVEL DEBRIS CLOUDINESS FROM INITIAL OUTER RAIN BAND FROM GASTON HAS DRIFTED NORTH ACROSS CWA OVER THE PAST FEW HOURS. THE HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE...WITH ITS AXIS OVER OVER THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE STATE HAS BEEN VERY EFFICIENT DISSIPATING THE CLOUDS AS THEY MOVE OVER THE NORTHERN HALF OF CWA. SHOULD SEE WIDESPREAD MVFR CONDITIONS WITH IFR OVER EASTERN SECTIONS. PRIMARY CONCERN IS WITH SHRA ACTIVITY THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING AS RAIN BANDS LIFT NORTH WELL OUT AHEAD OF CENTER. SHOULD SEE GREATEST RAIN THREAT OVER SOUTHERN AND WESTERN PORTIONS OF CWA THROUGH 00Z. TAFS HAVE VCSH AT FAY BY 17Z...GSO AND INT BY 20Z...AND RDU BY 01Z. CEILINGS WILL GRADUALLY LOWER FROM THE SOUTH THROUGH THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. && .RAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NC...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA TODAY THROUGH MONDAY. && SHORT TERM (UPDATE)...RA
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC 556 AM EDT SUN AUG 29 2004 NCZ007>011-021>028-038>043-073>078-083>086-088-089-300955- ALAMANCE NC-ANSON NC-CHATHAM NC-CUMBERLAND NC-DAVIDSON NC-DURHAM NC- EDGECOMBE NC-FORSYTH NC-FRANKLIN NC-GRANVILLE NC-GUILFORD NC- HALIFAX NC-HARNETT NC-HOKE NC-JOHNSTON NC-LEE NC-MONTGOMERY NC- MOORE NC-NASH NC-ORANGE NC-PERSON NC-RANDOLPH NC-RICHMOND NC- SAMPSON NC-SCOTLAND NC-STANLY NC-VANCE NC-WAKE NC-WARREN NC-WAYNE NC- WILSON NC- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ALBEMARLE...ASHEBORO...BURLINGTON... CHAPEL HILL...CLINTON...DURHAM...FAYETTEVILLE...GOLDSBORO... GREENSBORO...HENDERSON...LAURINBURG...LEXINGTON...LILLINGTON... LOUISBURG...MOUNT OLIVE...NASHVILLE...OXFORD...PITTSBORO...RAEFORD... RALEIGH...ROANOKE RAPIDS...ROCKINGHAM...ROCKY MOUNT...ROXBORO... SANFORD...SMITHFIELD...SOUTHERN PINES...TARBORO...TROY...WADESBORO... WARRENTON...WILSON AND WINSTON-SALEM 556 AM EDT SUN AUG 29 2004 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE... RAIN ASSOCIATED WITH THE REMNANTS OF TROPICAL STORM GASTON WILL OVERSPREAD CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. THE RAIN WILL BE HEAVY AT TIMES. EXPECT WIDESPREAD AMOUNTS BETWEEN 1.5 AND 3 INCHES LATE TODAY THROUGH MID DAY MONDAY WITH LOCALIZED AMOUNTS BETWEEN 4 TO 6 INCHES. HIGHEST THREAT FOR HEAVY RAIN APPEARS TO BE ACROSS THE SOUTHERN COUNTIES OF CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA. WIND GUSTS UP TO 30 MPH MAY OCCUR LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND OVERNIGHT ACROSS THE SOUTHERN COUNTIES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED ACROSS CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA LATE TODAY AND TONIGHT IF WIDESPREAD HEAVY RAINFALL APPEARS IMMINENT. REPORTING OF OBSERVED RAINFALL AMOUNTS WOULD BE APPRECIATED.
The Wilmington radar (KLTX), 126 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 14:10 UTC.
3 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
A tornado touched down just south of Laurinburg. Part of a roof was blown off of a house, and shingles were torn off of several other homes. Several pine trees were snapped.
A tornado touched down near Anderson Creek, snapping a couple of trees.
A tornado touched down in the Hillcrest area on Pittman Grove Church Road. Four houses sustained structural damage, and trees were blown down.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in North Carolina in 2004Every state in 2004This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for North Carolina, 2004Warnings in North Carolina, August 2004
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: 5419642, 5419644, 5419643.