8 flash flood, 7 tornado, 1 strong wind, 1 flood, 1 thunderstorm wind, as filed by the National Weather Service.
Every event with a place to put it; 10 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 7, 8:55 AM EST, 4 hours 29 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC 955 AM EDT TUE SEP 7 2004 .SHORT TERM (REST OF TODAY)... CURRENT FORECAST IS IN PRETTY GOOD SHAPE. BANDS OF TROPICAL DOWNPOURS CONTINUE TO DEVELOP OVER THE CENTRAL PIEDMONT EAST TO THE COASTAL PLAIN... ALTHOUGH THE BEST COVERAGE OVERALL SHOULD BE OVER THE SOUTHWEST HALF WHERE POPS ARE HIGHEST. THE CONCERN TODAY THROUGH TONIGHT REMAINS BOTH FLASH FLOODING AND TORNADOES. THE 44 KT WINDS AT 3K FT OFF THE CAE RADAR IS PRODUCING NEARLY 400 M2/S2 HELICITY THERE AND WILL MEAN BIG TROUBLE FOR CENTRAL NC IF THAT LOW LEVEL CONVERGENCE BOUNDARY JUST TO OUR SOUTH HEADS ANY FURTHER NORTH... SINCE THE WEDGE-ASSISTED ENE WINDS SHOULD INCREASE THE LOW LEVEL SHEAR FURTHER... ALTHOUGH FORTUNATELY HEATING AND THUS DESTABILIZATION SHOULD BE MARGINAL. TEMPS TODAY ARE IN OKAY SHAPE. && .RAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NC...FLOOD WATCH FOR THE WESTERN HALF OF CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA THROUGH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. && SHORT TERM (UPDATE)...HARTFIELD
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC 530 AM EDT TUE SEP 7 2004 NCZ007>011-021>028-038>043-073>078-083>086-088-089-080847- 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 530 AM EDT TUE SEP 7 2004 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA. A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY FOR THE CENTRAL AND WESTERN SECTIONS OF CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA... .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT... THE REMNANTS OF FORMER HURRICANE FRANCES ARE EXPECTED TO TRACK CLOSE TO THE APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY. AHEAD AND EAST OF THE SYSTEM...DEEP TROPICAL MOISTURE WILL OVERSPREAD CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA. THIS WILL RESULT IN PERIODS OF HEAVY RAINFALL...BEGINNING LATE THIS AFTERNOON...THEN CONTINUING TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY...ESPECIALLY ALONG AND WEST OF U.S. HIGHWAY 1. WIDESPREAD RAINFALL AMOUNTS BETWEEN 2 AND 4 INCHES WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS CAN BE EXPECTED TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY. ADDITIONALLY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA TODAY. THERE IS THE POTENTIAL THAT ISOLATED STORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE LATER TODAY INTO THE EVENING AS FEEDER BANDS ROTATE ACROSS THE AREA IN ASSOCIATED WITH THE CIRCULATION OF FRANCES MAINLY OVER THE EXTREME SOUTHERN TIER COUNTIES...ALONG SOUTH OF A LINE FROM WADESBORO...LAURINBURG...HOPE MILLS TO CLINTON. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY... WEDNESDAY... THE THREAT OF LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WITH WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE AREA IN RESPONSE TO THE REMNANTS OF FORMER HURRICANE FRANCES. A FLASH FLOOD WATCH WILL CONTINUE IN EFFECT FOR THE CENTRAL AND WESTERN SECTIONS WHICH INCLUDES THE TRIAD AND TRIANGLE AREAS MUCH OF THE DAY. THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY... NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. HOWEVER THE THREAT OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...MAINLY FOR LOCALLY RAINFALL AMOUNTS AND REPORTS OF FLOODING. EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS AND LOCAL STORM SPOTTER GROUPS SHOULD CLOSELY MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS AND STATEMENTS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND OTHER LOCAL MEDIA FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR UPDATES. RA
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC 1020 AM EDT TUE SEP 7 2004 NCZ007>011-021>028-038>043-073>078-083>086-088-089-072100- 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 1020 AM EDT TUE SEP 7 2004 ...THREAT OF ISOLATED TORNADOES THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT... RAINBANDS ASSOCIATED WITH THE REMNANTS OF FRANCES WILL MOVE NORTH ACROSS CENTRAL AND WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA THIS AFTERNOON AND INTO TONIGHT. THESE BANDS HAVE ALREADY PRODUCED SOME TORNADOES OVER CENTRAL SOUTH CAROLINA. CONDITIONS WILL BECOME MORE LIKELY FOR QUICK TORNADO DEVELOPMENT LATE THIS AFTERNOON INTO TONIGHT AS THE CIRCULATION FROM FRANCES MOVES NORTH. THE HIGHEST THREAT OF TORNADOES WILL BE MAINLY OVER THE SANDHILLS...NORTHWEST PIEDMONT AND EASTERN PIEDMONT. THIS INCLUDES LOCATIONS FROM FAYETTEVILLE TO RALEIGH AND ROXBORO WEST TO WADESBORO...LEXINGTON AND WINSTON SALEM. TORNADOES ASSOCIATED WITH TROPICAL CYCLONES TYPICALLY MOVE VERY QUICKLY FROM SOUTHEAST TO NORTHWEST. THEY ARE OFTEN BRIEF AND WRAPPED IN RAIN. IF YOU LIVE IN THE UPSTATE OR THE SOUTHERN NORTH CAROLINA PIEDMONT YOU SHOULD CLOSELY MONITOR NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR FAVORITE MEDIA OUTLET FOR FOR THE LATEST UPDATES CONCERNING THIS DANGEROUS SEVERE WEATHER SITUATION. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND OTHER LOCAL MEDIA FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS. JO
The Raleigh/Durham radar (KRAX), 98 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:25 UTC.
8 flash flood, 7 tornado, 1 strong wind, 1 flood, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A tornado touched down just northeast of Morven along Highway 145. Trees and power lines were blown down along the road and two turkey barns were destroyed, with thousands of turkeys killed. The damage was generally contained to an area off Highway 145, Diggs Road and Old NC 85.
A tornado briefly touched down near Arabia.
A tree fell on a house on Foxfire Road in Fayetteville. The 100-foot tall tree broke in half, fell through the roof and into a bathroom.
Water over two feet deep surrounded houses on Saymon Drive just outside of Laurinburg, with over six inches of water in many houses. Several people had to be rescued.
A tornado touched down on Ray Road just north of Rockfish. Numerous trees were blown down, damaging a roof to a house and destroying one car.
Several roads had to be closed due to high water in southern and southeastern Hoke County including Highway 401. One water rescue had to be performed.
High winds damaged a mobile home along US 258 near Acorn Hill Road. A front window was blown out, and a computer monitor was blown out of another window. Two trees were uprooted and blown into the highway. The back side of the trailer was partially torn off, and the trailer was shifted off its foundation.
Over 38 roads, mostly secondary and rural, had to be closed due to high water across the county. A one-mile stretch of Meltonville Church Road was under three to four feet of water. Some schools, including Wadesboro Elementary, sustained minor flood damage. Brown Creek and Lanes Creek both overflowed their banks and flooded nearby roads.
A few bridges were under water in southern Stanly County around Aquadale. Over 20 roads were closed due to high water across the county.
Two roads had to be closed due to high water in Asheboro.
Several roads had to be closed in Thomasville due to high water. Over 100 yards of Randolph Street was under water. Two men working along Randolph street became stranded and had to be rescued. Flooding in Thomasville extensively damaged 12 cars. Sowers and Brown Roads near the Yadkin River were underwater, and parts of Hampton road near Muddy Creek were under water. Yadkin College Road also flooded. Lexington City Schools experienced minor damage.
Several roads had to be closed due to high water in Troy, and in the southwestern part of the county around Mount Gilead.
A vehicle was stuck under water at Holden Road and High Point Road. The Ashley Creek apartments had to be evacuated due to rising water. Two vehicular water rescues had to be performed, one on Harvey Road and one on Stanly Road. Over six inches of water was flowing across the bridge on East Woodlyn Way off of Hilltop Road.
A tornado touched down briefly just northwest of Woodlake near Line Road.
A tornado touched down along South Plank Road on the Moore/Lee County Line, damaging the roof on a home.
A tornado touched down briefly just north of Carrboro.
A tornado touched down briefly near Barbecue, removing the tops of a few trees.
Water in McLaughlin Lake overflowed the dam and flowed across Rockfish Road, making the road impassable.
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, September 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: 5423809, 5423232, 5423865, 5423866, 5423233, 5423234, 5423867, 5423235, 5423238, 5423236, 5423237, 5423239, 5423240, 5423810, 5423811, 5423812, 5423813, 5423864.