1 lightning, as filed by the National Weather Service.
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.
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 Jul 17, 1:49 PM EST, 2 hours 41 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC 249 PM EDT SUN JUL 17 2005 .SHORT TERM (TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT)... WITH MSAS COMPUTED LIFTED INDICES OF -4C TO -5C IN CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA...SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS FORMED MAINLY WHERE THE MSAS SURFACE CONVERGENCE IS BEST IN EASTERN AND SOUTHERN ZONES... DESPITE THE FACT THE CONVERGENCE IS FAIRLY WEAK. GIVEN THE AVAILABLE INSTABILITY AND MOISTURE...IT DOES NOT TAKE MUCH TO TOUCH OFF A SHOWER OR THUNDERSTORM...AND THE LIFT VIA THE WEAK SURFACE-BASED CONVERGENCE IS AN EXAMPLE OF THAT. THROUGHOUT THE SHORT-TERM PERIOD...THERE IS NOT A LOT OF CHANGE EXPECTED...WITH A LEE TROUGH EACH DAY AND RELATIVELY HIGH HEIGHTS ALOFT. MODEL SOUNDINGS ARE VIRTUAL CARBON COPIES OF ONE ANOTHER ON THE NAM AND GFS FROM DAY TO DAY...FORECASTING AFTERNOON LIFTED INDICES OF -3C TO -5C AND CAPE IN GENERAL FROM AROUND 2000J/KG TO 3000 J/KG AND PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES AROUND 2 INCHES. ESSENTIALLY...WITH 850MB UVV FORECAST EACH AFTERNOON AS WELL BY BOTH THE NAM AND THE GFS... BASICALLY FOLLOWING A PERSISTENCE FORECAST WITH PARTLY CLOUDY CONDITIONS AND SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS DIURNALLY. TRIED TO COME UP WITH DAYS WHERE THE CHANCES FOR SHOWERS MIGHT BE A LITTLE LESS ALONG WITH ANY VARIATION IN CLOUD COVER...BUT THAT WAS VERY DIFFICULT. AT FIRST GLANCE...TUESDAY APPEARED TO BE THE AFTERNOON WHERE THE CHANCES MAY BE REDUCED UNDER THE OTHER DAYS DUE TO MEAN AIR MASS DRYING AND THE NAM FORECASTING THE LOWEST QPF THEN. HOWEVER...CONSENSUS OF THE GFS AND THE NAM WAS THAT THE HIGHEST 850MB AND 700MB THETA-E VALUES ARE ON TUESDAY. DOWNDRAFT CAPE IS HIGHEST AS WELL ON TUESDAY DURING THE SHORT-TERM PERIOD...AND ALTHOUGH THAT MAY BE A REFLECTION OF A SLIGHTLY DRIER MEAN AIR MASS PARTICULARLY ON THE NAM...NOT CONFIDENT ENOUGH IN THE SUBTLETIES TO BRING CHANCES ON TUESDAY TO ISOLATED. SURFACE FRONT MOVING THROUGH THE GREAT LAKES DURING THE EARLY PART REMAIN NORTH OF THE AREA DURING THE SHORT TERM...THOUGH THE THETA-E PROGS OF THE NAM AND SURFACE WIND FIELDS OF THAT MODEL EARLY IN THE DAY WEDNESDAY WOULD SUGGEST THAT THE FRONT MAY MAKE IT AS FAR SOUTH AS NORTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA THEN BEFORE IT STALLS OR WASHES OUT SOME. TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN WARM...FROM AROUND 90 TO THE MID 90S...WITH OVERNIGHT LOWS FROM 70 TO 75. EACH AFTERNOON HEAT INDICES SHOULD RISE TO A RANGE FROM NEAR 100 TO 105. ENOUGH MIXING AT NIGHT...WITH 925MB WINDS INCREASING DIURNALLY TO 15-20KTS OR SO...SHOULD KEEP MIXING ENOUGH TO PRECLUDE DENSE FOG AND ALLOW FOR PATCHY STRATUS IN SPOTS DURING THE LATE NIGHT AND EARLY MORNING HOURS. THANKS TO ADJACENT OFFICES FOR MORE FINE AFTERNOON COLLABORATION. && .LONG TERM (THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY)... PERSISTENCE FORECAST FOR DIURNAL CONVECTION LOOKS TO REMAIN THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION AS THE MOIST MUGGY AIRMASS REMAINS ENTRENCHED THROUGH THE EARLY EXTENDED. WILL CONTINUE THE CHANCE POPS ON THURSDAY AND FRIDAY AS A BACKDOOR FRONT AND ASSOCIATED MID LEVEL SHORT WAVE AND SHEAR AXIS SAG SOUTH AND WEAKEN OVER THE MID ATLANTIC. WE CAN FINE TUNE THE TIMING AS CONFIDENCE INCREASES. SIGNIFICANT DRYING...ESPECIALLY IN THE MID LEVELS...WILL DIMINISH THE THREAT OF CONVECTION TO SLIGHT CHANCE FOR THE WEEKEND. LITTLE/NO COOL AIR ADVECTION AS MID LEVEL HEIGHTS RISE BEHIND THE SHORT WAVE...90 TO 95 THROUGH THE PERIOD. && .AVIATION... VISIBILITIES HAVE FALLEN BRIEFLY TO MVFR AT MOST TAF LOCATIONS IN THE PREDAWN DURING THE PAST SEVERAL NIGHTS AS WE FAIL TO DECOUPLE THE BOUNDARY LAYER. NO AIRMASS MODIFICATION AGAIN TONIGHT...SO EXPECT MVFR IN THE 09Z TO 13Z TIME FRAME. THE LIGHT SOUTHWEST WINDS WOULD FACILITATE FORMATION OF AN IFR STRATUS DECK DURING THE SAME TIME FRAME...BUT THERE IS LOW CONFIDENCE FORECASTING THIS EXCEPT AT INDIVIDUAL TAF SITES WHICH RECEIVE RAIN LATE TODAY...HENCE HAVE OMITTED LOW CEILINGS ON THE 18Z ISSUANCE. && .RAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && SHORT TERM...DJF LONG TERM...MLM AVIATION...MLM
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC 607 AM EDT SUN JUL 17 2005 NCZ007>011-021>028-038>043-073>078-083>086-088-089-181015- PERSON-GRANVILLE-VANCE-WARREN-HALIFAX-FORSYTH-GUILFORD-ALAMANCE- ORANGE-DURHAM-FRANKLIN-NASH-EDGECOMBE-DAVIDSON-RANDOLPH-CHATHAM- WAKE-JOHNSTON-WILSON-STANLY-MONTGOMERY-MOORE-LEE-HARNETT-WAYNE- ANSON-RICHMOND-SCOTLAND-HOKE-CUMBERLAND-SAMPSON- 607 AM EDT SUN JUL 17 2005 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC 203 PM EDT SUN JUL 17 2005 NCZ010-011-171900- HALIFAX-WARREN- 203 PM EDT SUN JUL 17 2005 ...STRONG SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE ACROSS WARREN AND HALIFAX COUNTIES THROUGH 300 PM EDT... AT 203 PM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM ROSEMARY TO GROVE HILL...OR ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM ROANOKE RAPIDS TO 8 MILES SOUTHEAST OF WARRENTON...MOVING EAST SOUTHEAST AT 5 MPH. SOME LOCATIONS AFFECTED BY THESE STORMS INCLUDE ROANOKE RAPIDS AND AIRLINE. GUSTY WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH...VERY HEAVY RAIN AND DANGEROUS CLOUD-TO-GROUND LIGHTNING CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS. DONT WAIT UNTIL YOU SEE THE FIRST LIGHTNING FLASH BEFORE HEADING TO SAFETY. INSTEAD...MOVE INDOORS AT THE FIRST SIGN OF THREATENING SKIES OR THE FIRST SOUND OF THUNDER. MAKE SURE THAT LIGHTNING IS WELL AWAY FROM YOUR LOCATION BEFORE RESUMING OUTDOOR ACTIVITY. TDP
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC 207 PM EDT SUN JUL 17 2005 NCZ042-078-089-171900- JOHNSTON-SAMPSON-WAYNE- 207 PM EDT SUN JUL 17 2005 ...STRONG SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE ACROSS EASTERN JOHNSTON...WAYNE AND NORTHERN SAMPSON COUNTIES THROUGH 300 PM EDT... AT 207 PM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM PRINCETON TO PARKERS MILL...OR ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 9 MILES EAST OF SMITHFIELD TO 18 MILES SOUTH OF SMITHFIELD...MOVING EAST AT 10 MPH. SOME LOCATIONS AFFECTED BY THESE STORMS INCLUDE...PRINCETON... BENTONVILLE...NEWTON GROVE...ROSEWOOD...GRANTHAM...GOLDSBORO...AND MARMAC. GUSTY WINDS OF 40 MPH...VERY HEAVY RAIN AND DANGEROUS CLOUD-TO-GROUND LIGHTNING CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS. DONT WAIT UNTIL YOU SEE THE FIRST LIGHTNING FLASH BEFORE HEADING TO SAFETY. INSTEAD...MOVE INDOORS AT THE FIRST SIGN OF THREATENING SKIES OR THE FIRST SOUND OF THUNDER. MAKE SURE THAT LIGHTNING IS WELL AWAY FROM YOUR LOCATION BEFORE RESUMING OUTDOOR ACTIVITY. TDP
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC 512 PM EDT SUN JUL 17 2005 NCZ024-025-040>042-076-077-172210- CHATHAM-DURHAM-HARNETT-JOHNSTON-LEE-ORANGE-WAKE- 512 PM EDT SUN JUL 17 2005 ...THUNDERSTORMS WITH FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND HEAVY RAIN OVER SOUTHERN DURHAM... CHATHAM... SOUTHWEST WAKE AND NORTHERN HARNETT COUNTIES... AT 512 PM... SCATTERED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED OVER SOUTH DURHAM... JORDAN LAKE... FUQUAY-VARINA... AND NORTHVIEW. THESE STORMS WERE DRIFTING TO THE EAST-SOUTHEAST AT 15 MPH. FREQUENT LIGHTNING... VERY HEAVY RAIN... AND GUSTY WIND TO 35 OR 40 MPH WAS OCCURRING WITH THESE STORMS. AREAS THAT WILL BE IMPACTED THROUGH 600 PM INCLUDE: RDU INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT... MORRISVILLE... GREEN LEVEL... APEX... SANFORD... AND FUQUAY-VARINA. MOVE QUICKLY AWAY FROM WATER AND OPEN FIELDS. NEVER SEEK SHELTER NEAR OR UNDER TREES DURING LIGHTNING STORMS. FIND SHELTER IN A STURDY BUILDING. BADGETT
The Raleigh/Durham radar (KRAX), 65 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:28 UTC.
1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Lightning struck a home in Sanford as storms passed just north of town. The lightning strike initiated a fire in the crawl space which consumed the home. No one was in the house at the time of the fire.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in North Carolina in 2005Every state in 2005This day in weather historyWarnings in North Carolina, July 2005
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: 5471040.