North Carolina, 2007

Coastal Flood and High Wind in North Carolina, May 6 to 8, 2007

May 6 to 8, 2007 · NWS MHX · 12 events in 8 counties and zones

Strong low pressure developed off the North Carolina coast on May 6th and drifted slowly south of the region on May 7th. Strong high pressure north of the area helped produce a very tight pressure gradient over the region with strong north to northeast winds.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 4 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
$30,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
12

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 happened

The episode as NWS MHX wrote it up.

Strong low pressure developed off the North Carolina coast on May 6th and drifted slowly south of the region on May 7th. Strong high pressure north of the area helped produce a very tight pressure gradient over the region with strong north to northeast winds. The prolonged period of strong northerly winds produced coastal flooding along the Outer Banks and areas adjacent to the southern Pamlico Sound.

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 Newport/Morehead City, NC wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 5, 3:31 PM EST, 19 hours 29 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 5, 3:31 PM EST, 19 hours 29 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, May 5, 2:39 PM EST, 20 hours 21 minutes before
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The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

7 high wind, 5 coastal flood. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Western Dare

When
May 6, 11:00 AM EST to 12:00 PM EST
Where
Western Dare forecast zone
Measured
38 kt (44 mph) measured sustained
Reported by
Official NWS Observations
Coordinates
35.787, -75.781 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Alligator River wind equipment measured sustained winds at 44 mph.

High Wind, Eastern Dare

When
May 6, 12:45 PM EST to 1:45 PM EST
Where
Eastern Dare forecast zone
Measured
37 kt (43 mph) measured sustained
Reported by
Official NWS Observations

Wind was measured at Duck Pier.

High Wind, Tyrrell

When
May 6, 3:00 PM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where
Tyrrell forecast zone
Measured
36 kt (41 mph) measured sustained
Reported by
Official NWS Observations
Coordinates
35.870, -76.170 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Alligator river wind equipment measured sustained winds of 42 mph.

Coastal Flood, Craven

When
May 7, 7:30 AM EST to 9:30 AM EST
Where
Craven forecast zone
Reported by
Law Enforcement

Water levels 4 to 5 feet above normal across southeastern Craven County from water off Pamlico Sound. Several road adjacent to Neuse River flooded and closed.

Coastal Flood, Eastern Dare

When
May 7, 8:00 AM EST to 10:00 AM EST
Where
Eastern Dare forecast zone
Property damage
$30,000
Reported by
Law Enforcement

Ocean overwash occurred over the northern Outer Banks. Highway 12 was flooded and closed. Water levels around 3 feet above normal, combined with high waves led to significant beach erosion.

Coastal Flood, Carteret

When
May 7, 9:00 AM EST to 11:00 AM EST
Where
Carteret forecast zone
Reported by
Law Enforcement

Water levels 5 feet above normal over eastern Carteret County adjacent to Pamlico Sound. Several roads adjacent to the Pamlico Sound were flooded and impassable.

Coastal Flood, Pamlico

When
May 7, 10:00 AM EST to 11:30 AM EST
Where
Pamlico forecast zone
Reported by
Law Enforcement
Coordinates
35.152, -76.667 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Water levels about 4 feet above normal over parts of eastern Pamlico County. Some roads adjacent to the Pamlico Sound were flooded and impassable.

High Wind, Eastern Hyde

When
May 7, 11:00 AM EST
Where
Eastern Hyde forecast zone
Measured
55 kt (63 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Trained Spotter

Spotter reported peak wind gust of 63 mph at Ocracoke.

High Wind, Carteret

When
May 7, 12:00 PM EST to 1:00 PM EST
Where
Carteret forecast zone
Measured
37 kt (43 mph) measured sustained
Reported by
Official NWS Observations

Cedar Island wind equipment measured sustained winds at 43 mph.

High Wind, Western Hyde

When
May 7, 12:00 PM EST to 1:00 PM EST
Where
Western Hyde forecast zone
Measured
35 kt (40 mph) measured sustained
Reported by
Official NWS Observations
Coordinates
35.410, -76.148 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Swanquarter wind equipment measured sustained winds of 40 mph.

High Wind, Craven

When
May 7, 1:30 PM EST to 2:30 PM EST
Where
Craven forecast zone
Measured
38 kt (44 mph) estimated sustained
Reported by
Mesonet

New Bern mesonet measured sustained winds of 38 knots.

Coastal Flood, Eastern Hyde

When
May 7, 10:00 PM EST to May 8, 12:00 AM EST
Where
Eastern Hyde forecast zone
Reported by
Law Enforcement

Ocean overwash reported on Ocracoke Island. Some roads were flooded and closed in spots from high water.

What these are

High Wind
Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.
Coastal Flood
Flooding of coastal land by the sea, from storm surge, onshore wind or high tides.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in North Carolina in 2007Every state in 2007This day in weather historyWarnings in North Carolina, May 2007

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 22940, 23125, 22941, 22944, 22947, 22945, 22946, 22943, 22939, 22942, 23126, 22948.