Dry fuels, combined with windy conditions, caused a wildfire in western Pender County.
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 episode as NWS ILM wrote it up.
Dry fuels, combined with windy conditions, caused a wildfire in western Pender County.
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 Wilmington, NC wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 19, 1:41 PM EST, 49 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC 241 PM EDT SAT APR 19 2008 .SYNOPSIS... A WEAK COLD FRONT WILL MOVE EAST ACROSS THE CAROLINAS LATE TONIGHT AND EARLY SUNDAY...BRINGING SCATTERED SHOWERS AND POSSIBLY A THUNDERSTORM. AN UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL DRIFT SOUTHEAST FROM THE OHIO VALLEY SUNDAY AND MONDAY...AND OFF THE CAROLINA COAST BY TUESDAY. HIGH PRESSURE WILL RIDGE IN FROM THE NORTH WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. ANOTHER COLD FRONT MAY APPROACH FROM THE WEST BY NEXT SATURDAY. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... AS OF 3 PM SATURDAY...UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE SPINNING ACROSS KENTUCKY WILL BE THE CONTROLLING FACTOR IN OUR WEATHER THROUGH TONIGHT. A COLD FRONT EXTENDS SOUTH FROM SURFACE LOW PRESSURE IN THE GREAT LAKES AND WILL SLOWLY MOVE EAST ACROSS THE CAROLINAS LATE TONIGHT. A BAND OF SHOWERS HAS SO FAR REMAINED VERY DISORGANIZED ACROSS THE WESTERN AND CENTRAL CAROLINAS...BUT COULD STILL BRING GENERALLY LIGHT RAINFALL AMOUNTS ACROSS THE INTERSTATE-95 COUNTIES THROUGH SUNSET...SPREADING EAST TOWARD THE COAST AFTER DARK. THE CHARACTER OF THE PRECIPITATION SHOULD CHANGE AFTER MIDNIGHT AS UPPER DIVERGENCE INCREASES AROUND WILMINGTON AND THE ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS. AN INFLUX OF UNSTABLE LOW LEVEL AIR OFF THE GULF STREAM MAY REJUVENATE THE PRECIPITATION AND LEAD TO HEAVIER RAINFALL WITH SOME THUNDERSTORMS OVERNIGHT. (MODEL CAPE INCREASES TO 1000 J/KG JUST OFFSHORE AFTER MIDNIGHT) THE BIG QUESTION IS WILL THESE STORMS TRACK OVER LAND OR REMAIN OVER THE OCEAN? THE GFS SUGGESTS A WESTERLY COMPONENT TO THE STORM MOTION WHILE THE NAM HAS THE LOW LEVEL FLOW MORE STRONGLY BACKED AROUND TO THE SOUTH. WE ARE FORECASTING A WEST-EAST QPF GRADIENT TONIGHT...WITH ABOUT A THIRD OF AN INCH TOTAL AT WILMINGTON...DECREASING TO TWO-TENTHS AT MYRTLE BEACH...A TENTH OR LESS FAR INLAND. SOUTH WINDS AND PLENTY OF CLOUDS NEAR THE COAST WILL HOLD TEMPERATURES AT OR ABOVE 60 FOR LOWS TONIGHT. LIGHTER WINDS AND CLEARING SKIES LATE WILL ALLOW INLAND AREAS TO FALL INTO THE 50S...COOLEST WEST OF FLORENCE. && .SHORT TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT/... AS OF 3 PM SATURDAY...THE UPPER LOW CURRENTLY OVER WESTERN KENTUCKY WILL DROP SLOWLY EAST-SOUTHEAST OVER THE NEXT 36 HOURS. THIS WILL LEAD TO SHARPLY FALLING MID-LEVEL TEMPERATURES. PARTIALLY BALANCING THAT OUT WILL BE DRYING LOW LEVELS AS THE SURFACE WINDS TURN MORE WESTERLY SUNDAY MORNING...THEN NORTHWESTERLY SUNDAY NIGHT. THE FALLING DEWPOINTS ARE IMPORTANT BECAUSE THEY WILL PREVENT EXCESSIVE AMOUNTS OF INSTABILITY FROM DEVELOPING...WHICH SHOULD PREVENT LARGE AREAS OF SHOWERY PRECIPITATION FROM DEVELOPING AS THE UPPER LOW DRAWS CLOSER. A STRONG 500 MB VORTICITY MAXIMUM WILL WHIP THROUGH CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN NORTH CAROLINA SUNDAY AFTERNOON...AND WE HAVE PAINTED IN 20-30% COVERAGE OF SHOWERS WITH THE ADDED DYNAMIC LIFT ASSOCIATED THAT FEATURE...PERSISTING THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT WITH MORE CHANNELED VORTICITY APPROACHING. ASSUMING AT LEAST PARTIAL SUNSHINE DEVELOPS ALL THE WAY TO THE COAST SUNDAY...HIGHS SHOULD REACH THE MID TO UPPER 70S MOST LOCATIONS. HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL BE LIMITED BY THE COOLING MID- LEVEL TEMPERATURES SINCE WE ARE FORECASTING VERY DEEP MIXING...DRY ADIABATIC LAPSE RATES FROM THE SURFACE TO NEARLY 8000 FT (750 MB). && .LONG TERM /MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/... AS OF 3 PM SATURDAY...STRONG UPPER LOW AND VORT MAX WILL DROP ACRS THE AREA EARLY MONDAY. MORNING SKY COVER A LITTLE DIFFICULT TO ASCERTAIN BUT FALLING MID LVL TEMPS WILL ALLOW FOR COPIOUS CU DEVELOPMENT. CLOUD COVER SHOULD BE MOST EXTENSIVE ACRS NC WHERE H5 TEMPS ARE COLDEST. SAME AREAS WILL BE HIGHLIGHTED FOR SCHC POPS DUE TO INSTABILITY AND MID LVL FORCING. SPRINKLES ALSO TOUGH TO RULE OUT OVER SC BUT MEASURABLE RAINFALL SEEMS UNLIKELY ENOUGH TO KEEP THE FCST DRY. AFTERNOON TEMPS CLOSE TO CLIMO DESPITE THE CLOUDS ON ACCOUNT OF DEEP MIXING AND STEEP LAPSE RATES. CLOUDS WILL LINGER...MORESO N THAN S MONDAY NIGHT BUT WITH LOSS OF HEATING/INSTABILITY AND PVA GENERALLY EXPECT A DRY NIGHT. AS THE LOW SLOWLY MOVES OFFSHORE TUESDAY THE ONLY AREAS WHERE CLOUDS AND SCHC POPS STILL SEEM WARRANTED ARE NE ZONES WHERE WRAPAROUND MOISTURE MAY STILL BE A PLAYER. MID LVL RIDGING REALLY STARTS TO BOOT THE VORT OUT TO SEA BY WED BRINGING DRY WEATHER AND A RETURN OF SUNSHINE. PATCHES OF SC WILL STILL BE POSSIBLE IN THE NE FLOW...WHICH WILL ALSO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR KEEPING TEMPS CLOSE TO CLIMO DESPITE THE BUILDING RIDGE IN THE MID AND UPPER LVLS. SFC RIDGE PROGGED TO BREAK DOWN AS EARLY AS FRIDAY BUT THIS LOOKS LIKE A COMMON MODEL BIAS REARING ITS HEAD. FLOW SEEMS MORE LIKELY TO TURN AROUND ON SATURDAY AHEAD OF APPROACHING COLD FRONT. SCHC POPS ADVERTISED WRN ZONES TOWARDS THE END OF THE PD JUST IN CASE FASTER TIMING WORKS OUT. && .AVIATION /18Z SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... DECAYING CONVECTIVE BAND AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT WILL WANE FURTHER AS IT APPROACHES THE COAST BY LATE AFTERNOON. FLO AND LBT STAND THE BEST CHANCE FOR CONVECTION TODAY...BUT ONLY SCATTERED AT BEST AND CEILINGS WILL LIKELY REMAIN VFR. SHOWERS WILL DIE BEFORE THEY REACH THE COAST...WITH ONLY ISOLATED CONVECTION ALONG THE MARINE RESULTANT. BETTER CHANCE OF SHOWERS OVERNIGHT...AS A VORTICITY MAXIMUM ROTATES AROUND THE NEAR BAROTROPIC LOW OVER KENTUCKY. WE THINK ALL TERMINALS WILL SEE SOME ISOLATED/SCATTERED SHOWERS... PERHAPS THUNDER...FROM 03-08Z OVER WESTERN TERMINALS...AND 07-13Z FOR THE COAST. CONTINUED SOUTHWEST FLOW THROUGH THE PERIOD. EXTENDED OUTLOOK SUNDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...PATCHY EARLY MORNING BR/IFR POSSIBLE MONDAY AND TUESDAY MORNINGS. && .MARINE... NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... AS OF 3 PM SATURDAY...A COLD FRONT WILL PUSH INTO THE COASTAL WATERS LATE TONIGHT...LIKELY ACCOMPANIED BY SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...ESPECIALLY FROM NEAR MYRTLE BEACH NORTHWARD ALONG THE COAST. DRY WEATHER WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE COASTAL WATERS THROUGH AT LEAST EARLY EVENING. WINDS ALONG THE COAST HAVE INCREASED TO 15 TO 20 KNOTS AT TIMES WITH THE SEABREEZE. CONDITIONS FARTHER OFFSHORE REMAIN MORE BENIGN WITH 8 KNOTS REPORTED AT FRYING PAN SHOALS AND 10 KNOTS AT THE LEJEUNE OFFSHORE BUOY. WINDS WILL INCREASE UNIFORMLY TO 15 KNOTS WITH A FEW GUSTS TO 20 KNOTS TONIGHT AHEAD OF THE FRONT. THIS WILL INCREASE SEAS FROM THEIR CURRENT 3 FT TO 4-5 FT AWAY FROM SHORE... HIGHEST NEAR FRYING PAN SHOALS. NO ADVISORIES ARE PLANNED AS ANY 6-FOOT SEAS APPEAR TO REMAIN OUT BEYOND 20 MILES FROM SHORE. SHORT TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT/... AS OF 3 PM SATURDAY...THE COLD FRONT WILL EASE ITS WAY OFF THE COAST AND OFFSHORE SUNDAY MORNING...WITH WEAKER SOUTHWESTERLY WINDS IN ITS WAKE. WINDS SHOULD TURN NORTHWESTERLY LATE SUNDAY NIGHT AS A SECONDARY COLD FRONT PUSHES OUT ACROSS THE WATERS. WILL LESS WIND AND A MORE OFFSHORE COMPONENT TO DIRECTIONS...SEAS SHOULD SUBSIDE TO 2-3 FT SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. LONG TERM /MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... AS OF 3 PM SATURDAY...OFFSHORE STORM SYSTEM WILL BRING NORTHEASTERLY FLOW FOR BETTER PART OF THE LONG TERM. AS THE SYSTEM IS PROGGED TO REMAIN 1011 MB OR ABOVE AND THE RIDGE TO THE NORTH IS NOT TERRIBLY STRONG IT STILL LOOKS LIKE NO FLAGS OR HEADLINES ANTICIPATED. WITH THE PROLONGED COAST-PARALLEL FLOW HOWEVER SOME 5 TO 6 FT SEAS MAY NOT BE FOUND VERY FAR OUTSIDE OF THE FCST AREA. NE FLOW CONTINUES WED ALTHOUGH THE WEAKENING OF THE EAST COAST RIDGE AND THE EASTWARD DRIFT OF THE OFFSHORE LOW WILL LIGHTEN THE WINDS...AND POSSIBLY VEER THEM SLIGHTLY. FAIRLY STATUS QUO WITH NORTHEAST FLOW ON THURSDAY...HIGHEST SEAS JUST OUTSIDE OF 20 NM. && .ILM WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... SC...NONE. NC...NONE. MARINE...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...TRA NEAR TERM...TRA SHORT TERM...TRA LONG TERM...MBB AVIATION...TRA
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC 536 AM EDT SAT APR 19 2008 NCZ087-096-099-SCZ017-023-024-032>034-039-046-200945- ROBESON-BLADEN-COLUMBUS-MARLBORO-DARLINGTON-DILLON-FLORENCE-MARION- HORRY-WILLIAMSBURG-GEORGETOWN- 536 AM EDT SAT APR 19 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA AND NORTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SCATTERED SHOWERS AND SOME THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON. ANOTHER ROUND OF SCATTERED SHOWERS IS EXPECTED TONIGHT. RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF UP TO A QUARTER OF AN INCH ARE POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED SUNDAY AND MONDAY. AFTERNOON THUNDERSTORMS MAY CONTAIN HAIL. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. AMZ250-252-254-256-200945- SURF CITY TO CAPE FEAR NC OUT 20 NM- CAPE FEAR NC TO LITTLE RIVER INLET SC OUT 20 NM- LITTLE RIVER INLET TO MURRELLS INLET SC OUT 20 NM- MURRELLS INLET TO SOUTH SANTEE RIVER SC OUT 20 NM- 536 AM EDT SAT APR 19 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. NCZ097-100-101-200945- PENDER-BRUNSWICK-NEW HANOVER- 536 AM EDT SAT APR 19 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND SOME THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TONIGHT. RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF UP TO A THIRD OF AN INCH ARE EXPECTED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED SUNDAY AND MONDAY. AFTERNOON THUNDERSTORMS MAY CONTAIN HAIL. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. RJD
1 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.
A fire broke containment near Shiloh Road west of Highway 421 near Atkinson and quickly grew to 300 acres. The fire eventually burned over 1500 acres in a two day period before it was contained.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in North Carolina in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in North Carolina, April 2008
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: 93223.