A weak cold front and a potent upper level trough moved into an unstable airmass over central North Carolina during the evening of August 10th. Scattered showers and thunderstorms developed and some of them became severe.
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 episode as NWS RAH wrote it up.
A weak cold front and a potent upper level trough moved into an unstable airmass over central North Carolina during the evening of August 10th. Scattered showers and thunderstorms developed and some of them became severe. There were numerous reports of downed trees and up to quarter size hail. Torrential rains also caused flash flooding in Cumberland and Sampson counties during the early morning hours of August 11th.
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 10, 1:53 PM EST, 1 hour 50 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC 253 PM EDT SUN AUG 10 2008 .SYNOPSIS... A FRONT WILL APPROACH FROM THE NORTHWEST THIS EVENING AND CROSS CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA OVERNIGHT. DRIER AIR WILL SETTLE OVER THE AREA FOR MONDAY AND TUESDAY. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH MONDAY/... AN ABNORMALLY DEEP VORTEX OVER SOUTHERN ONTARIO WILL DRIFT ESE NEXT 24 HOURS IN RESPONSE TO DIGGING UPPER JET ON ITS BACKSIDE. VORT/SHEAR AXIS AND ASSOCIATED SURFACE BOUNDARY DRIFTING SE ACROSS CENTRAL APPALACHIANS INTO NORTHERN VA AT 18Z...SPARKING SCATTERED STRONG CONVECTION. AIR MASS OVER CENTRAL NC HAS RECOVERED WITH CONTINUED LOW LEVEL THETA-E ADVECTION AND BEST CONFLUENCE OVER THE WESTERN PIEDMONT. AS UPPER JET MAX ANALYZED THIS MORNING OVER THE LOWER OH VALLEY CROSSES OUR REGION LATE THIS AFTERNOON...LOW LEVEL WINDS SHOULD RESPOND...INCREASING OUT OF THE SW. MESO ANALYSIS INDICATE THAT CONVECTIVE PARAMETERS ARE INCREASING WITH LOW LEVEL LAPSE RATES IN THE WESTERN PIEDMONT BETWEEN 8 AND 9 DEG C/KM WHILE MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES ARE PROGGED TO INCREASE TO BETWEEN 6 AND 6.5 DEG C/KM BY 00Z. THUS...STILL APPEARS THAT ATMOSPHERE OVER REGION WILL BE SUPPORTIVE OF AT LEAST SCATTERED CONVECTION THIS EVENING AND POSSIBLY INTO THE OVERNIGHT IN THE EAST. DUE TO STRENGTH OF DYNAMICS ALOFT (UPPER JET ORIENTATION...PRESENCE OF MID LEVEL DRY AIR...FREEZING LEVELS A LITTLE BELOW NORMAL FOR AUGUST)...STRONG TO ISOLATED SEVERE CONVECTION NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION. APPEARS MOST IF NOT ALL CONVECTION WILL BE CONFINED TO THE COASTAL PLAIN BY 06Z AS 850MB TROUGH MOVES INTO THIS REGION. BY EARLY MONDAY...LOW LEVEL BOUNDARY DRIFTING THROUGH THE EASTERN COUNTIES AND ADVECTION OF DRIER AIR ALOFT MAY HELP IN THE FORMATION OF FOG IN THE EAST BY DAYBREAK. NW WINDS IN WAKE OF LOW/MID LEVEL TROUGH PASSAGE WILL ADVECT DRIER SLIGHTLY COOLER AIR INTO THE REGION. WHILE 850MB CAA LOOKS FAIRLY DECENT....DOWNSLOPE COMPONENT OF WIND MAY OFFSET COOLING. THICKNESS SUPPORT MAX TEMPS NEAR TO SLIGHTLY BELOW NORMAL. SINCE AIR MASS RATHER DRY...EXPECT MAINLY CLEAR SKIES EXCEPT IN THE FAR E-SE WHERE RESIDUAL MOISTURE MAY SUPPORT A FEW CU. && .SHORT TERM /MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT/... AS OF 230 PM SUNDAY... MONDAY NIGHT TROUGH TUESDAY LOOK TO BE DRY AT THIS TIME IN ADVANCE OF THE NEXT WEATHER SYSTEM... AS THE COLD FRONT THAT WILL CROSS OUR REGION TONIGHT SETTLES SOUTH OF THE CWA AND STALLS OUT... WHILE HIGH PRESSURE EXTENDS INTO THE AREA FROM THE GREAT LAKES REGION. MONDAY NIGHT SHOULD BE A PRETTY GOOD RADIATIONAL COOLING NIGHT AS SKIES LOOK TO BE MOSTLY CLEAR... WITH VERY LIGHT WINDS EXPECTED. THUS... EXPECT LOW TEMPS MONDAY NIGHT TO BE A CATEGORY OR TWO BELOW NORMAL. LOWS IN THE LOWER 60S ACROSS A MAJORITY OF THE CWA... WITH MID 60S POSSIBLE IN SOUTHEAST. TUESDAY MOISTURE WILL BE ON THE INCREASE ACROSS SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF THE AREA AS THE THE STATIONARY BOUNDARY SOUTH OF THE AREA BEGINS TO SLOWLY MOVE NORTHWARD... AS A SHORTWAVE TROUGH AMPLIFIES IN THE GULF COAST STATES. THIS WILL HELP TO DEVELOP A CLOSED LOW ALONG WASHED OUT STATIONARY BOUNDARY OVER GULF COAST STATES ON TUESDAY INTO TUESDAY NIGHT. HIGH TUESDAY LOOK TO BE NEAR NORMAL... WITH HIGH TEMPS IN THE UPPER 80S TO NEAR 90 EXPECTED. MODELS ARE IN FAIRLY GOOD AGREEMENT IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS COOL SEASON LIKE PATTERN. HOWEVER... HOW FAR NORTH AND WEST THE SURFACE LOW TRACKS WILL HAVE GREAT IMPACTS ON POPS... QPF... AND SEVERE POTENTIAL... AS CURRENT MODELS DEPICT THE LOW TRACKING ACROSS THE CAROLINAS. MODELS OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF DAYS HAVE BEEN INCONSISTENT FROM RUN TO RUN ON THE TRACK. THUS... WILL NOT ADVERTISE LIKELY POPS YET ACROSS PORTIONS OF SANDHILLS AND COASTAL PLAIN... BUT POPS MAY NEED TO BE INCREASED IF FURTHER MODEL RUNS CONTINUE TO SHOW THE AREA OF LOW PRESSURE TRACKING ACROSS SOUTH CAROLINA INTO SOUTHERN AND EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA WEDNESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY EVENING. FOR NOW WILL KEEP POPS ON WEDNESDAY IN THE CHANCE CATEGORY ACROSS THE ENTIRE CWA... WITH HIGH END CHANCE POPS CONFINED TO THE SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF THE AREA. LOWS WEDNESDAY MORNING SHOULD RANGE FROM THE LOWER 60S IN THE NORTH TO UPPER 60S IN THE SOUTH. HIGHS ON WEDNESDAY WILL BE HIGHLY DEPENDENT ON THE TRACK OF THE LOW. AT THIS TIME WILL ADVERTISE HIGH TEMPS A BIT BELOW NORMAL... MID 80S. OVERNIGHT WEDNESDAY... AS THE AREA OF LOW PRESSURE BEGINS TO DEPART... WILL KEEP CHANCE POPS ACROSS EASTERN AND SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF THE CWA... WITH SLIGHT CHANCES ELSEWHERE. LOW TEMPS THURSDAY MORNING LOOK TO BE IN THE MID TO UPPER 60S. && .LONG TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/... AS OF 230 PM SUNDAY... AS THE SURFACE LOW CONTINUES TO MOVE OFF TO THE NORTHEAST ON THURSDAY WILL KEEP SKIES PARTLY CLOUDY WITH A SLIGHT CHANCE OF DIURNAL SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. EXPECT HIGH THURSDAY TO BE NEAR NORMAL... IN THE MID TO UPPER 80S. UPPER LEVEL LONG WAVE TROUGH OVER THE EASTERN SEABOARD BEGINS TO RETROGRADE WESTWARD DURING THE REMAINDER OF THE TIMEFRAME... ALLOWING FLOW ALOFT TO BECOME SOUTHWESTERLY. BOTH THE GFS AND ECMWF DEPICT AN UPPER LEVEL LOW DROPPING SOUTH TOWARDS KANSAS... MISSOURI... AND OKLAHOMA DURING THIS TIMEFRAME. THIS TYPE OF PATTERN WILL LEAD TO UNSETTLED WEATHER ACROSS CENTRAL NC IN THE FORM OF DIURNAL CONVECTION CHANCES EACH DAY... WITH TEMPERATURES GENERALLY NEAR NORMAL. && .AVIATION /19Z SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... AS OF 145 PM SUNDAY... A MARGINALLY MOIST AND SLIGHT TO MODERATELY UNSTABLE AIR MASS COUPLED WITH THE APPROACH OF MID LEVEL TROUGH (A RESULT OF A ABNORMALLY STRONG UPPER LEVEL JET CROSSING THE OH VALLEY INTO THE NORTHERN MID ATLANTIC) WILL TRIGGER AND SUSTAIN SCATTERED CONVECTION ACROSS CENTRAL NC LATE THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH THIS EVENING. THE SHOWERS AND STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO BE A LITTLE MORE NUMEROUS IN THE EAST VERSUS THE WEST WHERE THE BEST INSTABILITY AND MOISTURE ARE LOCATED. HAVE MENTIONED A TEMPO GROUP AT EACH TERMINAL SITE FOR MVFR VISIBILITY DUE TO RAIN SHOWERS. ONCE IT BECOMES EVIDENT WHERE STORMS WILL OCCUR/MIGRATE...THEN FORECAST CAN BE AMENDED TO INCLUDE THUNDER AND ASSOCIATED HAZARDS. DUE TO THE STRENGTH OF UPPER LEVEL WINDS ALOFT AND SLOW SEWD DRIFT OF SURFACE BOUNDARY ACROSS REGION LATE TONIGHT/EARLY MONDAY...SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED STORMS MAY OCCUR PAST MIDNIGHT OVER THE COASTAL PLAIN AND SANDHILLS. PRESENCE OF LOW LEVEL BOUNDARY ACROSS THE EAST MONDAY MORNING MAY HELP TO POOL LOW LEVEL MOISTURE...LEADING TO AREAS OF FOG BETWEEN 08-13Z. POTENTIAL FOR IFR FOG...MAINLY ALONG AND EAST IF I-95. FOR MONDAY...DRIER AIR WILL OVERSPREAD REGION DURING THE DAY RESULTING IN CLEAR SKIES EXPECT OVER THE FAR EASTERN AND SOUTHERN COASTAL PLAIN WHERE RESIDUAL LOW LEVEL MOISTURE MAY LEAD TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF SCATTERED CU. OTHERWISE VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED THROUGH TUESDAY. POTENTIAL FOR A PERIOD OF UNSETTLED WEATHER LATE TUESDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY AS AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE PASSES NEAR OR TO THE SOUTH OF REGION. THIS MAY LEAD TO WIDESPREAD MVFR CEILINGS AND AREAS OF RAIN. && .RAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && SYNOPSIS...WSS NEAR TERM...WSS SHORT TERM...BSD LONG TERM...BSD AVIATION...WSS
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC 1217 PM EDT SUN AUG 10 2008 NCZ007>011-021>028-038>043-073>078-083>086-088-089-110930- 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- 1217 PM EDT SUN AUG 10 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. A COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH THE REGION FROM THE NORTHWEST LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING. THIS FEATURE WILL TRIGGER SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. A FEW OF THE STORMS MAY BE SEVERE WITH HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF NICKLES AND WIND GUSTS AROUND 60 MPH. IN THE COASTAL PLAIN...THE WIND NEAR THE SURFACE AND ALOFT MAY SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN ISOLATED TORNADO. THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT APPEARS TO BE GREATEST ALONG AND EAST OF INTERSTATE 95. THE CHANCE FOR SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE BEST BETWEEN 3 PM AND 10 PM EDT. THE STORMS MAY LINGER OVER THE COASTAL PLAIN INTO THE PRE DAWN HOURS OF MONDAY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT ANY SEVERE OR SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ASSOCIATED WITH THESE STORMS.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC 258 PM EDT SUN AUG 10 2008 NCZ038-039-073-074-102000- DAVIDSON-MONTGOMERY-RANDOLPH-STANLY- 258 PM EDT SUN AUG 10 2008 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP AND MOVE ACROSS DAVIDSON... RANDOLPH...MONTGOMERY AND STANLY COUNTIES THROUGH 400 PM EDT... AT 258 PM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN DEVELOPING OVER NEWSOM...OR ABOUT 10 MILES NORTH OF ALBEMARLE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH. LOCATIONS IMPACTED BY THESE STORMS INCLUDE NEW HOPE...MARTHA...DENTON...ULAH...SEAGROVE AND ASHEBORO. GUSTY WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH...SMALL HAIL AND DANGEROUS CLOUD-TO-GROUND LIGHTNING CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THESE THUNDERSTORMS. BLAES
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC 335 PM EDT SUN AUG 10 2008 NCZ083>085-102030- ANSON-RICHMOND-SCOTLAND- 335 PM EDT SUN AUG 10 2008 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE ACROSS SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL RICHMOND COUNTY THROUGH 430 PM EDT... AT 335 PM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER DIGGS...OR ABOUT 8 MILES SOUTHWEST OF ROCKINGHAM...MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH. SOME LOCATIONS AFFECTED BY THIS STORM INCLUDE...EAST ROCKINGHAM...ROCKINGHAM...DOBBINS HEIGHTS...AND...HAMLET. GUSTY WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH...SMALL HAIL AND DANGEROUS CLOUD-TO-GROUND LIGHTNING CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THESE THUNDERSTORMS. BLAES
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC 417 PM EDT SUN AUG 10 2008 NCZ084-102100- RICHMOND- 417 PM EDT SUN AUG 10 2008 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL MOVE ACROSS RICHMOND COUNTY THROUGH 500 PM EDT... AT 417 PM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER DIGGS...OR ABOUT 8 MILES SOUTH OF ROCKINGHAM...MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH. SOME LOCATIONS AFFECTED BY THIS STORM INCLUDE...HAMLET...DOBBINS HEIGHTS. GUSTY WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH...SMALL HAIL AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THIS THUNDERSTORM. ANOTHER THUNDERSTORM...NORTH OF ELLERBE...WILL MOVE OVER THE NORTHEAST PART OF RICHMOND COUNTY THROUGH 445 PM. IF A THUNDERSTORM MOVES NEARBY OR OVERHEAD...REMAIN INDOORS AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. REMEMBER THAT TREES OFFER NO PROTECTION FROM LIGHTNING. DJF
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC 431 PM EDT SUN AUG 10 2008 NCZ084-085-102115- RICHMOND-SCOTLAND- 431 PM EDT SUN AUG 10 2008 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL MOVE ACROSS RICHMOND AND SCOTLAND COUNTIES THROUGH 515 PM EDT... AT 431 PM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 11 MILES WEST OF GIBSON...OR ABOUT 6 MILES EAST OF CHERAW...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 23 MPH. THE STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE NEAR GIBSON AROUND 455 PM EDT... LAUREL HILL AROUND 505 PM EDT. GUSTY WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH...SMALL HAIL AND DANGEROUS CLOUD-TO-GROUND LIGHTNING CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THESE THUNDERSTORMS. 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. RWH
The Raleigh/Durham radar (KRAX), 111 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:43 UTC.
10 thunderstorm wind, 4 hail, 2 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Three separate farmers in northwestern Alamance County reported significant tobacco crop damage due to penny size hail, including 40 acres and and 25 acres destroyed.
A tree was reported down on Highway 501 north of Laurinburg.
Trees were reported down on Amos Bridges Road north of Sanford.
Nickel size hail was reported near Moores Mill Road and Highway 501. Just to the southwest, quarter size hail was reported at Bahama Road and Country Knoll Road.
A severe thunderstorm knocked down trees onto Bahama Road.
Straight line winds downed trees on North Plummer Avenue in Middleburg.
A tree was knocked down onto West Lyon Station Road. In addition, large limbs were downed along NC Highway 56.
A tree was blown down onto Vicksboro Road.
A barn roof was blown off by straight line winds at Owl Drive. In addition, a tree was blown down on Highway 4, just to the east of Owl Drive.
A tree was blown down onto a house seven miles southwest of Newton Grove.
Several power poles were blown down near Highway 117 and South George Street. The roof to the Pathway Ministries building was also damaged. Several trees were downed across Goldsboro as well.
Trees were downed on Vick Road just northwest of Nashville.
Torrential rain resulted in several roads being flooded in Fayetteville. Some roads reportedly were covered by two to three feet of water. Some of the roads that were closed include Santa Fe Drive, portions of Bragg Boulevard, and Carson Drive. A COCORAHS observer reported 1.46 inches of rain in a 20 minute period.
High House Road and Halltown Road was closed in central Sampson County due to torrential rain and flash flooding.
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, August 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: 131941, 131943, 131944, 131945, 131947, 131948, 131950, 131951, 131952, 131954, 131961, 131962, 131965, 131968, 131972, 131979.