A very unstable airmass combined with a strong shortwave moving in from the northwest produced numerous severe thunderstorms across the southern Piedmont and the Sandhills of central North Carolina.
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 very unstable airmass combined with a strong shortwave moving in from the northwest produced numerous severe thunderstorms across the southern Piedmont and the Sandhills of central North Carolina.
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 7, 1:37 PM EST, 24 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC 237 PM EDT THU AUG 7 2008 .SYNOPSIS... A COLD FRONT WILL DRIFT SLOWLY SOUTH ACROSS CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA THIS EVENING...ENHANCING THE CHANCE FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS LATE IN THE DAY PARTICULARLY IN THE SANDHILLS AND THE SOUTHEAST COASTAL PLAIN. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BRING DRIER AND COOLER AIR TO THE REGION FRIDAY THROUGH THE WEEKEND. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH FRIDAY/... AS OF 230 PM THURSDAY... ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH ISSUED UNTIL 10 PM ROUGHLY ALONG AND SOUTH OF A ROCKY MOUNT...RALEIGH...TO ALBEMARLE LINE... SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ALREADY BEGINNING TO DEVELOP IN THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN SECTIONS OF THE CWA AS DPVA SPREADS INTO THE AREA FROM THE SHORTWAVE APPROACHING FROM THE NORTHWEST. EXPECT THUNDERSTORMS TO CONTINUE TO DEVELOP AND INTENSIFY IN THE WATCH AREA THROUGH EARLY THIS EVENING AS MORE SIGNIFICANT UPPER LEVEL DIVERGENCE SPREADS INTO THE AREA IN ASSOCIATION WITH A 100 KT 250MB JET MOVING OFFSHORE THE MID ATLANTIC...PLACING US IN THE FAVORABLE RIGHT ENTRANCE REGION. IN ADDITION...THE LATEST 12Z GUIDANCE ALSO SHOWS ANOTHER 80 KT JET NOSING IN FROM TN BY EARLY THIS EVENING...WITH OUR REGION ENTERING INTO THE LEFT EXIT OF THAT JET. THIS DUAL JET STRUCTURE COMBINED WITH MUCAPES OF 2000-3000 J/KG SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT TO MAINTAIN NUMEROUS STORMS ACROSS THE SOUTHERN TIER....WITH COVERAGE DECREASING FURTHER NORTH WHERE THE INSTABILITY IS NOT AS ROBUST. DEEP LAYER SHEAR INCREASES LATE THIS AFTERNOON WITH 0-6KM BULK SHEAR RISING TO 35-40 KT. THIS WILL BE SUPPORTIVE OF MULTICELLULAR STORMS AND PERHAPS AN ORGANIZED SUPERCELL IF THE SHEAR VERIFIES CLOSER TO 40 KT. INVERTED V PROFILES IN THE BOUNDARY LAYER SUGGEST DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE THE PRIMARY THREAT ALTHOUGH LARGE HAIL WOULD ACCOMPANY ANY MORE ORGANIZED STORMS. THE FRONT WILL BEGIN TO PUSH THROUGH THE REGION FROM NW TO SE TONIGHT...SERVING TO GRADUALLY STABILIZE THE ATMOSPHERE AS DRIER AIR FILTERS IN. WILL TAPER POPS ACCORDINGLY THIS EVENING...LIMITING CHANCE POPS TO THE SOUTHEAST ZONES LATE THIS EVENING WITH ALL AREAS BECOMING DRY BY SUNRISE FRIDAY. THE SEVERE THREAT SHOULD DIMINISH BY LATE EVENING AS INSTABILITY IS GRADUALLY LOST. A FABULOUS FRIDAY LOOKS TO TAKE SHAPE ACROSS CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA IN THE WAKE OF THE FRONT. FORECAST SOUNDINGS SHOW A VERY DEEP AND DRY MIXED BOUNDARY LAYER THAT SHOULD RESULT IN DEWPOINTS CRASHING INTO THE 50S TOMORROW AFTERNOON...WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF SOME DEWPOINTS IN THE 40S IN THE NW PIEDMONT. FORECAST THICKNESSES INDICATE HIGHS IN THE MID 80S NW TO AROUND 90 SE...LOWER THAN MAV GUIDANCE. THIS PRODUCES AFTERNOON RELATIVE HUMIDITIES OF AROUND 30 PERCENT...VERY PLEASANT FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR. && .SHORT TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT/... AS OF 145 PM THURSDAY... AN UNSEASONABLY DEEP UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WILL EXTEND THROUGH THE MID-ATLANTIC INTO THE SOUTHEAST STATES THROUGH THE WEEKEND. THE GEFS AND SREF ARE CONTINUING TO SHOW 500 MB HEIGHTS ACROSS NORTH CAROLINA AS MUCH AS 3-4 STANDARD DEVIATIONS BELOW NORMAL...WHICH IS QUITE SIGNIFICANT. ONE WOULD THINK THAT THIS SHOULD RESULT IN TEMPS THAT ARE WELL BELOW NORMAL...HOWEVER...THE LATEST GFS/NAM LOW LEVEL (1000-850MB) THICKNESSES HAVE ACTUALLY INCREASED COMPARED TO PREVIOUS RUNS...AND THESE LATEST THICKNESSES...IN ADDITION TO THE LATEST MOS GUIDANCE...ARE SUGGESTING HIGH TEMPS ONLY SLIGHTLY BELOW NORMAL...IN THE MID/UPPER 80S. EVEN WITH 500 MB HEIGHTS WELL BELOW NORMAL...THIS IS NOT ALL THAT UNREASONABLE GIVEN THAT THE EARLY AUGUST SUN IS QUITE STRONG AND IT IS DIFFICULT TO GET BELOW NORMAL TEMPS THIS TIME OF YEAR WITHOUT CONVECTION AND/OR WIDESPREAD CLOUD COVER. LOWS WILL BE UNSEASONABLY COOL WITH EXCELLENT RADIATIONAL COOLING CONDS AND A DRY AIRMASS IN PLACE...WITH TEMPS IN THE UPPER 50S TO LOWER 60S ON SAT/SUN...AND LOWER/MID 60S ON MONDAY. PRECIP CHANCES ON SATURDAY APPEAR BASICALLY NIL...WITH FCST SOUNDINGS LOOKING JUST TOO DRY (PWAT VALUES LESS THAN 1) TO SUPPORT CONVECTION. ALTHOUGH A BRIEF ISOLATED SHOWER WOULD NOT BE COMPLETELY OUT OF THE QUESTION IF A MODEST SHORTWAVE IN CYCLONIC FLOW ALOFT WERE TO CROSS THE AREA DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS...THIS POSSIBILITY IS JUST TOO REMOTE TO MENTION ANYTHING OTHER THAN A DRY FCST FOR SAT AND SAT NIGHT. ON SUNDAY...FCST SOUNDINGS ARE SHOWING INCREASING MOISTURE ACROSS THE AREA...WITH PWAT VALUES RISING INTO THE 1.25 TO 1.75 RANGE. THE GFS IS LESS ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT THIS MOISTURE RETURN THAN THE NAM...HOWEVER...THE MODELS ARE HINTING AT SHORTWAVE ENERGY ENTERING THE AREA IN DEEP CYCLONIC FLOW ALOFT...AND THE MID/UPPER LEVELS ARE COOLER THAN NORMAL DUE TO THE UNSEASONABLY DEEP TROUGHING...SO THIS MAY HELP SUFFICIENT INSTABILITY DEVELOP DESPITE RELATIVELY LOW TEMPS/DEWPOINTS. AT THIS TIME...HAVE DECIDED TO INCLUDE A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS/STORMS TO THE FORECAST ON SUNDAY AFT/EVE. -VINCENT && .LONG TERM /MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... AS OF 130 PM THURSDAY... MODELS SHOW THE UNSEASONABLY STRONG TROUGH OVER THE AREA WEAKENING AND SHIFTING TO THE NORTH AND EAST BY TUESDAY...CAUSING GENERALLY DRY CONDITIONS EARLY IN THE EXTENDED PERIOD. THE GFS/ECMWF INDICATE THAT A WEAK UPPER LEVEL TROUGH MAY MOVE INTO THE AREA WEDNESDAY INTO THURSDAY CAUSING THE POTENTIAL FOR CONVECTION ON THOSE DAYS... ALTHOUGH DISCREPANCIES IN THE POSITION OF THIS TROUGH IN THE LONG RANGE MODELS PRECLUDE MENTIONING POPS HIGHER THAN SLIGHT OR LOW CHANCE AT THIS TIME. TEMPERATURES DURING THIS PERIOD WILL HAVE HIGHS IN THE UPPER 80S TO LOWER 90S AND LOWS IN THE UPPER 60S TO LOWER 70S. -WILSON && .AVIATION /18Z THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... AS OF 120 PM THURSDAY... CHANCES FOR CONVECTION WILL INCREASE LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND PERSIST INTO THIS EVENING INVOF RDU/FAY/RWI. THIS IS DUE TO AN APPROACHING UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE AND ATTENDANT COLD FRONT THAT WILL INTERACT WITH AN INCREASINGLY UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE. THE REGION ALSO COMES UNDER THE DIVERGENT RIGHT ENTRANCE REGION OF A 100 KT JET THAT PIVOTS NORTHEAST ACROSS THE MID ATLANTIC REGION. WITH THE BEST CHANCES OF CONVECTION BEING AT RDU/RWI/FAY...WILL INTRODUCE A CB GROUP STARTING LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND LASTING INTO THE EVENING. DEEP WESTERLY FLOW LIKELY TO KEEP CONVECTION SCATTERED IN NATURE...SO TRYING TO PINPOINT TSTM DEVELOPMENT AT THIS JUNCTURE IS NOT WISE. ONCE CONVECTION INITIATES... WILL AMEND TAFS TO HIGHLIGHT ANY INCREASING TSTM POTENTIAL AT THE TERMINALS. GSO/INT DO NOT APPEAR TO BE IN AS FAVORABLE AREA FOR CONVECTION WITH LOWER DEWPOINTS AND LESSER INSTABILITY IN PLACE. OUTSIDE OF CONVECTION...VFR CONDITIONS SHOULD PREVAIL. THE COLD FRONT PUSHES SOUTH OF CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA BY EARLY FRIDAY MORNING. MAINLY CLEAR SKIES ARE EXPECTED FOR FRIDAY WITH A NORTHWEST WIND AROUND 10 KT. A DEEP TROUGH ENCOMPASSES THE EASTERN STATES THROUGH THE WEEKEND. DRIER AIR ASSOCIATED WITH THE TROUGH SHOULD RESULT IN GENERALLY VFR CONDITIONS THROUGH THE BEGINNING OF NEXT WEEK. && .RAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && SYNOPSIS...JFB NEAR TERM...JFB SHORT TERM...VINCENT LONG TERM...WILSON AVIATION...JFB
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC 217 PM EDT THU AUG 7 2008 NCZ027-028-040>043-073>078-083>086-088-089-081000- NASH-EDGECOMBE-CHATHAM-WAKE-JOHNSTON-WILSON-STANLY-MONTGOMERY-MOORE- LEE-HARNETT-WAYNE-ANSON-RICHMOND-SCOTLAND-HOKE-CUMBERLAND-SAMPSON- 217 PM EDT THU AUG 7 2008 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 814 IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM EDT THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND INTO THE EVENING AS AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE AND COLD FRONT APPROACH THE AREA. AS WINDS IN THE ATMOSPHERE STRENGTHEN...SOME OF THE STORMS COULD BECOME STRONG TO SEVERE. THE PRIMARY THREAT FROM ANY SEVERE STORM WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH. HOWEVER...LARGE HAIL IS POSSIBLE WITH THE STRONGEST STORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTERS HAVE BEEN ACTIVATED IN SUPPORT OF THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH. SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER AS SOON AS IT IS SAFE TO DO SO. PLEASE STAY TUNED FOR LATER WATCHES AND WARNINGS. NCZ007>011-021>026-038-039-081000- PERSON-GRANVILLE-VANCE-WARREN-HALIFAX-FORSYTH-GUILFORD-ALAMANCE- ORANGE-DURHAM-FRANKLIN-DAVIDSON-RANDOLPH- 217 PM EDT THU AUG 7 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND INTO THE EVENING AS AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE AND COLD FRONT APPROACH THE AREA. AS WINDS IN THE ATMOSPHERE STRENGTHEN...A FEW OF THE STORMS COULD BECOME STRONG TO SEVERE. WHILE THE GREATEST THREAT WILL BE ROUGHLY SOUTH OF THE U.S. HIGHWAY 64 CORRIDOR...AN ISOLATED SEVERE STORM CANNOT BE RULED OUT IN THE FAR NORTHWEST AND NORTHERN PIEDMONT. THE PRIMARY THREAT FROM ANY SEVERE STORM WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH. HOWEVER...LARGE HAIL IS POSSIBLE WITH THE STRONGEST STORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT ANY SEVERE WEATHER ASSOCIATED WITH THESE STORMS. JFB
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC 206 PM EDT THU AUG 7 2008 NCZ039>042-075>077-088-071900- CHATHAM-CUMBERLAND-HARNETT-JOHNSTON-LEE-MOORE-RANDOLPH-WAKE- 206 PM EDT THU AUG 7 2008 ...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE ACROSS WAKE... RANDOLPH... CHATHAM...JOHNSTON...LEE...HARNETT...MOORE AND CUMBERLAND COUNTIES THROUGH 300 PM EDT... AT 206 PM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED SHOWERS AND DEVELOPING THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN NEAR HOLLY SPRINGS...WESTWARD TO NEAR STEEDS. THIS ACTIVITY WILL PUSH TO NEAR RALEIGH... CLAYTON... LILLINGTON...CARTHAGE...AND SEVEN LAKES OVER THE NEXT HOUR AS THEY MOVE EAST AT 20 MPH. GUSTY WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH...SMALL HAIL AND DANGEROUS CLOUD-TO-GROUND LIGHTNING CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THE STRONGER 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
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC 214 PM EDT THU AUG 7 2008 NCZ083-071845- ANSON- 214 PM EDT THU AUG 7 2008 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL MOVE ACROSS ANSON COUNTY THROUGH 245 PM EDT... AT 214 PM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 12 MILES SOUTHWEST OF WHITE STORE...OR ABOUT 14 MILES SOUTHEAST OF MONROE...MOVING EAST AT 28 MPH. SOME LOCATIONS AFFECTED BY THIS STORM INCLUDE...WHITE STORE AND WADESBORO. GUSTY WINDS UP TO 50 MPH...SMALL HAIL AND DANGEROUS CLOUD-TO-GROUND LIGHTNING CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THIS THUNDERSTORM. VINCENT
The Columbia radar (KCAE), 130 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:00 UTC.
9 thunderstorm wind, 5 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
A severe thunderstorm produced a swath of quarter to golf ball size hail across southwest Anson county. One such report of large hail was received near Camden Church Road five miles east northeast of White Store.
Penny size hail was reported to the south southwest of Laurinburg.
A severe thunderstorm produced a swath of straight line wind damage between Highway 96 and Highway 701 in the vicinity of Stricklands Crossroads Road. Multiple trees and power lines were downed across the area of Highway 701 and Stricklands Crossroads Road. In addition, a steeple was blown off of the Cornerstone Baptist Church on Highway 701. A barn door was also blown off.
A supercell thunderstorm produced a swath of hail from Fort Bragg southeast to the western side of Fayetteville. The hail ranged from nickel to golf ball size. Nickel size hail covered the ground at Fort Bragg and the golf ball size reported originated from the intersection of Bragg Boulevard and William Clark Road in Fayetteville.
Straight line winds downed a tree across Highway 117 near Arrington Bridge Road.
A supercell thunderstorm downed trees onto several homes in downtown Fayetteville in the area of Pearl Street and Bragg Boulevard. Other trees were downed on Morganton Road, blocking part of Devane Street.
Cumberland County 911 reported several trees down near Autryville.
Numerous trees were reported down in the southern part of Sampson County, including the community of Taylors Bridge.
A tree was reported down across Sheriff Watson Road.
Severe straight line winds downed trees on Olivie Road near the town of Olivia. A tree was also downed across Barbecue Church Road.
A spotter reported penny size hail that lasted for approximately five minutes.
A severe thunderstorm knocked a tree onto a house just northeast of Oakboro.
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: 131849, 131850, 131851, 131860, 131863, 131880, 131865, 131866, 131867, 131871, 131872, 131874, 131876, 131877.