A powerful upper level disturbance with associated cold front pushed across the region the afternoon and evening of December 11. Over 2 inches of rain fell in many locations with several reports of minor urban flooding.
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 powerful upper level disturbance with associated cold front pushed across the region the afternoon and evening of December 11. Over 2 inches of rain fell in many locations with several reports of minor urban flooding. One house was struck by lightning and burned to the ground.
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 Dec 11, 10:40 AM EST, 1 hour 25 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC 1040 AM EST THU DEC 11 2008 .SYNOPSIS... A STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO TRACK FROM THE CENTRAL GULF COAST THROUGH THE CAROLINAS TODAY AND THIS EVENING... THEN OFF THE MID ATLANTIC COAST AND AWAY FROM OUR REGION OVERNIGHT. HIGH PRESSURE WILL THEN BUILD INTO OUR REGION FRIDAY THROUGH SATURDAY... AND SHIFT SLOWLY OFFSHORE THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... AS OF 1030 AM THURSDAY... ANALYSIS OF THE THE LATEST 12Z OBSERVED DATA ACROSS LOCALLY AND ACROSS THE DEEP SOUTH LEAVES ONE AT AWE WITH THE VERY POTENT DYNAMIC STORM SYSTEM SPINNING OVER THE MS/AL ...MAKING THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT AND FLASH FLOODING APPEAR MORE AND MORE IMMINENT FOR CENTRAL NC. FLASH FLOOD THREAT... THE STEADY RAINFALL OF LAST NIGHT ACROSS THE WESTERN PIEDMONT...IN PROXIMITY TO THE STALLED COLD FRONT...HAS PRODUCED WIDESPREAD RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF AROUND AN INCH. SOME OF THE SMALLER STREAMS AND CREEKS HAVE ALREADY ROSE ONE TO THREE FEET... WITH LAST NIGHTS PRECIP EFFECTIVELY PRIMING THE PUMP FOR THE ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAINFALL TO COME. THE HEAVY RAINFALL HAS BEEN MUCH MORE LOCALIZED ACROSS THE CENTRAL PIEDMONT AND COASTAL PLAIN AREA WITH A FEW CONVECTIVE ELEMENTS PRODUCING ONE TO ONE AND HALF INCHES...BUT OVERALL RAINFALL HAS BEEN LIGHT AROUND ONE-QUARTER TO ONE HALF INCH. DEEP MOISTURE TRANSPORT WILL CONTINUE TO ADVECT INTO THE AREA AS THE STRONG DIFFLUENT FLOW AND HEIGHT FALLS (ON THE ORDER OF 200-250 METER)SPREAD ENE INTO CENTRAL NC AHEAD OF THE UPPER LOW. THE TRAINING PRECIP WILL TAKE ON MORE OF A CONVECTIVE NATURE AS WELL...RESULTING IN HEAVY RAINFALL OF 1 TO 2 INCHES IN A ONE HOUR PERIOD...ESPECIALLY IN THE CENTRAL PIEDMONT...COASTAL PLAIN AREAS WHERE MUCAPES ARE EXPECTED TO APPROACH 1000 J/KG. WILL EXPAND THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH TO INCLUDE THE REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST AREA. WILL ALSO EXTEND THE WATCH IN TIME...NOW THROUGH MIDNIGHT...GIVEN THE LATEST TIMING OF THE SHORT-TERM MODELS. WHILE THE WESTERN PIEDMONT WILL HAVE THE HIGHEST RISK FOR MORE MAIN STEM STREAM/CREEK FLOODING(AREAL FLOODING)...ALL OF THE FORECAST AREA WILL HAVE THE RISK OF SEEING MORE LOCALIZED OR URBAN FLOODING. SEVERE THREAT... CLASSIC...TEXTBOOK SEVERE EPISODE EVOLVING FOR CENTRAL NC AS A VERY COMPLEX SURFACE PATTERN EXISTS ACROSS THE SOUTHEASTERN NC. HIGHER DEWPOINTS CONTINUE TO SPREAD WEST-NORTHWEST INTO CENTRAL NC AS THE REMNANTS OF A SQUALL LINE FROM YESTERDAY EVENING...HAS BECOME A QUASI-STATIONARY WARM FRONT OVER THE COASTAL PLAIN OF NC THIS MORNING. 500 TO 1000 J/KG OF MUCAPE IS EXPECTED TO EVOLVE AS BL WARMS UP INTO THE UPPER 60S TO LOWER 70S. IT WILL MORE THAN LIKELY BE THIS WARM FRONT/WARM SECTOR THAT WILL DEFINE THE GREATEST SEVERE THREAT AS STRONG DYNAMIC UPPER LOW...FEATURING A 230 METER H5 HEIGHT FALLS AT SLIDELL THIS MORNING...LIFTS NORTHEAST. LOW-LEVEL JET HAS RESPONDED AS WELL...WITH 850 MB JET STRENGTHENING TO 50 TO 55KTS WITH SURFACE PRESSURES DROPPING ON THE ORDER OF 4 TO 6 MB/3HR AS THE SUB 1000 MB SURFACE LOW LIFTS NORTHEAST ALONG THE STALLED COLD FRONT. WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40KTS HAVE BEEN COMMON ACROSS ALABAMA AND GEORGIA THIS MORNING...COINCIDENT WITH THE RAPID PRESSURE FALLS. IF THIS TREND CONTINUES...CANNOT RULE OUT A VERY SHORT-FUSE WIND ADVISORY. 90 TO 100KT OF DEEP BULK SHEAR...COMBINED WITH 400 TO 600 M/S OF 0 TO 3 KM SHEAR WILL SUPPORTING ROTATING UPDRAFTS AND TORNADOES...ESPECIALLY RIGHT ALONG THE WARM FRONT. FURTHERMORE... THE SOUTHERN EXTENSION JET WRAPPING AROUND THE BASE OF THE SOUTHERN STREAM LOW...MARKS THE LEADING EDGE OF THE DRY AIR ENTRAINMENT...ORIGINATING FROM THE MEXICAN PLATEAU...WILL LIFT NORTH INTO THE AREA. AS THIS SOUTHERN STREAM BRANCH LIFTS NORTH...CENTRAL NC WILL BE IN THE FAVORED DIVERGENCE REGIONS OF THE DUAL JUXTAPOSING JETS. THE DRY LEVEL PUNCH WILL AIDE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF DAMAGING WIND GUSTS. THE SLIGHT RISK WILL LIKELY BE UPGRADED TO A WATCH LATER TODAY. EVERYONE SHOULD CLOSELY MONITOR TO LATEST FORECASTS AND POSSIBLE WATCHES AND WARNINGS. -BL OVERNIGHT... EXPECT THE BULK OF THE RAINFALL TO EXIT NORTHEAST OF OUR REGION... THOUGH THE SOUTHEAST EDGE OF THE TROWAL/COMMA HEAD MAY MAINTAIN STEADY RAIN OVER THE NW PIEDMONT FOR MOST OF THE NIGHT. ELSEWHERE... SHOWERS THAT ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP BENEATH THE DEAMPLIFYING UPPER WAVE AND ASSOCIATED COLD POOL ALOFT OVER SC THIS AFTERNOON... MAY HOLD TOGETHER AND PRODUCE A SPRINKLE OR SHOWER ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF THE CWA THROUGH ABOUT MIDNIGHT. STORM TOTAL RAINFALL IS EXPECTED TO RANGE FROM AROUND 3 INCHES OVER THE NW PIEDMONT TO AROUND AN INCH OVER THE EXTREME SE. OVERNIGHT LOW TEMPERATURES SHOULD FALL TO AROUND 40 NW TO NEAR 50... AS THE COLD ADVECTION BEHIND THE DEPARTING STORM SYSTEM APPEARS A BIT SLOWER THAN PREVIOUSLY FORECAST. -MWS && .SHORT TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT/... AS OF 330 AM THURSDAY... FRIDAY... A TROUGH IN NW FLOW ALOFT AND ASSOCIATED QG FORCING FOR ASCENT AND MOISTENING WILL PRODUCE SOME CLOUDS FRIDAY AFTERNOON...BUT THE LACK OF MORE ROBUST DEEP LAYER MOISTURE SHOULD INHIBIT ANY RAINFALL. NOTICEABLY COOLER THAN RECENT DAYS... WITH HIGHS IN THE UPPER 40S TO LOWER TO MIDDLE 50S FROM NW TO SE. FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY: CHILLY SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD INTO OUR REGION BENEATH BUILDING HEIGHTS ALOFT. THUS... EXPECT (MOSTLY) CLEAR SKIES AND DRY CONDITIONS... WITH LOWS IN THE MIDDLE 20S TO AROUND 30 AND HIGHS 46 TO 52. && .LONG TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... AS OF 340 AM THURSDAY... SATURDAY NIGHT... THE HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE WILL SETTLE ALONG THE ATLANTIC SEABOARD. LIGHT WINDS AND CLEAR SKIES WILL ALLOW FOR MAXIMUM RADIATION. LOWS WILL RANGE FROM 25 TO 30. THE HIGH PRESSURE CENTER WILL MOVE OFF THE NEW ENGLAND COAST ON SUNDAY... ALLOWING WINDS TO SHIFT TO THE EAST AND SOUTHEAST. MOISTURE WILL GRADUALLY INCREASE OVER THE REGION FROM THE SOUTH AND WEST... SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT. ALTHOUGH THE MODELS ARE HINTING AT SOME PRECIPITATION WITH THE UPSLOPE FLOW... WILL DELAY MENTION OF PRECIPITATION. AS THE FRONT APPROACHES TUESDAY LOW CHANCE POPS WILL WORK INTO THE NORTHWEST PORTION OF THE CWA... THEN GRADUALLY MOVE EAST... OVERSPREADING THE REGION WEDNESDAY. HEIGHTS RISE THROUGH THE PERIOD. LOWS RISING FROM THE 20S SATURDAY NIGHT TO THE 40S MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY NIGHT. HIGHS MODERATING FROM THE 50S ON SUNDAY TO THE LOW AND MID 60S TUESDAY... AND UPPER 50S TO LOWER 60S WEDNESDAY. && .AVIATION /16Z THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY/... AS OF 730 AM THURSDAY... A WARM...MOIST SOUTHERLY FLOW WILL REMAIN OVER THE AREA THROUGH THE DAY. AS THE STORM SYSTEM OVER THE CENTRAL GULF TRACKS NORTHEAST TOWARDS CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA... THE RAIN WILL REDEVELOP OVER THE AREA DURING THE LATE MORNING TO EARLY AFTERNOON AND CONTINUE THROUGH THE DAY. IFR TO LIFR CONDITIONS IN RAIN AND FOG WILL BE THE GENERAL RULE. THERE IS CHANCE OF MVFR CONDITIONS OVER THE CENTRAL AND EAST... RDU/FAY/RWI... AS A WARM FRONT WORKS INLAND. THE DOWN SIDE TO THAT AREA GETTING INTO THE WARM SECTOR WILL BE THE THREAT OF THUNDERSTORMS...WITH SOME OF THE STORMS POSSIBLY REACHING STRONG TO SEVERE LIMITS. THE EASTERN TAFS WILL BE ADJUSTED BASED ON THE TRACK AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE STORM SYSTEM. SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL INCREASE TO 10 TO 15 KNOTS WITH GUSTS TO 25 KNOTS. SOUNDING DATA IS INDICATING STRONG WINDS FOR THE AFTERNOON... SO WIND GUSTS HAVE BEEN ADDED TO ALL TAFS. WINDS JUST OFF THE SURFACE (2K FEET) ARE QUITE STRONG...IN EXCESS OF 40 KNOTS...SO LLWS HAS ALSO BE ADDED TO EASTERN TAF. CONDITIONS OVER THE WESTERN TAFS WILL BE MONITORED FOR THE POSSIBLE ADDITION OF LLWS. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD INTO THE REGION FROM THE NORTH AND WEST DURING THE DAY FRIDAY... AND SETTLE OVER CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA SATURDAY. THE HIGH WILL MOVE TO THE NORTHEAST SUNDAY INTO MONDAY. VFR CONDITIONS SHOULD PREVAIL SATURDAY THROUGH THE FIRST OF THE WORK WEEK. && .EQUIPMENT... DUE TO THE POTENTIAL HIGH IMPACT WEATHER ACROSS CENTRAL NC... AN 18Z GSO RAOB HAS BEEN SCHEDULED. && .RAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH THIS EVENING FOR NCZ007>011-021>028- 038>043-073>078-083>086-088-089. && SYNOPSIS...MWS NEAR TERM...CBL/MWS SHORT TERM...MWS LONG TERM...RHJ AVIATION...RHJ EQUIPMENT...MWS
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC 1148 AM EST THU DEC 11 2008 NCZ038>043-073>078-083>086-088-089-121700- DAVIDSON-RANDOLPH-CHATHAM-WAKE-JOHNSTON-WILSON-STANLY-MONTGOMERY- MOORE-LEE-HARNETT-WAYNE-ANSON-RICHMOND-SCOTLAND-HOKE-CUMBERLAND- SAMPSON- 1148 AM EST THU DEC 11 2008 ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS EVENING... ...TORNADO WATCH 952 IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM EST 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. TORNADO WATCH. FLASH FLOOD WATCH. HEAVY SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL INCREASE IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY THIS AFTERNOON AND CONTINUE THROUGH THIS EVENING. THE AIR MASS IS VERY MOIST AND THE APPROACH OF A STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL INCREASE THE LIKELIHOOD OF VERY HEAVY RAIN. RAINFALL AMOUNTS BETWEEN ONE AND THREE INCHES ARE LIKELY. THIS TYPE OF RAINFALL IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME WILL LEAD TO FLASH FLOODING ALONG CREEKS AND STREAMS AS WELL AS EXTENSIVE PONDING IN POOR DRAINAGE. LATEST INDICATION SUGGEST A INCREASING THREAT FOR SEVERE WEATHER ACROSS THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING. A STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO TRACK NORTHEAST ACROSS NORTHERN GEORGIA AND THE CAROLINAS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL INCREASE IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY ACROSS CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA THIS AFTERNOON... AND LINGER INTO THIS EVENING. SOME OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE WITH DAMAGING WIND GUSTS UP TO 70 MPH AND A FEW TORNADOES THE MAIN THREATS. THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT WILL BE GREATEST NOW THROUGH 7 PM. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED THROUGH 7 PM. SPOTTERS SHOULD REPORT SEVERE WEATHER AS SOON AS IT IS SAFE TO DO SO. PLEASE STAY TUNED FOR LATER WATCHES AND WARNINGS. NCZ008>011-026>028-121700- GRANVILLE-VANCE-WARREN-HALIFAX-FRANKLIN-NASH-EDGECOMBE- 1148 AM EST THU DEC 11 2008 ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS EVENING... ...TORNADO WATCH 953 IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM EST 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. TORNADO WATCH. FLASH FLOOD WATCH. A STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO TRACK NORTHEAST ACROSS NORTHERN GEORGIA AND THE CAROLINAS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. RAIN IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY AHEAD OF THE LOW PRESSURE THROUGH TODAY. ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS BETWEEN ONE AND THREE INCHES IS EXPECTED. THE HEAVY RAINFALL MAY RESULT IN FLASH FLOODING... PARTICULARLY NEAR CREEKS AND STREAMS AND IN URBAN AREAS. LATEST INDICATIONS SUGGEST AN INCREASING THREAT FOR SEVERE WEATHER ACROSS CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING. THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT WILL BE GREATEST BETWEEN 2 PM AND 9 PM WITH THE PRIMARY THREAT BEING DAMAGING THUNDERSTORM WINDS GUSTS UP TO 70 MPH AND ISOLATED TORNADOES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED THROUGH 9 PM. SPOTTERS SHOULD REPORT SEVERE WEATHER AS SOON AS IT IS SAFE TO DO SO. PLEASE STAY TUNED FOR LATER WATCHES AND WARNINGS. NCZ007-021>025-121700- PERSON-FORSYTH-GUILFORD-ALAMANCE-ORANGE-DURHAM- 1148 AM EST THU DEC 11 2008 ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT THROUGH 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. FLASH FLOOD WATCH. A STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO TRACK NORTHEAST ACROSS NORTHERN GEORGIA AND THE CAROLINAS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. RAIN IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY AHEAD OF THE LOW PRESSURE THROUGH TODAY. ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS BETWEEN ONE AND THREE INCHES IS EXPECTED. THE HEAVY RAINFALL MAY RESULT IN FLASH FLOODING... PARTICULARLY NEAR CREEKS AND STREAMS AND IN URBAN AREAS. LATEST INDICATIONS SUGGEST AN INCREASING THREAT FOR SEVERE WEATHER ACROSS CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING. THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT WILL BE GREATEST BETWEEN 2 PM AND 8 PM WITH THE PRIMARY THREAT BEING DAMAGING THUNDERSTORM WINDS GUSTS UP TO 70 MPH AND ISOLATED TORNADOES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED THROUGH 8 PM. SPOTTERS SHOULD REPORT SEVERE WEATHER AS SOON AS IT IS SAFE TO DO SO. PLEASE STAY TUNED FOR LATER WATCHES AND WARNINGS. WSS
The Raleigh/Durham radar (KRAX), 59 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 17:03 UTC.
3 heavy rain, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Lightning struck a home in Chapel Hill and caught fire. The house burned to the ground when the lightning got into the gas lines of the home.
Law enforcement reported one foot of water over the road near the intersection of East Millbrook and Quail Hollow roads.
A man ran off the road and into a ditch which was full of water. The vehicle was carried downstream and the man had to be rescued.
A trained spotter reported three to six inches of water on the road near the intersection of Highway 111 and Highway 117 North.
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, December 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: 137343, 137340, 137342, 137341.