A cluster of thunderstorms intensified where the cold pool intersected the piedmont trough late in the afternoon and during the evening. Area of severe thunderstorms expanded south and southeast into a very unstable airmass.
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 ILM wrote it up.
A cluster of thunderstorms intensified where the cold pool intersected the piedmont trough late in the afternoon and during the evening. Area of severe thunderstorms expanded south and southeast into a very unstable airmass.
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 Aug 2, 4:45 PM EST, 1 hour 25 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC 545 PM EDT SAT AUG 2 2008 .SYNOPSIS... THE AREA WILL BE UNDER A LONGWAVE UPPER TROF THROUGHOUT THE FORECAST PERIOD. SHORTWAVE TROUGHS AND RIDGES ALOFT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE AREA FROM TIME TO TIME DURING THE UPCOMING WEEK...EACH AFFECTING THE FORECAST AREA DIFFERENTLY. THE SHORTWAVE TROUGHS WILL ENHANCE THE CONVECTION WHEREAS THE RIDGES WILL PUT A LID ON CONVECTION... RESULTING IN HIGHER MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES. THE DIFFICULTY WILL LIE IN THE TIMING OF THESE UPPER FEATURES. IN ADDITION...A COLD FRONT WILL DROP SOUTHEAST AND STALL NORTH AND WEST OF THE AREA ON SUNDAY...THEN SLOWLY DISSIPATE MONDAY WHICH WILL ALLOW THE REFORMATION OF THE PIEDMONT TROF WHICH WILL LIKELY LAST THROUGH THE UPCOMING WEEK. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... AS OF 3 PM SATURDAY...HEAT ADVISORY HAS BEEN CANCELLED. FOCUS WILL BE ON THE EVOLUTION OF UPSTREAM CONVECTION. SURFACE ANALYSIS SHOWS CAPES ON THE ORDER OF 3-4K J/KG AND WITH OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES DEVELOPING AS WELL AS THE 500MB TROUGH SWINGING THROUGH...TRIGGERS ARE AVAILABLE. AT THIS POINT...LOOKS LIKE THE NAM/WRF IS THE WINNER IN HANDLING THE CONVECTION. FOR THE OVERNIGHT HOURS...WILL FOLLOW ITS PROGRESSION. THIS MEANS SOUTHERN AREAS COULD STILL BE UNDER THE GUN FROM 0600 UTC THROUGH ABOUT 0900 UTC. FOG COULD BE AN ISSUE EARLY SUNDAY DEPENDING ON THE COVERAGE OF RAINFALL...HOWEVER WILL HAVE TO MONITOR DEBRIS CLOUDS. WINDS SHOULD REMAIN UP JUST ENOUGH TO PRECLUDE A SERIOUS FOG EVENT. OVERNIGHT LOW TEMPERATURES WILL ONCE AGAIN RANGE FROM THE LOWER TO MIDDLE 70S. && .SHORT TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT/... AS OF 3 PM...LONGWAVE UPPER TROF TO PERSIST THROUGH THE SHORT TERM. LEFTOVER CONVECTION EARLY SUNDAY MORNING ALONG THE IMMEDIATE COAST TO GIVE WAY TO A DECENT DAY. SUBSIDENCE ALOFT TO PREVAIL AND WILL DOMINATE MUCH OF SUNDAY KEEPING MOST CONVECTION AT BAY. HAVE INCLUDED A VERY LOW POP FOR AN ISOLATED AFTN SEA BREEZE TSTM. VARIOUS MODEL MOS GUIDANCE CONTINUE THE TREND WITH 90-95 FOR SUNDAY MAXES...AND SEE NO REASON TO GO AGAINST. SUNDAY NIGHT WILL BE A QUIET ONE WITH SKIES QUICKLY CLEARING AFTER SUNSET. SFC BASED INVERSION TO DEVELOP 1-2 HRS AFTER SUNSET AND ITS LOOKING LIKE A DECENT RAD COOLING NITE SHAPING UP. WILL AIM FOR THE LOWER END OF MIN TEMP GUIDANCE...POSSIBLY A DEGREE OR 3 EVEN LOWER. MONDAY INTO MONDAY NIGHT...SEA BREEZE CONVECTION WILL BE MORE PREVALENT THAN SUNDAY DUE TO SUBSIDENCE ALOFT NOT AS PROMINENT AS 24 HRS PRIOR. FOR MONDAY NIGHT...AN UPPER S/W TROF TO APPROACH FROM THE NW AND LIKELY ENHANCE CONVECTION OVERNIGHT. FOR NOW HAVE INDICATED 30 POPS TRAVERSING THE ILM CWA FROM NW TO SE FROM MIDNIGHT TUE THROUGH SUNRISE TUE. WITH DEBRIS CLOUDINESS BLANKETING A GOOD PORTION OF THE AREA...MIN TEMPS SHOULD BE ON THE HIER SIDE OF GUIDANCE. && .LONG TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/... AS OF 3 PM...RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE CONTINUES OVER THE AREA WITH WELL DEVELOPED PIEDMONT TROUGH. TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY STILL CONTINUE TO LOOK LIKE THE WARMEST DAYS WITH TEMPERATURES IN THE UPPER 90S INLAND TO THE MID 90S AT THE COAST. PROBABILITY OF A HEAT ADVISORY ARE INCREASING FOR TUESDAY AND THE BEST CHANCE FOR A HEAT ADVISORY APPEARS TO BE FOR WEDNESDAY. RIDGE WEAKENS A BIT BY THURSDAY WITH SLOW MOVING FRONT MOVING INTO NORTH CAROLINA BY THURSDAY AND THIS BOUNDARY IS EXPECTED TO STALL IN THE REGION AND AND THIS INCREASE THE CHANCES FOR CONVECTION TO 30 OR 40 PERCENT WITH CLIMATIC FAVORED TIMES OF AFTERNOON AND EVENING. && .AVIATION /00Z SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... WILL BE BRIEF...CONVECTION MOVING FROM THE NORTHWEST SHOULD GIVE FLO AND LBT AN HOUR OR TWO OF THUNDERSTORMS THE FIRST PORTION OF THE TAF ISSUANCE. CONVECTION WILL WEAKEN AS IT NEARS THE COAST...WITH ONLY SHOWERS IN STORE FOR COASTAL TERMINALS. WINDS WILL BE VARIABLE AND GUSTY IN THE CONVECTION. BEHIND THE STORMS...ISOLATED LIGHT SHOWERS WITH MAINLY VFR CONDITIONS. COULD SEE SOME LIGHT FOG TOWARDS MORNING WITH THE LOW LEVEL MOISTURE. OUTLOOK THROUGH THURSDAY...EXPECT ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY...MAINLY IN THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING...THROUGH THURSDAY. && .MARINE... NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... AS OF 3 PM SATURDAY...TIGHTENING PRESSURE GRADIENT AHEAD OF PIEDMONT TROUGH AND APPROACHING SHORTWAVE WILL PRODUCE WINDS IN 15-20 KNOT RANGE ACROSS ALL WATERS. WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO PEAK JUST BELOW SMALL CRAFT SHOULD EXERCISE CAUTION CRITERIA. TEMPTED TO INCREASE SEAS WITH THE INCREASE IN WINDS BUT THE LONGEVITY SHOULD NOT BE THERE. WILL STICK WITH THE 2-4 FEET RANGES....WITH SOME 5 FOOTERS OUT NEAR FRYING PAN SHOALS. MARINERS SHOULD NOTE WITH THE EXPECTED THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY...A NUMBER OF MARINE WEATHER STATEMENTS OR EVEN SPECIAL MARINE WARNINGS COULD BE ISSUED OVERNIGHT. SHORT TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT/... AS OF 3 PM...SW FLOW TO RULE THE SHORT TERM. STALLED SFC FRONTAL BOUNDARY ACROSS THE INLAND CAROLINAS ON SUNDAY TO DISSIPATE BY MONDAY...ALLOWING FOR THE REDEVELOPMENT OF THE PIEDMONT TROF. THIS WILL COMBINE WITH THE FLOW AROUND THE WESTERN ATLANTIC HIGH...RESULTING IN THE CONTINUED SW FLOW 10-15 KT. MODELS INDICATE A LOW LEVEL JET TO DEVELOP AND AFFECT THE WATERS BOTH SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY NIGHT...AND IS BEST SEEN AT THE 975MB LEVEL. SPEEDS COULD REACH 15 TO POSSIBLY 20 KT...ESPECIALLY AT THE 20 NM MARK AND BEYOND. SEAS WILL PRIMARILY BE A FUNCTION OF WIND DRIVEN SOUTHWESTERLY WAVES WITH PERIODS 5 TO 7 SECONDS. CONVECTION ALONG THE SEA BREEZE AND LATE MONDAY NIGHT COULD AFFECT THE AREA WATERS. LONG TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... AS OF 3 PM SATURDAY...SOUTHWEST WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE OVER THE WATERS THROUGH THE EXTENDED PERIOD. AN INCREASE IN WINDS SPEEDS IS PROGGED WITH THE APPROACHING FRONTAL BOUNDARY AND SEAS ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE FROM 2 TO 3 FEET TO 4 FEET ON THURSDAY. && .ILM WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... SC...NONE. NC...NONE. MARINE...NONE. && NEAR TERM...STEPHEN/RJD SHORT TERM...DUG LONG TERM...REID AVIATION...43
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC 540 PM EDT SAT AUG 2 2008 NCZ097-099>101-SCZ032>034-039-046-032145- PENDER-COLUMBUS-BRUNSWICK-NEW HANOVER-FLORENCE-MARION-HORRY- WILLIAMSBURG-GEORGETOWN- 540 PM EDT SAT AUG 2 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA AND NORTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO REACH THE AREA LATE TONIGHT. THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTAIN HEAVY RAIN AND DEADLY LIGHTNING. SOME THUNDERSTORMS MAY CONTAIN STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND HAIL. .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. AMZ250-252-254-256-032145- 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- 540 PM EDT SAT AUG 2 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS MAY REACH THE AREA AFTER MIDNIGHT. THESE THUNDERSTORMS MAY PRODUCE WINDS IN EXCESS OF 35 KNOTS. EXCESSIVE AMOUNTS OF LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE...AND VISIBILITIES COULD BE RESTRICTED BELOW ONE MILE AT TIMES. MARINERS SHOULD ENSURE A WEATHER RADIO IS ONBOARD AND IN GOOD WORKING ORDER. .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. NCZ087-096-SCZ017-023-024-032145- ROBESON-BLADEN-MARLBORO-DARLINGTON-DILLON- 540 PM EDT SAT AUG 2 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA AND NORTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO THE AREA THIS EVENING. THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTAIN STRONG TO POSSIBLY DAMAGING WINDS. HAIL WILL ALSO ACCOMPANY THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS. HEAVY RAINFALL AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING IS EXPECTED WITH THE THUNDERSTORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED FOR TONIGHT. RJD
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC 232 PM EDT SAT AUG 2 2008 NCZ087-021930- ROBESON- 232 PM EDT SAT AUG 2 2008 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO NORTHERN ROBESON COUNTY... AT 230 PM...A BROKEN LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WAS DEVELOPING ACROSS CUMBERLAND AND HOKE COUNTIES. THE THUNDERSTORMS IN HOKE COUNTY WILL BEGIN MOVING INTO NORTHERN ROBESON COUNTY BY 245 PM AND MAY IMPACT AREAS MAINLY NORTH OF LUMBERTON. THESE DEVELOPING THUNDERSTORMS HAVE THE CAPABILITY OF PRODUCING VERY STRONG WINDS...HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT DEADLY LIGHTNING. KEEP AN EYE TO THE SKY AND MONITOR NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR THE LATEST WEATHER UPDATES. && STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO ALL HAZARDS FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR UPDATES. FOR ADDITIONAL WEATHER INFORMATION...CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT WEATHER.GOV/ILM. HAWKINS
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC 632 PM EDT SAT AUG 2 2008 NCZ087-SCZ017-024-022330- ROBESON-MARLBORO-DILLON- 632 PM EDT SAT AUG 2 2008 AT 632 PM EDT...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE...ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 7 MILES SOUTHEAST OF HAMLET TO 11 MILES NORTH OF DOVESVILLE...OR ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 10 MILES WEST OF LAURINBURG TO 10 MILES SOUTH OF CHERAW...MOVING EAST SOUTHEAST AT 15 MPH. THESE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE THE CAPABILITY OF PRODUCING SMALL HAIL... GUSTY WINDS UP TO 40 MPH AND FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. COMMUNITIES IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS ARE BENNETTSVILLE...RED SPRINGS...ALMA...BUIE...CHAVISTOWN...CLIO...DUNBAR...MAXTON... MCCOLL...MINTURN...RAEMON AND REX. && STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO ALL HAZARDS FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR UPDATES. FOR ADDITIONAL WEATHER INFORMATION...CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT WEATHER.GOV/ILM. 43
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC 642 PM EDT SAT AUG 2 2008 SCZ023-022345- DARLINGTON- INCLUDING THE CITY OF...DARLINGTON 642 PM EDT SAT AUG 2 2008 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS APPROACHING THE COUNTY... AT 640 PM...RADAR INDICATED AN AREA OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING EAST SOUTHEAST AT 15 TO 20 MPH. THESE STORMS WILL BE NEAR SOCIETY HILL BY 7 PM...AND WILL AFFECT HARTSVILLE BY 715 PM. THE STORMS MAY MAKE IT TO THE CITY OF DARLINGTON BY 745 PM. HAIL...GUSTY WINDS...FREQUENT LIGHTNING...AND HEAVY RAIN WILL ACCOMPANY THE STORMS. UP TO AN INCH OF RAINFALL IS POSSIBLE IN A SHORT PERIOD...WITH PONDING ON THE ROADWAYS LIKELY. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO ALL HAZARDS FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION IS ALSO AVAILABLE ON THE INTERNET AT WEATHER.GOV/ILM. 43
The Wilmington radar (KLTX), 151 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:10 UTC.
19 thunderstorm wind, 6 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
A large tree was reported down on Ebenezer Church Road.
Large trees were reported down around the intersection of Kollock Road and Grants Mill Road W.
Nickel size hail was reported on Highway 9W.
Winds destroyed a storage building in Chavistown.
A large tree was down at the intersection of Highway 381 and Highway 83.
Trees were reported down.
Trees were reported down.
Trees were reported down.
Trees were observed down along Interstate 95 Southbound.
Hail lasted for more than five minutes and reached the size of quarters.
A tree was reported blown down on Oakbend Drive.
Trees were reported down.
Hail estimated up to penny size was reported on Oakbend Drive.
Penny size hail was reported.
Numerous large trees were down. Trees fell onto a house and a mobile home causing minor damage. Power lines were also down. The damage was located mainly between Leavensworth Road and Lazy Pines Road. A National Weather Service Storm Survey concluded that the damage was the result of straight-line winds. Winds were estimated at up to 65 mph.
Numerous trees were reported down. A trained spotter estimated the winds at up to 60 mph.
Numerous trees were reported down around the intersection of U.S. 401 and Highway 52.
Nickel size hail was reported.
A crop duster was blown off of a field and into a ditch along a private road east of the Rhodes Community. A National Weather Service Storm Survey concluded that the damage was the result of straight-line winds. Winds were estimated at up to 65 mph.
The roof of a 7000 square foot Sunbeam Bread warehouse was torn off. Trees were uprooted. A National Weather Service Storm Survey concluded that the damage was the result of a microburst. Winds were estimated at up to 80 mph. Darlington County Emergency Services estimated $510,000 in damage.
A large pine tree was reported down on Cherokee Street.
A trained spotter measured a wind gust to 72 mph.
Penny size hail was reported along Mineral Springs Road.
Numerous large trees were down. A tree fell onto the garage of a house causing minor damage. The damage was located mainly between Law Plantation Road and the intersection of Highway 52 and North Main Street. A National Weather Service Storm Survey concluded that the damage was the result of straight-line winds. Winds were estimated at up to 65 mph.
Large Trees were reported down on North Center Road. The trees had a diameter of around three feet.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in South Carolina in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in South 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: 131809, 131626, 131627, 131628, 131629, 131630, 131632, 131633, 131638, 131661, 131631, 131634, 131641, 131663, 131670, 131800, 131804, 131801, 131673, 131664, 131807, 131803, 131806, 131671, 131808.