Lightning struck a home in Hampstead.
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.
Lightning struck a home in Hampstead.
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 Jul 23, 1:46 PM EST, 3 hours 14 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC 246 PM EDT THU JUL 23 2009 .SYNOPSIS... A WEAKENING COLD FRONT WILL REACH THE EASTERN CAROLINAS EARLY FRIDAY AND QUICKLY WASH OUT. STRENGTHENING BERMUDA HIGH PRESSURE WILL DOMINATE THE AREA WEATHER THROUGH NEXT THURSDAY...BRINGING THE HEAT...HUMIDITY...AND AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS THAT ARE TYPICAL OF SUMMER IN THE CAROLINAS. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... AS OF 3 PM THURSDAY...WEAK SHORT WAVE KICKING OFF ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE WESTERN AND CENTRAL PORTIONS OF THE CWA THIS AFTERNOON. IN ADDITION...A SEA BREEZE FRONT ALONG THE COAST IS MOVING FURTHER INLAND THAN ANTICIPATED AND THIS TOO WILL BECOME THE FOCUS OF CONVECTION. MORNING SOUNDINGS SHOWED A MODERATELY UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING AND THIS MODIFIED TROPICAL AIR MASS IS PRIMED FOR FURTHER ACTIVITY AS VARIOUS BOUNDARIES OLD AND NEW MOVE AND COLLIDE ACROSS THE CWA. WEAK COLD FRONT MOVING ACROSS THE WESTERN CAROLINAS WILL JUST ABOUT BE ENTERING THE FORECAST AREA BY DAYBREAK FRIDAY MORNING BUT WILL HAVE LITTLE EFFECT ON SENSIBLE WEATHER. HAVING A GREATER AFFECT WILL BE ANOTHER WEAK SHORT WAVE WHICH WILL ENTER THE CWA THIS EVENING. THIS WILL ALLOW ISOLATED TO SCATTERED CONVECTION TO PERSIST INTO THE EVENING HOURS. STAYED ON THE LOW SIDE OF GUIDANCE FOR TEMPERATURES OVERNIGHT...WHICH WILL GIVE US READINGS JUST A TAD ABOVE LAST NIGHTS NUMBERS...WHICH WILL BE RIGHT AROUND NORMAL...LOWER TO MID 70S. && .SHORT TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT/... AS OF 3 PM THURSDAY...FRONTAL BOUNDARY SOMEWHERE NEAR I-95 TO START THE PERIOD...BUT GFS AND NAM WIND FIELDS BOTH SUGGEST IT WILL WASH OUT AND/OR BE SHOVED BACK NORTH BY FRI AFTERNOON. CONVERGENCE ALONG THE FRONT AS WELL AS THE AFTERNOON SEABREEZE LOOKS PRETTY WEAK...BUT PLENTY OF MOISTURE AVAILABLE WITH PRECIPITABLE WATER OVER 1.5 INCHES PER MODEL FORECAST SOUNDINGS. IN LIGHT OF THE LACK OF FORCING...HAVE GONE WITH THE DRIER GFS SOLUTION WHICH ONLY INVOLVES SLIGHT CHANCE POPS. SIMILAR POPS FOR SAT AFTERNOON...BUT ONLY THE SEABREEZE TO FORCE THAT ACTION AS THE SFC COLD FRONT BECOMES A NON-FACTOR AND UPPER PATTERN FLATTENS OUT. ONLY REAL ISSUE WITH GUIDANCE TEMPS HINGES ON THE DAILY HIGHS. GFS MOS IS SEVERAL DEGREES WARMER THAN NAM MOS BOTH DAYS. BASED ON AN ALMOST SYSTEMATIC WARM BIAS IN THE GFS MOS OVER MUCH OF THE LAST 3 SUMMERS...HAVE LEANED MORE TOWARD THE COOLER NAM MOS. MINS WILL BE QUITE MILD...AS EVEN LOWER/MID 70S WILL NOT BE WARM ENOUGH IF THE WINDS STAY UP A BIT MORE THAN ANTICIPATED. && .LONG TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... AS OF 3PM THURSDAY...LOOKS LIKE A VERY TYPICAL SUMMER TIME PATTERN THROUGH THE EXTENDED PERIOD WITH SOUTHERLY WINDS AROUND THE BERMUDA HIGH. BASICALLY EXPECT SHWRS/TSTMS EACH AFTN ALONG SEA BREEZE IN A MODERATELY UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE WITH DEW POINTS REMAINING IN THE 70S AND MU CAPE UP AROUND 3000 J/KG EACH AFTN. A COUPLE OF FRONTS TRY TO MAKE A RUN INTO THE CAROLINAS ON SUN AND AGAIN LATER IN THE WEEK PROBABLY THURS/FRI TIME FRAME. THIS SHOULD HELP TO TIGHTEN GRADIENT FLOW AS FRONT TRIES TO MAKE A RUN THROUGH THE CAROLINAS AND MAY HELP TO ENHANCE SHWR/TSTM ACTIVITY AHEAD OF IT...BUT AS PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED WILL MOST LIKELY JUST SEE SHWRS AND TSTMS AHEAD OF IT IN THE PIEDMONT AND ALONG SEA BREEZE BOUNDARY. OVERALL DEEP MOIST S-SW FLOW WITH A GOOD DEAL OF HIGH CLOUDS AROUND AS SHOWN IN MOISTURE PROFILES WITH RH VALUES GREATER THAN 90 PERCENT IN THE UPPER LEVELS. MAY SEE A BRIEF PERIOD OF DRYING THROUGH THE MID LEVELS TUES/WED WITH PCP WATER VALUES DROPPING SLIGHTLY TO AROUND 1.7 INCHES FROM 1.9 MOST OTHER DAYS. GFS ALSO HINTING AT A TROP WAVE/LOW TRACKING AROUND THE ATLANTIC RIDGE BUT LOOKS LIKE IT WILL STAY WELL EAST OF THE CAROLINAS ON MON/TUES. MORE IMPRESSIVE SURGE OF MOISTURE RIDING AROUND ATLANTIC HIGH MOVES UP INTO LOCAL AREA WITH PCP WATER VALUES INCREASING UP ABOVE 2 INCHES BY LATE WED INTO THURS...WHICH WILL HELP TO PRODUCE A MORE UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE. IN THE MID TO UPPER LEVELS...MORE SUPPORT SUN/MON TIME FRAME AS TROUGH REACHES DEEPER INTO THE SOUTH AND A COUPLE OF SHORTWAVES MAY MOVE THROUGH. RIDGE STARTS TO BUILD IN AT MID TO UPPER LEVELS THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF LONG TERMS WITH HEIGHTS RISING. THIS SHOULD HELP TO DAMPEN SHWR/TSTM ACTIVITY AND HELP TO PUSH TEMPS UP A LITTLE TOWARD THE END OF THE PERIOD. && .AVIATION /18Z THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... A TROUGH APPROACHES THE CWA LATER TODAY...WITH SCATTERED STORMS POPPING UP MAINLY WEST OF OUR AREA...WITH ISOLATED SEA BREEZE ACTIVITY. OVERNIGHT...TROUGH MOVES OVER THE CWA...WITH A CONTINUED CHANCE FOR SHOWERS. FOR DIURNAL REASONS...THIS ANY CONVECTION WILL BE ISOLATED...SCATTERED AT BEST. FOG WILL BE A BIT OF A TOUGH CALL DUE TO THE CLOUD COVER...BUT BEST CHANCE FOR FOG WILL BE PLACES THAT RECEIVE PRECIP. LIGHT WEST SOUTHWEST FLOW TODAY...BECOMING SOUTHERLY ALONG THE COAST. EXTENDED OUTLOOK THROUGH MONDAY...SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS FRIDAY AFTERNOON WITH ISOLATED STORMS SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY. && .MARINE... NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... AS OF 3 PM THURSDAY...A THREE TO FOUR FOOT SELY SWELL WITH A PERIOD OF ABOUT 8 SECONDS CONTINUES ACROSS THE COASTAL WATERS...LEADING TO SEAS A BIT HIGHER THAN WHAT WOULD BE INDICATED BY WIND SPEED ALONE. SWELL IS BEING GENERATED AROUND BACK SIDE OF WESTLANT HIGH. SWLY GRADIENT OVER THE WATERS WILL STRENGTHEN A BIT THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING AS A WEAK COLD FRONT DESCENDS UPON THE CENTRAL CAROLINAS...BRINGING WINDS UP TO AROUND 15 KTS. THIS WILL BUILD SEAS ANOTHER FOOT TO A SOLID 4 FT THROUGHOUT BY TONIGHT...WITH 5 FOOTERS A POSSIBILITY. SHORT TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT/... AS OF 3 PM THURSDAY...SW GRADIENT AHEAD OF THE FRONT WILL PERSIST THRU THE PERIOD AS THE BOUNDARY REMAINS TO OUR WEST. DAILY SEABREEZE CIRCULATION WILL GOVERN THE WIND SPEEDS...WITH WINDS NEAR SHORE GETTING TO AROUND 15 KT. SEAS GENERALLY 3-4 FT...PERHAPS A LITTLE HIGHER TO BEGIN WITH. EVEN THO WE MAINTAIN STATUS QUO IN WAVE HEIGHTS THE CHARACTER OF THE SEAS WILL CHANGE FRI INTO SAT AS THE SE SWELL FADES AND THE SW WIND WAVE BECOMES THE DOMINANT SEA. LONG TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... AS OF 3PM THURSDAY...THE APPROACH OF A COLD FRONT WILL LEAD TO AN INCREASE IN GRADIENT WINDS FOR MOST OF THE PD. 15 TO 20 KT WILL LIKELY BE THE MOST REPRESENTATIVE CATEGORY OF WINDS WITHIN THE CWF TEXT PRODUCT BUT COULD BE A LITTLE LOWER SHOULD THE BOUNDARY NOT HOLD TOGETHER AS MUCH AS ADVERTISED BY MODELS. SUCH A WEAKENING TREND WILL ALREADY BECOME EVIDENT BY MONDAY AS THE DISSIPATING BOUNDARY YIELDS TO A BERMUDA HIGH AS THE DOMINANT WIND-MAKER. THIS SHOULD TAKE WINDS DOWN INTO THE 10 TO 15 KT RANGE. SEAS WILL NOT SHOW MUCH CHANGE THOUGH THE PD...GENERALLY STAYING IN THE 2 TO 4 FT RANGE. && .ILM WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... SC...NONE. NC...NONE. MARINE...NONE. && NEAR TERM...REK SHORT TERM...RAS LONG TERM...RGZ AVIATION...REK/DL
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC 432 PM EDT THU JUL 23 2009 NCZ097-100-101-242045- PENDER-BRUNSWICK-NEW HANOVER- 432 PM EDT THU JUL 23 2009 ...HIGH RISK OF RIP CURRENTS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM EDT THIS EVENING... ...HIGH RISK OF RIP CURRENTS IN EFFECT FROM FRIDAY MORNING THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. HIGH RISK OF RIP CURRENTS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. HIGH RISK OF RIP CURRENTS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. AMZ250-252-254-256-242045- 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- 432 PM EDT THU JUL 23 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. NCZ087-096-099-SCZ017-023-024-032-033-039-242045- ROBESON-BLADEN-COLUMBUS-MARLBORO-DARLINGTON-DILLON-FLORENCE-MARION- WILLIAMSBURG- 432 PM EDT THU JUL 23 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA AND NORTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. SCZ034-046-242045- HORRY-GEORGETOWN- 432 PM EDT THU JUL 23 2009 ...MODERATE RISK OF RIP CURRENTS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM EDT THIS EVENING... ...MODERATE RISK OF RIP CURRENTS IN EFFECT FROM FRIDAY MORNING THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. MODERATE RISK OF RIP CURRENTS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. MODERATE RISK OF RIP CURRENTS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. RJD
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC 345 PM EDT THU JUL 23 2009 NCZ099>101-232045- COLUMBUS-NEW HANOVER-BRUNSWICK- 345 PM EDT THU JUL 23 2009 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER BORDER BETWEEN COLUMBUS AND BRUNSWICK COUNTIES... AT 343 PM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS NEAR ASH...FREELAND AND PIREWAY WAS MOVING EAST AT 20 MPH. THIS THUNDERSTORM HAS THE CAPABILITY OF PRODUCING GUSTY WINDS UP TO 40 MPH AND FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. COMMUNITIES IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS ARE CAROLINA BEACH...LONG BEACH...MYRTLE GROVE...OAK ISLAND...ASH...BOILING SPRING LAKES... CALABASH...CIVIE TOWN...CRUSOE ISLAND...EXUM...FREELAND AND GRISSETTOWN. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... THUNDERSTORMS CAN POSE A VARIETY OF THREATS INCLUDING GUSTY WINDS... SMALL HAIL...CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...AND LOCALIZED FLOODING. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU REMAIN INDOORS UNTIL THE STORMS PASS. && 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. RGZ
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC 411 PM EDT THU JUL 23 2009 NCZ100-101-232115- NEW HANOVER-BRUNSWICK- 411 PM EDT THU JUL 23 2009 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER BRUNSWICK COUNTY... AT 410 PM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS...5 MILES NORTHEAST OF SHALLOTTE...OR 13 MILES NORTHWEST OF OAK ISLAND...MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH. THIS THUNDERSTORM HAS THE CAPABILITY OF PRODUCING GUSTY WINDS UP TO 40 MPH AND FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. COMMUNITIES IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS ARE CAROLINA BEACH...LONG BEACH...OAK ISLAND...ASH...BOILING SPRING LAKES...CALABASH...CIVIE TOWN...EXUM...FREELAND...GRISSETTOWN...HONEY ISLAND AND IREDELL. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... THUNDERSTORMS CAN POSE A VARIETY OF THREATS INCLUDING GUSTY WINDS... SMALL HAIL...CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...AND LOCALIZED FLOODING. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU REMAIN INDOORS UNTIL THE STORMS PASS. && 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. RGZ
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC 457 PM EDT THU JUL 23 2009 SCZ046-232145- GEORGETOWN- 457 PM EDT THU JUL 23 2009 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER SOUTHERN GEORGETOWN COUNTY... AT 452 PM EDT...A THUNDERSTORM WAS PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN...SOUTHEAST OF LAMBERT AND SAMPIT..SPREADING SLOWLY NORTH NORTHEAST. THIS THUNDERSTORM WILL CONTINUE TO PRODUCE GUSTY WINDS...FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND HEAVY RAINFALL CAUSING PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS. COMMUNITIES AFFECTED BY THESE STORMS ARE GEORGETOWN...GRAVES... LAMBERT...NORTH SANTEE AND SAMPIT. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... THUNDERSTORMS CAN POSE A VARIETY OF THREATS INCLUDING GUSTY WINDS... SMALL HAIL...CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...AND LOCALIZED FLOODING. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU REMAIN INDOORS UNTIL THE STORMS PASS. && 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. RGZ
The Wilmington radar (KLTX), 81 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:00 UTC.
1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Lightning struck a home on Saint John's Church Road. The house sustained very minor damage, and a microwave oven was destroyed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in North Carolina in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in North Carolina, July 2009
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: 187915.