Showers and thunderstorms developed in the afternoon and evening along a surface trough across central North Carolina, in a warm and moist atmosphere. A mid level shear axis crossed the area during the evening helping to intensive the thunderstorms.
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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.
Showers and thunderstorms developed in the afternoon and evening along a surface trough across central North Carolina, in a warm and moist atmosphere. A mid level shear axis crossed the area during the evening helping to intensive the thunderstorms. Some of the thunderstorms during the evening became severe and produced several reports of damaging winds.
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 Jul 26, 7:15 PM EST, 56 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC 815 PM EDT SUN JUL 26 2009 .SYNOPSIS... AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WILL SWING NORTHEAST THROUGH THE REGION TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY. BERMUDA HIGH PRESSURE TO OUR EAST WILL THEN TO BUILD WESTWARD INTO THE AREA THROUGH MIDWEEK... AND THE RESULTING SOUTHWEST FLOW WILL BRING INCREASING MOISTURE AND HUMIDITY INTO THE REGION. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... AS OF 300 PM... LATEST VIS SAT SHOWS UNSTABLE CUMULUS CLOUD STREETS ACROSS MUCH OF CENTRAL NC. 18Z SFC ANALYSIS SHOWS A LEE TROF EXTENDING FROM WEST OF KRIC TO E OF KDAN TO NEAR KCLT. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPED JUST BEFORE 18Z IN THE UNSTABLE AIRMASS E OF THE TROUGH. WITH A CELL IN WAYNE COUNTY ALREADY LOOKING FAIRLY INTENSE. LATEST SPC MESOANALYSIS INDICATING MIXED LAYER CAPE VALUES IN THE E PIEDMONT AND COASTAL PLAIN WELL IN EXCESS OF 2000 J/KG WITH A MAX OF 3500 J/KG IN THE CENTRAL COASTAL PLAIN. BULK SHEAR IS NOT VERY IMPRESSIVE WITH SHEAR VALUES OF 20 TO 25 KTS BUT IT SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT TO SUPPORT ORGANIZED CONVECTION WITH MULTICELLS. SHOULD BE A BUSY EVENING SHIFT WITH MULTIPLE CONVECTIVE EPISODES. INITIAL CONVECTION WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP AHEAD OF THE SFC TROUGH WITH INTENSITY CONTINUING TO INCREASE DURING THE NEXT FEW HOURS. SPC ANALYSIS SHOWS IMPRESSIVE ELEVATED CAPE WITH CAPE IN THE -10 TO -30 DEG HAIL/ICE ZONE IN EXCESS OF 800 J/KG INDICATIVE OF LARGE HAIL POTENTIAL AND SUPPORTIVE OF AN UNUSUALLY LARGE NUMBER OF LIGHTING STRIKES. ANOTHER AREA OF CONVECTION IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP IN THE FOOTHILLS AND MOVE EAST THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT. ELEVATED INSTABILITY PERSIST WELL INTO THE EVENING AND CONVECTION SHOULD PERSIST WELL INTO THE PRIME TIME HOURS BEFORE COVERAGE AND INTENSITY DIMINISHES AFTER MIDNIGHT. IN ADDITION TO THE WIND AND LARGE HAIL THREAT...FLASH FLOODING IS A CONCERN WITH AN INCREASINGLY MOIST AIRMASS AND WITH NAM/GFS BUFR SOUNDINGS INDICATING POTENTIAL FOR BACKWARD PROPAGATING CONVECTION... ESPECIALLY TONIGHT. RESIDUAL SFC BOUNDARY LIKELY TO PERSIST ACROSS CENTRAL NC ON MONDAY. SUFFICIENT MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY TO SUPPORT GOOD CONVECTIVE COVERAGE. SPC OUTLOOK HAS REGION IN SEE TEXT NOTING SUFFICIENT INSTABILITY BUT A LACK OF SHEAR FOR AN ORGANIZED SVR WEATHER THREAT. CLOUDS AND CONVECTION TONIGHT WILL KEEP LOWS IN THE UPPER 60S TO LOWER 70S WITH HIGHS ON MONDAY A LITTLE COOLER IN THE MID 80S TO LOWER 90S. -BLAES && .SHORT TERM /MONDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... AS OF 200 PM SUNDAY... THE AXIS OF THE WEAK UPPER TROUGH CURRENTLY OVER THE TENNESSEE RIVER VALLEY MOVES EAST OVER THE MID ATLANTIC MONDAY. SURFACE TO 850 MB FLOW BECOMES SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST MONDAY AND INCREASES TO 25 KT. THE LACK OF A SURFACE FEATURE TO FOCUS CONVECTION LOOKS LIKE IT WILL COMPENSATED BY PRECIPITABLE WATERS EXCEEDING 1.75 INCHES AND DECENT MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES. THE MIXED LAYER SHOULD NOT BE AS DEEP ON MONDAY AND A LOWER LFC SHOULD ALLOW CONVECTION TO FIRE EARLIER IN THE AFTERNOON OR EVEN LATE MORNING AND BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD. WITH LESS OF AN INVERTED-V PROFILE IN THE LOWER LEVELS AND LIGHTER WINDS THROUGHOUT THE COLUMN THE SEVERE POTENTIAL MONDAY SHOULD BE LOWER THAN THAT OF TODAY. CONVECTION BEGINS BY NOON MONDAY AND ADDITIONAL CLOUD COVER SHOULD HOLD TEMPERATURES DOWN...WITH HIGHS FORECAST AT 85 TO NEAR 90. MODELS SUGGEST SOME ENHANCED 850 MB CONFLUENCE PERSISTING INTO THE EVENING HOURS MONDAY AND CONVECTION HAS A GOOD CHANCE TO LAST INTO THE EARLY MORNING HOURS TUESDAY BEFORE LOW LEVEL SURFACE INVERSION BEGINS TO STABILIZE THINGS AFTER MIDNIGHT. ANOTHER MILD NIGHT WITH MOST STAYING ABOVE 70 DEGREES. WIND PROFILES WEAKEN A BIT MORE TUESDAY AND DRIER AIR MOVES INTO THE MID LEVELS. LAPSE RATES ARE STILL STEEP ENOUGH TO SUPPORT STRONG UPDRAFTS BUT THE MAIN ISSUE TUESDAY WILL BE AVAILABLE DEEP MOISTURE. RAIN CHANCES WILL BE BEST IN THE EAST (AT 40 PERCENT) WHERE MOISTURE AND WINDS ARE HIGHER. CONVECTION SHOULD INITIATE A LITTLE LATER IN THE AFTERNOON THAN ON MONDAY AND TEMPERATURES SHOULD BE A BIT WARMER THAN MONDAY AT 88 TO 93. && .LONG TERM /TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY/... AS OF 200 PM SUNDAY... WE SETTLE INTO A CLASSIC SUMMERTIME PATTERN FOR NC WITH HAZY...HOT AND HUMID CONDITIONS COUPLED WITH DIURNAL THUNDERSTORMS. LITTLE CHANGE IN FORECAST RATIONALE THIS PERIOD. A BROAD MEAN TROUGH WILL REMAIN CENTERED OVER THE CENTRAL US/MS VALLEY... AND A STRONG SUBTROPICAL/BERMUDA RIDGE OVER THE SERN US. THIS WILL RESULT IN A DEEP SLY FLOW OVER CENTRAL NC WITH TEMPERATURES WARMING A FEW DEGREES EACH DAY. HEAT INDICES FOR THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK COULD APPROACH 100 DEGREES. ALONG WITH THE HUMID CONDITIONS TYPICAL SUMMERTIME AFTERNOON AND EVENING SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE EACH DAY. TEMPERATURES WITHIN A COUPLE OF DEGREES OF 90 FOR HIGHS WITH THE WARMEST DAYS ON THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. LOWS 68 TO 74 DEGREES. && .AVIATION /00Z MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... AS OF 800 PM SUNDAY... VFR CONDITIONS WILL DOMINATE TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY AT CENTRAL NC TERMINAL FORECAST SITES... WITH A COUPLE OF EXCEPTIONS. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND STORMS CONTINUE TO DEVELOP OVER THE AREA BUT ATTAIN LITTLE STRENGTH BEFORE DISSIPATING... THUS STORM COVERAGE HAS BEEN MINIMAL. AS THE ATMOSPHERE IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN SOMEWHAT UNSTABLE (EVEN IN AN ELEVATED SENSE) THROUGH TONIGHT... A STRAY SHOWER OR STORM MAY AFFECT ANY SITE AT ANY TIME... BUT THE RISK OF ANY LOCATION ATTAINING MVFR OR WORSE CONDITIONS WITHIN SHOWERS/STORMS THROUGH MONDAY AFTERNOON IS SMALL. THE GREATEST CHANCE FOR ADVERSE AVIATION CONDITIONS IS AT KFAY AND KRWI MONDAY AFTERNOON INTO EARLY EVENING AS AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE TRACKS NE THROUGH ERN NC. THE OVERALL MOISTURE... SOMEWHAT LIMITED TODAY... INCREASES TONIGHT INTO MONDAY... THUS STORM COVERAGE SHOULD BE GREATER MONDAY AFTERNOON/ EVENING THAN TODAYS COVERAGE. ALSO... AREAS OF HIGH-END MVFR FOG (BRIEF 4SM-6SM) ARE POSSIBLE AT ALL SITES 08Z-13Z... AND MAY GET DOWN TO 1-2SM WITH BCFG LOCALLY AT KRWI. 5-6SM IN HAZE MAY LINGER THROUGH 16Z MONDAY. OTHERWISE... A STEADY STREAM OF CLOUDS -- VARYING FROM SCATTERED TO BROKEN -- WITH BASES AT 6-8KFT AND 10KFT-15KFT ARE ANTICIPATED AT ALL SITES OVERNIGHT AND MONDAY. HAVE INCLUDED VCTS AFTER 18Z MONDAY AT ALL LOCATIONS. PERIODIC SWRLY GUSTS TO 17-20 KTS ARE POSSIBLE MONDAY AFTERNOON... BUT CONFIDENCE IS NOT HIGH THAT THESE WILL OCCUR WITH ANY FREQUENCY AND WILL NOT INCLUDE THEM IN THE FORECASTS JUST YET. LOOKING BEYOND MID EVENING MONDAY... MVFR TO IFR VSBYS IN FOG ARE POSSIBLE AT ALL SITES NEARLY EVERY DAY 07Z-13Z. AS WE RETURN TO A MOIST SUMMERTIME PATTERN... EACH AFTERNOON THROUGH EARLY EVENING WILL SEE THE RISK OF SCATTERED SHOWERS AND STORMS WILL LOCALLY POOR MVFR-IFR CONDITIONS. -GIH && .RAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && SYNOPSIS...HARTFIELD NEAR TERM...BLAES SHORT TERM...JO LONG TERM...JO AVIATION...HARTFIELD
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC 128 PM EDT SUN JUL 26 2009 NCZ007>011-021>028-038>043-073>078-083>086-088-089-271730- 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- 128 PM EDT SUN JUL 26 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON AND MOVE NORTHEAST ACROSS CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA. THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE EASTERN PIEDMONT...THE SANDHILLS AND COASTAL PLAIN WHERE THE ATMOSPHERE IS EXPECTED TO BE MORE UNSTABLE. A FEW OF THE STORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE... WITH DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL. THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL LIKELY PRODUCE HEAVY RAIN WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR STORMS TO BACK BUILD AND DUMP VERY HEAVY RAIN REPEATEDLY OVER A LOCATION... CREATING THE RISK FOR FLASH FLOODING. IN ADDITION...SUFFICIENT INSTABILITY IS PRESENT AT MID AND UPPER LEVELS OF THE ATMOSPHERE TO SUPPORT AN UNUSUALLY LARGE AMOUNT OF LIGHTNING THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL LIKELY CONTINUE INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS WITH STRONG THUNDERSTORMS STILL POSSIBLE INTO THE EARLY MORNING HOURS. .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. BLAES
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC 346 PM EDT SUN JUL 26 2009 NCZ041-042-262035- JOHNSTON-WAKE- 346 PM EDT SUN JUL 26 2009 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL MOVE ACROSS SOUTHERN WAKE AND WESTERN JOHNSTON COUNTIES THROUGH 445 PM... AT 342 PM... A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED OVER HOLLY SPRINGS... MOVING NORTHEAST AROUND 20 MPH. THIS STORM WILL AFFECT LAKE WHEELER... GARNER... SOUTHEAST RALEIGH... KNIGHTDALE... AND WENDELL. GUSTY WINDS UP TO 40 MPH... SMALL HAIL OF A QUARTER INCH IN DIAMETER... AND DANGEROUS CLOUD-TO-GROUND LIGHTNING CAN BE EXPECTED IN THESE AREAS. IF YOU SEE LIGHTNING OR HEAR THUNDER...YOU ARE AT RISK. TAKE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY. BOATERS ON THE OPEN WATER ARE ESPECIALLY VULNERABLE TO THE DANGERS OF LIGHTNING. GET TO SHORE AND TO A SAFE LOCATION AT THE FIRST SIGN OF A STORM. GIH
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC 429 PM EDT SUN JUL 26 2009 NCZ041-042-077-262130- HARNETT-JOHNSTON-WAKE- 429 PM EDT SUN JUL 26 2009 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL MOVE ACROSS WAKE...JOHNSTON AND HARNETT COUNTIES THROUGH 530 PM EDT... AT 428 PM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM ABOUT 9 MILES NORTHWEST OF LILLINGTON...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH. SOME LOCATIONS AFFECTED BY THIS STORM INCLUDE DUNCAN... FUQUAY-VARINA... ANGIER... AND MAY PASS NEAR CLAYTON. GUSTY WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH...SMALL HAIL AND DANGEROUS CLOUD-TO-GROUND LIGHTNING CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THIS THUNDERSTORM. KEEP A CLOSE WATCH TO THE SKY IF YOU ARE OUTDOORS. DONT WAIT UNTIL RAIN BEGINS TO TAKE SHELTER. REMEMBER...LIGHTNING CAN STRIKE UP TO 15 MILES FROM THE THUNDERSTORM CLOUD. GO TO YOUR CAR OR A BUILDING AT THE FIRST SIGN OF A STORM OR WHEN THUNDER IS HEARD. GIH
The Raleigh/Durham radar (KRAX), 54 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 01:12 UTC.
2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Power-lines were reported down on North Carolina Highway 56. Numerous power outages were reported across eastern portions of Franklin County as well. One tree was blown onto a house on Edward Best Road.
One tree was reported down across Nash Brick Road, between Ita Road and White Oak Road.
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: 187859, 187862.