Lightning was the probable cause of a church fire.
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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 ILM wrote it up.
Lightning was the probable cause of a church fire.
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 Jun 27, 2:30 PM EST, 10 hours earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC 330 PM EDT SAT JUN 27 2009 .SYNOPSIS... ISOLATED SEVERE WEATHER IS POSSIBLE THROUGH THIS EVENING...AS A WEAK FRONT MOVING SLOWLY SOUTH ACROSS THE AREA INTERACTS WITH STRONG HEATING. ANOTHER WARM DAY IS EXPECTED SUNDAY...BUT SLIGHTLY LOWER RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES WILL MAKE IT FEEL NOT QUITE AS HOT. DRIER WEATHER IS EXPECTED INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK WITH TEMPERATURES NEAR TO A LITTLE ABOVE NORMAL. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... AS OF 245 PM SATURDAY...ISOLATED SEVERE CONVECTION REMAINS A GOOD POSSIBILITY ACROSS THE ILM FORECAST AREA THROUGH AT LEAST MID EVENING. A FRONTAL BOUNDARY SLIPPING SLOWLY SOUTHWARD MAY COINCIDE WITH OR JUST AFTER PEAK HEATING ACROSS THE NC ZONES INTO THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING. DRYNESS ALOFT SHOULD LIMIT COVERAGE OF SEVERE CONVECTION. SEA BREEZE LOOKS POISED TO REMAIN PINNED ALONG THE COAST SO WE MAY HAVE A SHOT AT ROUGH WEATHER ALONG THE COAST INTO THIS EVENING IF THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY AND SEA BREEZE FRONT COUPLED WITH 3500 J/KG CAN HOIST LOW LEVEL AIR PARCELS RAPIDLY ENOUGH TO BUST THE CAP AND REACH EQUILIBRIUM LEVELS AROUND 50000 FEET. THE HIGH CAPE/LOW SHEAR SHOULD TRANSLATE TO A ISOLATED THREAT OF DAMAGING WINDS AND MARGINALLY SEVERE HAIL. SPC HOLDS ONTO SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA THROUGH EVENING SO A WATCH BOX IS NOT ENTIRELY OUT OF THE QUESTION. && .SHORT TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT/... AS OF 3 PM SATURDAY... LOOKS LIKE FRONT WILL HAVE JUST PUSHED THROUGH THE ILM CWA SUN MORNING WITH A GOOD PUSH OF DRIER AIR COMING IN WITH DEEP LAYER NW FLOW. NAM SEEMS TO BE THE DRIER SOLUTION WITH PCP WATER VALUES REACHING DOWN TOWARD AN INCH EVEN NEAR THE COAST WHILE GFS HOLDS VALUES UP NEAR 1.25 INCHES NEAR THE COAST, ALSO MOS GUIDANCE SHOWING ABOUT A 6 DEGREE DIFFERENCE IN DEW POINTS INLAND, FOR NOW WILL GO MORE MIDDLE OF ROAD WHICH WILL KEEP OUR LOCAL AREA BELOW HEAT ADVISORY CRITERIA WITH HOTTEST TEMPS INLAND AND SOUTH THROUGH SOUTH CAROLINA BUT HIGHEST DEWPOINTS JUST ALONG THE COAST. GREATEST HEAT INDEX VALUES WILL BE IN THE COASTAL SC ZONES...BUT SHOULD REMAIN JUST BELOW CRITERIA. THIS BRIEF DRYING WILL BE SHORT LIVED AS ANOTHER FRONT WILL MOVE INTO THE CAROLINAS BY LATE SUN. SHOULD SEE SOME SHWRS/TSTMS MOVE DOWN INTO OUR LOCAL AREA IN THE NW FLOW BY LATE AFTN OR EVENING AS FRONT PROGRESSES THROUGH NC. FRONT MAY LINGER OVER LOCAL AREA LONG ENOUGH TO PRODUCE SOME WEATHER ON MON...BUT NAM IS QUICKER TO DRY AREA OUT. FOR NOW KEPT GREATEST POPS INLAND ZONES LATE SUN AND GREATEST POPS ALONG THE COAST MON AFTN. MUCH DRIER AIR WILL MOVE IN BY MON NIGHT FROM NW TO SE. && .LONG TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/... AS OF 3 PM SATURDAY...UPPER TROF OVER THE GREAT LAKES MID-WEEK...BUT LITTLE TO DISRUPT A ZONAL FLOW OVER THE CAROLINAS. DEEP WESTERLY FLOW WILL SHUNT THE DEEPER MOISTURE OFFSHORE...BUT NOT READY TO HANG MY HAT ON A SIGNIFICANT AIR MASS CHANGE OVER THE EASTERN CAROLINAS. HIGH CONFIDENCE THAT TEMPS WILL BE ABOVE NORMAL ONE WAY OR THE OTHER...WITH HIGHS PUNCHING INTO THE LOWER 90S EACH DAY AND LOWS MAINLY IN THE LOWER 70S...BUT WILL GO WITH A LOW CONFIDENCE FORECAST OF LOWER DEWPOINTS AND POPS IN THE SILENT 20 CATEGORY AT MOST. && .AVIATION /18Z SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... ATMOSPHERE A BIT DRYER ALOFT THAN YESTERDAY...HOWEVER DYNAMICS STILL EXIST FOR SUPERCELLS LATER TODAY...MAINLY OVER NORTH CAROLINA AS THE TROUGH/FRONT MOVES EAST. DUE TO THE DRYER AIR...THINK ONSET OF THE STORMS WILL BE AN HOUR OR TWO LATER THAN YESTERDAY AND LESS WIDESPREAD. THINK ILM STANDS THE BEST CHANCE FOR A DIRECT HIT...SO WENT WITH INTERMITTENT STRONG GUSTS AND REDUCED VISIBILITIES IN HEAVY RAIN AND THUNDER. MOST OF THE ACTIVITY WILL PUSH OFF THE COAST BY EARLY EVENING...WITH FAIRLY STABLE CONDITIONS BEHIND THE CONVECTION. THE WESTERN PORTION OF THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY MAY STALL...SO FLO HAS A SMALL CHANCE OF OVERNIGHT CONVECTION...BUT WILL LEAVE THAT OUT AT THIS TIME. CHANCE FOR MVFR FOG BEFORE SUNRISE...WITH THE BEST CHANCE FOR FOG AT TERMINALS THAT RECEIVED PRECIPITATION. FOG MIXES OUT QUICKLY WITH WINDS BECOMING NORTHERLY AS THE FRONT DROPS JUST SOUTH OF THE REGION. EXTENDED OUTLOOK THROUGH WEDNESDAY...ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS SUNDAY EVENING. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS MONDAY. && .MARINE... NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... AS OF 245 PM SATURDAY...SHOULD SEE A W TO SW WIND FLOW OVER THE WATERS THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. AS HEATING DROPS OFF SUSPECT THE WEAK FRONT TO THE NORTH WILL FALL SLOWLY SOUTH OVER THE MARINE ZONES...BRINGING WINDS FROM THE N TO NNE OVERNIGHT WITH LIGHT TO MODERATE WIND SPEEDS. HARD TO SAY IF THE FRONT WILL MAKE IT AS FAR SOUTH AS NORTH SANTEE...BUT NOT A LARGE IMPACT IN TERMS OF BOATING HAZARD SINCE WINDS OVERALL APPEAR TO REMAIN 12 KNOTS OR LESS EITHER SIDE OF THE BOUNDARY...MAYBE A FEW LOCAL GUSTS AROUND 18 KNOTS. IF THE FRONT STALLS IT WILL LIKELY BE OVER THE SC MARINE ZONES SOMEWHERE BY DAYBREAK SUNDAY. AS FAR AS SEAS GO...NO BIG PROBLEMS...GENERALLY 2 TO 3 FEET...BUT A FEW 4 FOOTERS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE VERY OUTER PORTIONS OF THE 20NM MARINE ZONE SOUTH OF MURRELLS INLET. DOMINANT WAVE PERIODS TO ACCOMPANY THE SEAS SHOULD RUN IN THE 6-7 SECOND RANGE WHICH SHOULD NOT POSE A SIGNIFICANT HAZARD FOR THE WEEKEND BOATERS. .SHORT TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT/... AS OF 3 PM SATURDAY...OFFSHORE FLOW ON SUNDAY WILL BECOME SOUTHWESTERLY LATER IN THE DAY AS FIRST BOUNDARY MOVES FARTHER OFFSHORE AND ANOTHER COLD FRONT APPROACHES FROM THE NORTHWEST. SPEEDS WILL INCREASE SLIGHTLY SUN NIGHT AND MON AS NEXT BOUNDARY APPROACHES...BUT 15 KT LOOKS TO BE THE UPPER BOUND. FRONT PUSHES OFFSHORE LATE MON NIGHT WITH SPEEDS DROPPING OFF AND WINDS BECOMING WESTERLY. SEAS WILL RUN 2 TO 4 FT THROUGH THE PERIOD...THOUGH CHANGEABLE WINDS MAY RESULT IN CHOPPY SEAS. LONG TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... AS OF 3 PM SATURDAY...NOT SEEING MUCH TO GET EXCITED ABOUT OVER THE WATER FOR THE EXTENDED. DISSIPATING FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL NOT BE FAR AWAY...SO THE GRADIENT WILL BE ON THE WEAK SIDE. WILL GENERALLY MAINTAIN WEST-SOUTHWEST WINDS OVER THE WATERS...AND BE DEPENDENT ON SEABREEZE OSCILLATIONS TO BACK THINGS SSW ON ANY GIVEN AFTERNOON AND POSSIBLY BUMP SPEEDS UP TO 15 KT. OTHERWISE WINDS AROUND 10 KT...AND SEAS 2-4 FT WHICH IS IN LINE WITH WNA WAVE GUIDANCE. && .ILM WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... SC...NONE. NC...NONE. MARINE...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...MJC NEAR TERM...MJC SHORT TERM...III LONG TERM...III AVIATION...MJC/DL
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC 344 PM EDT SAT JUN 27 2009 NCZ097-101-281945- PENDER-NEW HANOVER- 344 PM EDT SAT JUN 27 2009 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 526 IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM EDT THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST 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. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED. NCZ096-099-100-SCZ034-281945- BLADEN-COLUMBUS-BRUNSWICK-HORRY- 344 PM EDT SAT JUN 27 2009 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 526 IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM EDT THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA AND NORTHEAST SOUTH 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. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED. NCZ087-SCZ017-023-024-032-033-039-046-281945- ROBESON-MARLBORO-DARLINGTON-DILLON-FLORENCE-MARION-WILLIAMSBURG- GEORGETOWN- 344 PM EDT SAT JUN 27 2009 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 526 IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM EDT THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA AND NORTHEAST SOUTH 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. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED. AMZ250-252-254-256-281945- 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- 344 PM EDT SAT JUN 27 2009 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 526 IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM EDT THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS. .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. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED.
The Wilmington radar (KLTX), 70 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 05:31 UTC.
1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Lightning struck the Garden City Baptist Church early Sunday morning June 28th, setting it on fire. Half the church was burning, along with part of another building, before the fire fighters arrived. It took five hours to extinguish the blaze, and the church was destroyed. A fireman injured his ankle in the event.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in South Carolina in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in South Carolina, June 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: 178414.