Tornado and Damaging Winds in North Carolina, July 20, 2010

Name: Tornado and Damaging Winds in North Carolina, July 20, 2010
Start: 2010-07-20T15:50
End: 2010-07-20T16:45
Location: North Carolina

July 20, 2010 · NWS AKQ · 9 events in 4 counties and zones

Scattered severe thunderstorms associated with a weak trough produced damaging winds across portions of northeast North Carolina.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $16,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 9

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS AKQ wrote it up.

Scattered severe thunderstorms associated with a weak trough produced damaging winds across portions of northeast North Carolina.

What forecasters said that day

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 Wakefield, VA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 20, 3:19 PM EST, 31 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 20, 3:19 PM EST, 31 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 20, 1:02 PM EST, 2 hours 48 minutes before

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In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 20, 10:09 AM EST, 5 hours 41 minutes before

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Special weather statement, Jul 20, 1:54 PM EST, 1 hour 56 minutes before

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Special weather statement, Jul 20, 2:11 PM EST, 1 hour 39 minutes before

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Special weather statement, Jul 20, 2:40 PM EST, 1 hour 10 minutes before

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Special weather statement, Jul 20, 2:57 PM EST, 53 minutes before

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Special weather statement, Jul 20, 3:27 PM EST, 23 minutes before

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The radar

The Norfolk radar (KAKQ), 68 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:48 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

8 thunderstorm wind, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Gates

When: July 20, 3:50 PM EST
Where: Gates County, 0.89 mi NW of Gatesville
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $2,000
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 36.410, -76.760

Trees were downed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Gates

When: July 20, 4:00 PM EST
Where: Gates County, 0.89 mi NE of Sunbury
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $2,000
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 36.440, -76.610

Trees were downed.

Tornado, Pasquotank

When: July 20, 4:15 PM EST to 4:16 PM EST
Where: Pasquotank County, 4.11 mi SSE of Morgans Corners to 4.09 mi SE of Morgans Corners
Rating: EF0
Path length: 0.15 mi
Path width: 30 yd
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 36.370, -76.310

An off duty Deputy reported a short-lived tornado near the intersection of Business Route 17 and the Route 17 Bypass north of Elizabeth City. It stayed on the ground for only a few seconds. No damage was reported.

Thunderstorm Wind, Currituck

When: July 20, 4:40 PM EST
Where: Currituck County, 0.56 mi W of Aydlett
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $2,000
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 36.330, -75.910

Trees were downed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Camden

When: July 20, 4:45 PM EST
Where: Camden County, 1.81 mi WSW of Indian Town
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $3,000
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 36.320, -76.110

A tree was downed onto a trailer on McKimmey Road.

Thunderstorm Wind, Camden

When: July 20, 4:45 PM EST
Where: Camden County, Camden
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $2,000
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 36.330, -76.170

Trees and power lines were downed throughout central and southern portions of the county.

Thunderstorm Wind, Camden

When: July 20, 4:45 PM EST
Where: Camden County, 1.81 mi WSW of Hastings Corner
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 36.360, -76.200

A tree was downed onto a house on Amy Drive.

Thunderstorm Wind, Camden

When: July 20, 4:45 PM EST
Where: Camden County, 1.77 mi SE of Lambs Corner
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $2,000
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 36.360, -76.210

A tree was downed onto a house on Shipyard Road causing damage to the structure.

Thunderstorm Wind, Currituck

When: July 20, 4:45 PM EST
Where: Currituck County, 0.69 mi S of Grandy
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $2,000
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 36.240, -75.880

Trees were downed.

What these are

Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
Tornado: A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in North Carolina in 2010 Every state in 2010 This day in weather history The tornado archive for North Carolina, 2010 Warnings in North Carolina, July 2010

Sources

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 251757, 251758, 253559, 251759, 251766, 251783, 251784, 251786, 251787.