Thunderstorms formed along the sea breeze and interacted with several residual boundaries, creating excessive lightning. A funnel cloud was also reported.
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.
Thunderstorms formed along the sea breeze and interacted with several residual boundaries, creating excessive lightning. A funnel cloud was also reported.
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 14, 2:27 PM EST, 58 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC 327 PM EDT SUN AUG 14 2011 .SYNOPSIS... A COLD FRONT WILL CROSS THE EASTERN CAROLINAS LATE TONIGHT AND EARLY MONDAY. WEAK HIGH PRESSURE RIDGING IN FROM THE NORTH WILL KEEP TEMPERATURES NEAR NORMAL FOR MOST OF THIS WEEK...WITH MODEST HUMIDITY LEVELS FOR MID-AUGUST. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... AS OF 3 PM SUNDAY...CONVECTION NOT FIRING YET...BUT ONLY A MATTER OF TIME. TEMPS HAVE RISEN INTO THE MID 80S DESPITE MORE CLOUDS THAN SUN AND COMBINED WITH DEWPOINTS IN THE 70S HAVE PRODUCED AN AIRMASS WITH CAPE VALUES IN THE 1500 TO 2000 J/KG RANGE. 18Z CHS SOUNDING DOES SHOW A WEAK CAP AROUND 900 MB...WHICH MAY BE JUST ENOUGH TO INITIALLY HOLD BACK DEEP CONVECTION. OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES FROM STORMS TO THE WEST DEVELOPING ALONG ADVANCING COLD FRONT WILL MOVE INTO THE AREA WITHIN THE NEXT FEW HOURS. THESE BOUNDARIES WILL HELP INITIATE CONVECTION AND ENHANCE ANY ONGOING STORMS. LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING ARRIVAL OF STRONG DIVERGENCE ALOFT AHEAD OF 5H TROF AXIS AND SURFACE COLD FRONT WILL ADD A GOOD AMOUNT OF SYNOPTIC LIFT. SPC HAS MAINTAINED THE SLIGHT RISK OVER MUCH OF THE SOUTHEAST...ENCOMPASSING ALL OF THE ILM FORECAST AREA. INCREASING DRY AIR ALOFT SUGGESTS DAMAGING WIND...THOUGH 500 MB TEMPS IN THE -6 TO -7 RANGE ALSO MAKE MARGINALLY SEVERE HAIL A THREAT. COLD FRONT PUSHES ACROSS THE REGION LATER TONIGHT WITH MUCH DRIER AIR STARTING TO BUILD IN BEHIND IT. NOT BUYING THE NAM ONLY INTENSE SHORTWAVE ROTATING AROUND THE BASE OF THE UPPER TROF AND ITS EXTREME PRECIP TOTALS. DRIER/COOLER AIR MOVING IN SHOULD HELP BRING AN END TO PRECIP OVERNIGHT. LINGERING CLOUD COVER AND WESTERLY FLOW WILL KEEP LOWS IN THE LOWER 70S...VERY CLOSE TO BUT JUST ABOVE CLIMO. && .SHORT TERM /MONDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT/... AS OF 3 PM SUNDAY...FORECAST CONFIDENCE IS LOW AS CAN BE EXPECTED WITH ANY PREDICTED AUGUST FROPA. BEST GUESS AT THIS POINT IS STILL THAT THE FRONT WILL BE SOMEWHERE VERY NEAR THE COAST AT 12Z MONDAY. NAM IS QUITE BULLISH WITH A PRECIP BULLSEYE THAT WOULD JUST BE EXITING THE COASTAL COUNTIES AT 12Z...BUT NOT BUYING THAT AT THIS TIME. FOR NOW WILL JUST HANG ON TO SLIGHT CHANCE IN THE COASTAL COUNTIES JUST FOR TIMING OF OVERNIGHT ACTIVITY. AFTERNOON PROSPECTS WILL BE LIMITED TO RESIDUAL LOW-LEVEL MOISTURE BEING SQUEEZED OUT BY THE SEABREEZE...I.E. TOO ISOLATED TO WARRANT A 20 POP. DRY CONDITIONS EXPECTED MON NIGHT THROUGH TUE NIGHT WITH HIGH PRESSURE AND DRYING MID-LEVELS. DAYTIME TEMPS JUST EITHER SIDE OF NORMAL FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR...BUT MINS WILL BE JUST A BIT COOLER AS THE DEWPOINTS WILL DROP WELL INTO THE 60S...A RARE TREAT FOR MID-AUGUST. && .LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... AS OF 3 PM SUNDAY...HIGH PRESSURE EXTENDING DOWN THE EAST COAST WILL SHIFT EAST MOVING OFF SHORE BY THURS AS BERMUDA HIGH BUILDS WESTWARD FROM THE ATLANTIC AND BECOMES DOMINANT FEATURE. BY FRIDAY...WE WILL REMAIN ON THE WESTERN PERIPHERY OF BERMUDA HIGH WHILE A COLD FRONT MAKES ITS WAY INTO THE WESTERN CAROLINAS. IN THE MID TO UPPER LEVELS AS ONE SHORTWAVE LIFTS OFF TO THE NORTHEAST THROUGH MID WEEK...ANOTHER BROADER TROUGH PUSHES EAST ACROSS AREA FRI THROUGH THE WEEKEND. OVERALL EXPECT DRIER MORE STABLE CONDITIONS WED INTO THURS WITH PCP WATER VALUES DOWN LESS THAN 1.5 INCHES. BY FRI A DEEPER MOISTER SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW WILL SET UP AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT IN THE WESTERN CAROLINAS. MOST WEATHER WILL REMAIN WEST OF CWA BUT EXPECT INCREASING CHC OF SHWRS/TSTMS BY LATE DAY ON FRI AS STEERING FLOW VEERS AROUND TO MORE W-NW AS SHORTWAVE MOVES CLOSER. ACTUAL SFC FRONT SHOULD NOT MAKE IT THROUGH...LEAVING AN OVERALL MOISTER AIR MASS THROUGH THE WEEKEND WITH A LOWER END CHC OF SHWRS/TSTMS EACH DAY. TEMPS WILL BASICALLY BE AROUND CLIMO THROUGH THE PERIOD WITH HIGHS NEAR 90 AND LOWS CLOSER TO 70. WILL SEE RELATIVELY DRIER AIR IN PLACE MID WEEK WITH DEWPOINT TEMPS IN THE MID 60S INLAND...BUT MOISTURE WILL CREEP BACK IN LATE THURS THROUGH THE WEEKEND. && .AVIATION /19Z SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... AS OF 18Z...JUST REACHING THE CONVECTIVE TEMP...SO THINGS SHOULD START TO POP SOON. DAYTIME HEATING...GOOD PWAT VALUES...AND AN UPPER TROUGH WILL KICK OFF SCATTERED CONVECTION. BRIEF HEAVY RAIN AND SOME GUSTY WEST WINDS WILL ACCOMPANY THE CONVECTION. TONIGHT...SIMILAR POSSIBILITIES FOR FOG/STRATUS...BEST CHANCE AT THE INLAND TERMINALS. CONVECTIVE DEBRIS MAY HINDER FOG/STRATUS FORMATION EARLY ON. IT MAY BE MORE OF A STRATUS SITUATION. MONDAY...ISOLATED CONVECTION WILL PROBABLY STILL BE AROUND...PARTICULARLY WITH THE AFTERNOON HEATING AND A WEAK COLD POOL ALOFT. EXTENDED OUTLOOK...ISOLATED/SCATTERED SHOWERS/TSTMS MONDAY. MORE TYPICAL SUMMERTIME AFTN TSTMS POSSIBLE TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. && .MARINE... NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... AS OF 3 PM SUNDAY...SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST FLOW OVER THE WATERS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING WILL VEER TO WESTERLY LATE IN THE PERIOD AS SURFACE COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH. SPEEDS AHEAD OF THE FRONT WILL GENERALLY RUN 10 TO 15 KT...THOUGH MUCH HIGHER SPEEDS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN STRONGEST STORMS. SEVERE STORMS MAY AFFECT THE WATERS LATER THIS EVENING...WITH DAMAGING WINDS BEING THE MAIN CONCERN. POST FRONT OFFSHORE FLOW WILL BE 10 TO 15 KT...BUT LACKING ANY SIGNIFICANT COLD ADVECTION DO NOT EXPECT MUCH GUSTINESS. SEAS WILL RUN 2 TO 3 FT BUT COULD BRIEFLY TOUCH 4 FT WELL AWAY FROM SHORE AHEAD OF THE FRONT. SHORT TERM /MONDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT/... AS OF 3 PM SUNDAY...WILL INITIALIZE WITH LIGHT WEST WINDS AS THE FRONT SHOULD BE JUST OFFSHORE. HOWEVER THERE WILL NOT BE ENOUGH OF A PUSH BEHIND THE FRONT TO COUNTERACT THE SEA BREEZE...SO IF ANYTHING EXPECT WINDS TO BACK TO S/SW IN THE AFTERNOON. SHOULD GET A MORE DEFINITIVE VEERING TO NORTH OR NORTHWEST MONDAY NIGHT WITH THE FRONT CLEANLY TO OUR SOUTH AND EAST. HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE REMAINS WEAK ON TUESDAY...SO WINDS WILL AGAIN BE DOMINATED BY THE SEA BREEZE. LIGHT WINDS AND LACK OF INCOMING SWELL WILL LIMIT SEAS TO AROUND 2 FT. LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... AS OF 3 PM SUNDAY...A LIGHTER MORE VARIABLE FLOW WILL EXIST THROUGH MID WEEK AS WINDS SHIFT AROUND TO NE AND THEN BECOMING MORE ONSHORE THROUGH WED AFTN. BASICALLY WILL SEE SEA/LANDBREEZE DOMINATING WITH INCREASING ONSHORE WINDS NEAR SHORE THURS AFTN. BY FRI BERMUDA RIDGE BUILDS BACK WESTWARD FROM OUT IN THE ATLANTIC WHILE COLD FRONT APPROACHES THE WESTERN CAROLINAS. THIS COULD TIGHTEN THE GRADIENT ENOUGH TO PRODUCE SOUTHERLY WINDS GREATER THAN 10 KTS BUT OVERALL EXPECT WINDS LESS THAN 10 KTS WITH SEAS LESS THAN 3 FT. SLIGHT INCREASE ON FRI WILL PRODUCE SEAS CLOSER TO 3 FT. && .ILM WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... SC...NONE. NC...NONE. MARINE...NONE. && NEAR TERM...III SHORT TERM...RAS LONG TERM...RGZ AVIATION...III/DL
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC 251 PM EDT SUN AUG 14 2011 SCZ017-023-024-032-033-039-053-055-151900- MARLBORO-DARLINGTON-DILLON-FLORENCE-MARION-WILLIAMSBURG-INLAND HORRY- INLAND GEORGETOWN- 251 PM EDT SUN AUG 14 2011 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 780 IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM EDT THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR 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...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. NCZ087-096-099-105-107-109-110-151900- ROBESON-BLADEN-COLUMBUS-INLAND PENDER-INLAND NEW HANOVER- INLAND BRUNSWICK-COASTAL BRUNSWICK- 251 PM EDT SUN AUG 14 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. AMZ254-256-151900- LITTLE RIVER INLET TO MURRELLS INLET SC OUT 20 NM- MURRELLS INLET TO SOUTH SANTEE RIVER SC OUT 20 NM- 251 PM EDT SUN AUG 14 2011 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 780 IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 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...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. AMZ250-252-151900- SURF CITY TO CAPE FEAR NC OUT 20 NM- CAPE FEAR NC TO LITTLE RIVER INLET SC OUT 20 NM- 251 PM EDT SUN AUG 14 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. SCZ054-056-151900- COASTAL HORRY-COASTAL GEORGETOWN- 251 PM EDT SUN AUG 14 2011 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 780 IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM EDT THIS EVENING... ...MODERATE RISK OF RIP CURRENTS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR 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. MODERATE RISK OF RIP CURRENTS. SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. NCZ106-108-151900- COASTAL PENDER-COASTAL NEW HANOVER- 251 PM EDT SUN AUG 14 2011 ...MODERATE RISK OF RIP CURRENTS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 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. MODERATE RISK OF RIP CURRENTS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. III
The Wilmington radar (KLTX), 44 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:25 UTC.
1 lightning, 1 funnel cloud. Local standard time, as filed.
Lightning struck and injured an individual who was transported to the hospital.
A funnel cloud was reported on Gores Row.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in North Carolina in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in North Carolina, August 2011
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: 343756, 343758.