Severe drought (D2) began impacting Eastern North Carolina in early June and worsened to extreme drought (D3) by early July for several extreme eastern North Carolina counties. Since last winter the region has received well below normal precipitation.
Every event with a place to put it; 12 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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 MHX wrote it up.
Severe drought (D2) began impacting Eastern North Carolina in early June and worsened to extreme drought (D3) by early July for several extreme eastern North Carolina counties. Since last winter the region has received well below normal precipitation. Streamflows over Eastern North Carolina were well below normal with several sites showing less than ten percentile range of streamflow. Groundwater conditions were listed as much below to record low levels across the region. As of July 8th, Local Climatological Data Sites New Bern and Cape Hatteras observed fifty-four and seventy-six percent of normal precipitation, respectively. As a result of these conditions, the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources banned open burning in Eastern North Carolina.
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 Newport/Morehead City, NC wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jun 30, 7:30 PM EST, 4 hours 30 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEWPORT/MOREHEAD CITY NC 830 PM EDT THU JUN 30 2011 .SYNOPSIS... A FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL REMAIN TO THE SOUTH THROUGH FRIDAY THEN GRADUALLY DISSIPATE. A COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH FROM THE NORTHWEST EARLY NEXT WEEK. && .NEAR TERM /TONIGHT/... AS OF 830 PM THU...NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES NEEDED TO ONGOING FORECAST...TWEAKED GRIDS TO REFLECT CURRENT TRENDS. SURFACE RIDGE TO THE NORTH NORTHWEST WILL MAINTAIN AN EAST TO NORTHEAST WIND FLOW ACROSS THE AREA. SOME PATCHY FOG POSSIBLE OVERNIGHT BUT WITH DRIER AIR IN PLACE DO NOT THINK IT WILL BE AS DENSE AS THIS MORNING. DO NOT ANTICIPATE ANY SMOKE ISSUES FROM PENDER COUNTY WILDFIRE AS SURFACE WINDS SHOULD KEEP SMOKES SOUTH OF CWA. GOOD RADIATIONAL COOLING CONDITIONS EXPECTED OVERNIGHT WITH CLEAR SKIES AND LIGHT WINDS. LOW TEMPS LIKELY IN THE MID 60S INLAND AND UPPER 60S TO LOW 70S ALONG THE COAST. && .SHORT TERM /FRIDAY/... AS OF 2 PM THU...FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL REMAIN WELL TO THE SOUTH WITH THE SURFACE RIDGE MOVING OFF THE NC/VA COAST FRIDAY EVENING. MOSTLY SUNNY SKIES AND DRIER AIR WILL ALLOW TEMPS TO REACH THE UPPER 80S TO LOWER 90S ACROSS MOST INLAND LOCATIONS WITH MID 80S NEAR THE IMMEDIATE COAST AND OUTER BANKS. && .LONG TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY/... AS OF 2 PM THURSDAY...MAINLY DRY FRI NIGHT THROUGH SUN NIGHT AS UPR RDG CENTERED TO THE W EXTENDS E INTO THE AREA. EXPECT PC TO MCLR SKIES WITH HIGHS MAINLY 90 TO 95 INLAND AND MID/UPR 80S BEACHES...LOWS UPR 60S/LOW 70S INLAND TO LOW/MID 70S CST. UPR RDG WILL RETROGRADE TO THE W EARLY NEXT WEEK WITH TROFFING DEVELOPING ALONG THE E CST. THIS SHLD LEAD TO BETTER POTENTIAL FOR CONVECTION...FOR NOW EXPECT MOSTLY CHC POPS DURING THE AFTN AND EVENING ESPCLY INLAND. TYPICAL SUMMERTIME TEMPS WITH HIGHS INLAND MOSTLY 90 TO 95 AND LOWS IN THE 70S. && .AVIATION /00Z FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... SHORT TERM /TONIGHT AND FRIDAY/ AS OF 745 PM THU...VFR CURRENTLY AS SCT DIURNAL CU DISSIPATES. DRIER AIR IN PLACE TONIGHT SO FOG NOT EXPECTED TO BE AS DENSE AS LAST NIGHT...THOUGH POTENTIAL WILL BE THERE FOR BRIEF IFR CONDITIONS TO DEVELOP OVERNIGHT INTO EARLY FRIDAY MORNING...WITH BEST CHANCES AT OAJ. ANY FOG THAT DEVELOPS OVERNIGHT WILL BURN OFF FRIDAY MORNING GIVING WAY TO VFR. && LONG TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY/... AS OF 2 PM THURSDAY...COULD SEE SOME LATE NIGHT FOG/ST FRI NIGHT WITH LIGHT TO CALM WINDS. MAINLY VFR AFTER THAT AS S/SW FLOW DEVELOPS LATER SAT AND CONT THRU THE REST OF THE PERIOD. S/SW WINDS MAY AT TIMES LEAD TO SOME REDUCTIONS TO VSBYS DUE TO SMOKE AT MAINLY EWN AND OAJ FROM THE FIRE IN PENDER COUNTY. INCREASE IN CONVECTION POSS MON AND ESPCLY TUE AS UPR RDG RETROGRADES TO THE W WITH TROFFING ALOFT ALONG THE EAST CST...THIS COULD LEAD TO BRIEF PDS OF REDUCED CIGS/VSBYS. && .MARINE... SHORT TERM /TONIGHT AND FRIDAY/ AS OF 830 PM THU...NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES NEEDED TO ONGOING FORECAST TONIGHT...CURRENTLY E/SE WINDS 5-10KT WITH SEAS 2-4FT. EAST TO NORTHEAST FLOW WILL CONTINUE WITH THE SURFACE RIDGE TO THE NORTH NORTHWEST. THE RIDGE WILL MOVE OFF THE NC/VA COAST FRIDAY EVENING. WINDS/SEAS WILL STAY WELL BELOW SMALL CRAFT LEVELS. LONG TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY/... AS OF 2 PM THURSDAY...NICE BOATING CONDITIONS FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT WITH WEAK GRDNT AND LIGHT WINDS EXPECTED ALONG THE CST. WINDS DIR WILL BE VARIABLE FRI NIGHT AND EARLY SAT THEN GRAD BECOME SRLY LATE SAT AND SAT NIGHT AS HIGH PRES BECOMES DOMINATE OFFSHORE. SEAS WILL BE MAINLY 2 TO 3 FEET THROUGH SAT NIGHT. TROF BECOMES BETTER ESTABLISHED TO THE W DURING THE DAY SUNDAY WITH GRDNT TIGHTENING ALONG THE CST. MDLS STILL DIFFER QUITE A BIT WITH 12Z NAM/00Z ECMWF SHOWING NEAR SCA WINDS BY SUN AFTN WHILE GFS AND SREF KEEP WINDS LESS THAN 20 KTS. GIVEN UNCERTAINTY BLENDED THE MODELS AND FOR NOW HAVE WINDS INCREASING INTO THE 15 TO 20 KT RANGE LATE SUN THROUGH MON. BOTH THE GFS AND ECMWF SHOW WINDS DECREASING A BIT TUE SO FOLLOWED THAT TREND. GIVEN THE BLENDED WIND SPEEDS HAVE SEAS MAXING OUT AT 4 TO 5 FEET SUN NIGHT AND MON...IF STRONGER NAM AND ECMWF VERIFY COULD HAVE SCA SEAS THIS PERIOD BUT FOR NOW PREFER TO GO WITH SOME INPUT FROM GFS/SREF. && .MHX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NC...NONE. MARINE...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...HSA NEAR TERM...HSA/CQD SHORT TERM...HSA LONG TERM...RF AVIATION...RF/HSA/CQD MARINE...RF/HSA/CQD
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEWPORT/MOREHEAD CITY NC 850 PM EDT THU JUN 30 2011 NCZ029-044-045-079-080-091>094-020100- MARTIN-PITT-WASHINGTON-GREENE-BEAUFORT-LENOIR-JONES-CRAVEN-PAMLICO- 850 PM EDT THU JUN 30 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EASTERN NORTH 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. NCZ046-047-081-090-098-020100- TYRRELL-MAINLAND DARE-MAINLAND HYDE-DUPLIN-ONSLOW- 850 PM EDT THU JUN 30 2011 ...AIR QUALITY ALERT IN EFFECT UNTIL 3 PM EDT FRIDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EASTERN 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. AIR QUALITY ALERT. .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. AIR QUALITY ALERT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. NCZ095-103-104-020100- CARTERET-OUTER BANKS DARE-OUTER BANKS HYDE- 850 PM EDT THU JUN 30 2011 ...MODERATE RIP CURRENT RISK IN EFFECT FROM 8 AM EDT FRIDAY THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING NORTH OF CAPE LOOKOUT... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .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 RIP CURRENT RISK NORTH OF CAPE LOOKOUT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
17 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Severe drought (D2) designation continued for Beaufort County throughout July 2011. No significant precipitation occurred during the month with only typical summertime afternoon showers and thunderstorms.
Severe drought (D2) designation in June deteriorated to extreme drought (D3) conditions for Carteret County in early July 2011. No significant precipitation occurred during the month with only typical summertime afternoon showers and thunderstorms.
Severe drought (D2) designation in June deteriorated to extreme drought (D3) conditions for Craven County throughout July 2011. No significant precipitation occurred during the month with only typical summertime afternoon showers and thunderstorms.
Severe drought (D2) designation in June deteriorated to extreme drought (D3) conditions for Outer Banks Dare County in early July 2011. Although no significant precipitation occurred during the month, with only typical summertime afternoon showers and thunderstorms, conditions improved slightly to severe drought (D2) by mid July.
Severe drought (D2) designation in June deteriorated to extreme drought (D3) conditions for Mainland Dare County in early July 2011. Although no significant precipitation occurred during the month, with only typical summertime afternoon showers and thunderstorms, conditions improved slightly to severe drought (D2) by mid July.
Severe drought (D2) designation continued for Greene County throughout July 2011. No significant precipitation occurred during the month with only typical summertime afternoon showers and thunderstorms.
Severe drought (D2) designation continued for Martin County throughout July 2011. Although no significant precipitation occurred during the month, with only typical summertime afternoon showers and thunderstorms, conditions improved to moderate drought (D1) by the end of July.
Severe drought (D2) designation in June deteriorated to extreme drought (D3) conditions for Duplin County in early July 2011. No significant precipitation occurred during the month with only typical summertime afternoon showers and thunderstorms.
Severe drought (D2) designation in June deteriorated to extreme drought (D3) conditions for Outer Banks Hyde County in early July 2011. Although no significant precipitation occurred during the month, with only typical summertime afternoon showers and thunderstorms, conditions improved slightly to severe drought (D2) by mid July.
Severe drought (D2) designation in June deteriorated to extreme drought (D3) conditions for Mainland Hyde County in early July 2011. Although no significant precipitation occurred during the month, with only typical summertime afternoon showers and thunderstorms, conditions improved slightly to severe drought (D2) by mid July.
Severe drought (D2) designation in June deteriorated to extreme drought (D3) conditions for Tyrrell County in early July 2011. Although no significant precipitation occurred during the month, with only typical summertime afternoon showers and thunderstorms, conditions improved slightly to severe drought (D2) by mid July.
Severe drought (D2) designation in June deteriorated to extreme drought (D3) conditions for Jones County in early July 2011. No significant precipitation occurred during the month with only typical summertime afternoon showers and thunderstorms.
Severe drought (D2) designation in June deteriorated to extreme drought (D3) conditions for Onslow County in early July 2011. No significant precipitation occurred during the month with only typical summertime afternoon showers and thunderstorms.
Severe drought (D2) designation in June deteriorated to extreme drought (D3) conditions for Lenoir County in by the second week of July 2011. No significant precipitation occurred during the month with only typical summertime afternoon showers and thunderstorms.
Severe drought (D2) designation continued for Pamlico County throughout July 2011. No significant precipitation occurred during the month with only typical summertime afternoon showers and thunderstorms.
Severe drought (D2) designation continued for Pitt County throughout July 2011. No significant precipitation occurred during the month with only typical summertime afternoon showers and thunderstorms.
Severe drought (D2) designation continued for Washington County throughout July 2011. No significant precipitation occurred during the month with only typical summertime afternoon showers and thunderstorms.
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, July 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: 322112, 322114, 322118, 322119, 322120, 322122, 322123, 322124, 322125, 322126, 322127, 322128, 322129, 322130, 322131, 322132, 322133.