Isolated severe thunderstorm along a frontal boundary produced damaging winds across portions of northeast North Carolina.
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 AKQ wrote it up.
Isolated severe thunderstorm along a frontal boundary produced damaging winds across portions of northeast 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 Wakefield, VA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 15, 3:28 PM EST, 32 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAKEFIELD VA 428 PM EDT WED AUG 15 2012 .SYNOPSIS... A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL MOVE OFFSHORE TONIGHT. HIGH PRESSURE RETURNS FOR THURSDAY...FOLLOWED BY ANOTHER COLD FRONT LATE FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM THURSDAY MORNING/... LATEST WV IMAGERY SHOWS A POTENT SHORTWAVE ADVANCING EASTWARD TOWARD CENTRAL VA/NC THIS AFTERNOON WITH A WEAK SFC FRONTAL BOUNDARY DRAPED FROM NE TO SW ACROSS OUR FA. BREAKS IN THE CLOUDS EARLIER TODAY ALLOWED TEMPS TO WARM INTO THE UPR 80S/LOW 90S ACROSS EASTERN VA AND NE NC...AND THEREFORE MAXIMIZED INSTABILITY ACROSS THIS REGION (ML CAPE 2000-2500 J/KG). THIS IN COMBINATION WITH THE ADVANCING SHORTWAVE WILL ALLOW FOR SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS AREAS ALONG AND EAST OF I-95 THROUGH THE EARLY EVENING HOURS. SPC HAS PLACED ALL OF OUR FA ALONG AND EAST OF I-95 UNDER A SVR TSTM WATCH UNTIL 02Z. THE GREATEST THREATS WILL BE FOR LOCALIZED DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL...BUT AN ISOLATED TORNADO CANNOT BE RULED OUT DUE TO SUFFICIENT SHEAR UP TO 40 KT. LATEST HIGH RES MODEL GUIDANCE AGREES WITH THE HIGHEST PRECIP CHANCES BEING LOCATED ACROSS EASTERN VA (ESPECIALLY THE TIDEWATER AREA) AND NE NC THROUGH THE EVENING. THEREFORE...WILL MAINTAIN NO LESS THAN 50% POPS FOR OUR EASTERN AREAS THROUGH 00Z. SHOWERS/STORMS WILL DISSIPATE FROM WEST TO EAST LATER THIS EVENING AS THE FRONT/SHORTWAVE PUSH OFFSHORE AND HIGH PRESSURE MOVES IN FROM THE WEST. TEMPS WILL FALL INTO THE L-M60S WELL INLAND TO U60S-L70S NEAR THE COAST TONIGHT. && .SHORT TERM /6 AM THURSDAY MORNING THROUGH SATURDAY/... DRY CONDITIONS ARE ON TAP FOR THURSDAY AS HIGH PRESSURE SITS OVER THE AREA. EXPECT SEASONABLE TEMPERATURES WITH HIGHS IN THE UPPER 80S TO AROUND 90 UNDER A MOSTLY SUNNY SKY. MAINLY CLEAR THURSDAY NIGHT WITH LOWS IN THE 60S TO AROUND 70. THE FLOW TURNS BACK TO THE SW ON FRIDAY IN ADVANCE OF THE NEXT FRONT AND AMPLIFYING UPPER LOW ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES. ANY PRECIP IS NOT EXPECTED TO ARRIVE UNTIL LATE AFTN/EVEN AT THE EARLIEST DUE TO THE SLOW MOVEMENT OF THE FRONT. EXPECT SKY COVER TO BE PARTLY TO MOSTLY SUNNY UNTIL LATE AFTN WHEN LOW POPS MOVE IN FROM NW TO SE. LOW-LEVEL TEMPS/THICKNESS VALUES SUPPORT HIGHS IN THE LOW 90S...ESPECIALLY IF FULL EXTENT OF SW FLOW AND DECENT MIXING CAN BE REALIZED. A LARGE UPPER LOW STALLS OVER THE GREAT LAKES BY SATURDAY WHICH CAUSES THE ADVANCING SFC COLD FRONT TO SLOW DOWN AND ONLY SLOWLY PASS THROUGH OUR FA FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY BEFORE BECOMING STATIONARY OVER THE CAROLINAS LATE SATURDAY. WILL CONTINUE TO CARRY SOLID CHC POPS (30-40%) ACROSS THE AREA FOR NOW AS MODELS REMAIN IN GENERALLY GOOD AGREEMENT ON THIS SCENARIO. HIGHS IN THE 80S. && .LONG TERM /SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... WILL GO WITH A COMBINATION OF THE 12Z GFS/ECMWF MODEL FOR THE EXTENDED PERIOD. FRNTL BNDRY WILL SLIDE JUST OFF THE CST FOR SAT NGT INTO MON MORNG...WITH WEAK AREAS OF LO PRES MOVNG UP ALNG THE FRNT. THAT BNDRY WILL SHIFT FARTHER S AND E INTO THE ATLC MON AFTN THRU WED...AS HI PRES BLDS OVR THE AREA THEN JUST OFFSHR. HIEST CHC POPS WILL BE ACRS THE SRN AND ERN CNTIES SAT NGT THRU MON...THEN POPS WILL DIMINISH TO JUST SLGT CHC OVR ERN/SERN CNTIES TUE/TUE NGT. DRY FCST ALL AREAS FOR WED. MIN TEMPS WILL BE IN THE MID 60S TO LWR 70S SUN MORNG...AND RANGE THRU THE 60S MON...TUE AND WED MORNGS. MAX TEMPS WILL BE MAINLY IN THE LWR TO MID 80S THRU THE PERIOD. && .AVIATION /20Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY/... SCT TO BKN CU (4000-5000 FT) AND ALTOCUMULUS (10000-15000 FT) EXPECTED THIS AFTN INTO THIS EVENG...AS COLD FRNT PUSHES EWRD AND OFF THE CST. BEST SUPPORT FOR SCTD TSTMS WILL BE EAST OF I95...BUT BOTH COVERAGE AND CONFIDENCE TOO LOW TO INCLUDE THUNDER AT ANY TAF SITE. FRNT MOVES OUT TO SEA LATER THIS EVENG INTO THU MORNG...AS HI PRES BLDS IN FM THE W. THE HI WILL SLIDE OUT TO SEA FRI MORNG...AND ANOTHER STRNGER COLD FRNT WILL PUSH INTO AND ACRS THE AREA FRI NGT AND SAT. OUTSIDE ANY ISLTD OR SCTD PCPN THIS AFTN AND EVENG...MAINLY VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED THIS AFTN THRU AT LEAST FRI MORNG. && .MARINE... NO HEADLINES IN THE SHRT TERM TNGT THRU FRI. FRNTL BNDRY WILL PUSH OFF THE CST TNGT...WITH WNDS TURNING TO THE NW OR N LESS THAN 15 KT. HI PRES BLDS OVR THE AREA ON THU...THEN SLIDES OFFSHR FOR THU NGT INTO FRI MORNG. NNW WNDS ARND 10 KT OR LESS WILL BECOME SE OR S BY THU EVENG...THEN SSW THU NGT INTO FRI MORNG. SSW WNDS 15 KT OR LESS FRI AFTN INTO FRI NGT AHEAD OF NEXT COLD FRNT. WAVES 1 TO 2 FT AND SEAS 2 TO 3 FT. && .AKQ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MD...NONE. NC...NONE. VA...NONE. MARINE...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...JDM NEAR TERM...JDM SHORT TERM...JDM LONG TERM...TMG AVIATION...TMG MARINE...TMG
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAKEFIELD VA 307 PM EDT WED AUG 15 2012 MDZ021>025-NCZ012>017-030>032-102-VAZ063-064-070>100-161915- DORCHESTER-WICOMICO-SOMERSET-INLAND WORCESTER-MARYLAND BEACHES- NORTHAMPTON NC-HERTFORD-GATES-PASQUOTANK-CAMDEN-INLAND CURRITUCK- BERTIE-CHOWAN-PERQUIMANS-OUTER BANKS CURRITUCK-HANOVER-CAROLINE- CHESTERFIELD-HENRICO-KING WILLIAM-KING AND QUEEN-ESSEX-WESTMORELAND- RICHMOND-NORTHUMBERLAND-LANCASTER-BRUNSWICK-DINWIDDIE-PRINCE GEORGE- CHARLES CITY-NEW KENT-GLOUCESTER-MIDDLESEX-MATHEWS-GREENSVILLE- SUSSEX-SURRY-JAMES CITY-YORK-SOUTHAMPTON-ISLE OF WIGHT- NEWPORT NEWS/HAMPTON-NORFOLK/PORTSMOUTH-SUFFOLK-CHESAPEAKE- VIRGINIA BEACH-ACCOMACK-NORTHAMPTON VA- 307 PM EDT WED AUG 15 2012 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 580 IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM EDT THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE LOWER EASTERN SHORE OF MARYLAND...COASTAL NORTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA...INTERIOR NORTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA...THE NORTHERN OUTER BANKS OF NORTH CAROLINA...CENTRAL VIRGINIA...EAST CENTRAL VIRGINIA...INTERIOR SOUTHEAST VIRGINIA...SOUTH CENTRAL VIRGINIA...SOUTH HAMPTON ROADS VIRGINIA...THE EASTERN SHORE OF VIRGINIA...THE MIDDLE PENINSULA OF VIRGINIA...THE NORTHERN NECK OF VIRGINIA AND THE PENINSULA OF SOUTHEAST VIRGINIA. .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. STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS. LOCALLY DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL WILL BE THE PRIMARY THREATS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. VAZ048-049-060>062-065>069-161915- FLUVANNA-LOUISA-PRINCE EDWARD-CUMBERLAND-GOOCHLAND-MECKLENBURG- LUNENBURG-NOTTOWAY-AMELIA-POWHATAN- 307 PM EDT WED AUG 15 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTH CENTRAL VIRGINIA AND THE PIEDMONT OF CENTRAL VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...THROUGH TONIGHT. ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAINFALL AT TIMES ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. ANZ630>638-650-652-654-656-658-161915- CHESAPEAKE BAY FROM SMITH POINT TO WINDMILL POINT VA- CHESAPEAKE BAY FROM WINDMILL POINT TO NEW POINT COMFORT VA- CHESAPEAKE BAY FROM NEW POINT COMFORT TO LITTLE CREEK VA- CURRITUCK SOUND- CHESAPEAKE BAY FROM LITTLE CREEK TO CAPE HENRY VA...INCLUDING THE CHESAPEAKE BAY BRIDGE TUNNEL- RAPPAHANNOCK RIVER FROM URBANNA TO WINDMILL POINT-YORK RIVER- JAMES RIVER FROM JAMESTOWN TO THE JAMES RIVER BRIDGE- JAMES RIVER FROM THE JAMES RIVER BRIDGE TO THE HAMPTON ROADS BRIDGE- TUNNEL- COASTAL WATERS FROM FENWICK ISLAND DE TO CHINCOTEAGUE VA OUT TO 20 NM- COASTAL WATERS FROM CHINCOTEAGUE TO PARRAMORE ISLAND VA OUT TO 20 NM- COASTAL WATERS FROM PARRAMORE ISLAND TO CAPE CHARLES LIGHT VA OUT TO 20 NM- COASTAL WATERS FROM CAPE CHARLES LIGHT VA TO NC VA BORDER OUT TO 20 NM- COASTAL WATERS FROM NC VA BORDER TO CURRITUCK BEACH LIGHT NC OUT TO 20 NM- 307 PM EDT WED AUG 15 2012 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 580 IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM EDT THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE CENTRAL CHESAPEAKE BAY...THE LOWER CHESAPEAKE BAY...THE MID ATLANTIC COASTAL WATERS...CURRITUCK SOUND...THE EASTERN JAMES RIVER...THE EASTERN RAPPAHANNOCK RIVER AND THE EASTERN YORK RIVER. .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. STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS. LOCALLY DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL WILL BE THE PRIMARY THREATS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAKEFIELD VA
425 PM EDT WED AUG 15 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0355 PM TSTM WND DMG PRINCE GEORGE GOLF COUR 37.15N 77.27W
08/15/2012 PRINCE GEORGE VA 911 CALL CENTER
TREES DOWN ALONG HIGHWAY 460 JUST EAST OF ROUTE 156.
&&
EVENT NUMBER AKQ1200654
JOPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAKEFIELD VA
435 PM EDT WED AUG 15 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0336 PM TSTM WND DMG GREENWOOD FARMS 37.21N 77.43W
08/15/2012 CITY OF PETERSBURG VA 911 CALL CENTER
NUMEROUS TREES DOWN ACROSS THE WEST END OF PETERSBURG.
TREE ON A HOUSE IN THE 1700 BLOCK OF YOUNGS ROAD.
&&
CORRECTED REMARKS
EVENT NUMBER AKQ1200652
JOPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAKEFIELD VA
439 PM EDT WED AUG 15 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0339 PM TSTM WND DMG PARKVIEW 37.20N 77.43W
08/15/2012 CITY OF PETERSBURG VA 911 CALL CENTER
TREES ON POWER LINES AT PARKVIEW AVE AND BOYTON PLANK
ROAD.
&&
EVENT NUMBER AKQ1200655
JOPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAKEFIELD VA
443 PM EDT WED AUG 15 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0344 PM TSTM WND DMG WESTCHESTER 37.20N 77.38W
08/15/2012 CITY OF PETERSBURG VA 911 CALL CENTER
TREE ON A PARKED CAR AT SOUTH BOULEVARD AND CRATER
ROAD.
&&
EVENT NUMBER AKQ1200656
JOPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAKEFIELD VA
447 PM EDT WED AUG 15 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0340 PM TSTM WND DMG WESTOVER PARK 37.20N 77.39W
08/15/2012 CITY OF PETERSBURG VA 911 CALL CENTER
TREES BLOCKING THE ROAD IN THE 800 BLOCK OF SUNSET AVE.
&&
EVENT NUMBER AKQ1200657
JOPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WAKEFIELD VA
500 PM EDT WED AUG 15 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0433 PM TSTM WND DMG 1 ESE HUNTERSVILLE 36.86N 76.26W
08/15/2012 CITY OF NORFOLK VA TRAINED SPOTTER
POWER LINES DOWN IN THE 1500 BLOCK OF CAREY AVE 64.
&&
EVENT NUMBER AKQ1200658
JOThe Norfolk radar (KAKQ), 95 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:59 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Trees were downed and caused minor damage to the siding and gutters of a home.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in North Carolina in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in North Carolina, August 2012
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: 410873.