A series of shortwave disturbances moving atop a stalled surface with very moist air in placed produced an area of slow moving showers and thunderstorms that evolved into an line segment as it moved east across central North Carolina during the morning hours of the 19th. The slow moving storms resulted in minor flooding and isolated severe thunderstorm wind damage.
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 RAH wrote it up.
A series of shortwave disturbances moving atop a stalled surface with very moist air in placed produced an area of slow moving showers and thunderstorms that evolved into an line segment as it moved east across central North Carolina during the morning hours of the 19th. The slow moving storms resulted in minor flooding and isolated severe thunderstorm wind damage.
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 Raleigh, NC wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 19, 2:33 AM EST, 1 hour 27 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC 333 AM EDT SUN AUG 19 2012 .SYNOPSIS... A WEAK FRONT WILL REMAIN NEARLY STATIONARY OVER THE SOUTHERN AND EASTERN SECTIONS OF NORTH CAROLINA TODAY AS LOW PRESSURE APPROACHES FROM THE SOUTHWEST. THE LOW PRESSURE IS EXPECTED TO TRACK ALONG THE BOUNDARY OVER EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA TONIGHT... THEN OFF THE MID-ATLANTIC COAST MONDAY. ANOTHER WAVE OF LOW PRESSURE IS FORECAST TO APPROACH FROM THE SOUTHWEST LATE MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT. && .NEAR TERM /TODAY AND TONIGHT/... AS OF 333 AM SUNDAY... UPDATE... BASED ON RADAR AND SATELLITE TRENDS... WE WILL SPEED UP THE TIMING OF THE SHOWERS/STORMS TO MID MORNING IN THE SW-W PIEDMONT... THEN LATE MORNING AND AFTERNOON ELSEWHERE. NO OTHER CHANGES. ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH DAMAGING WIND THE MAIN THREAT TODAY INTO THIS EVENING. QPF OF 0.50 TO 1.5 INCHES THROUGH TONIGHT (LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN EXPECTED). THE LATEST RADAR AND SATELLITE DATA INDICATE A COUPLE OF WAVES THAT WILL AFFECT OUR REGION TODAY. THE FIRST WAS LIFTING NE THROUGH WESTERN NC AT THE MOMENT. THERE WAS A CLUSTER/BAND OF CONVECTION MOVING NE THROUGH THE NORTHERN FOOTHILLS AND NORTHWEST PIEDMONT ASSOCIATED WITH THIS FEATURES. WE CURRENTLY HAVE OUR HIGHEST POP THERE FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS. A COUPLE OF THE STORMS HAVE BECOME STRONG OVER ROWAN/DAVIDSON THIS MORNING WITH 52 DBZ REFLECTIVITY EXHIBITED UP TO TO 21K FEET. STORM TOPS WERE ON THE ORDER OF 30-35K. GOOD THING... THESE STORMS WERE DEVELOPING JUST ON THE STABLE/NORTH SIDE OF THE NEARLY STATIONARY LOW LEVEL BOUNDARY LOCATED OVER SOUTHERN AND EASTERN NC. THESE STORMS ARE NOT ANTICIPATED TO BECOME SEVERE AS THEY LIFT NNE ACROSS THE NORTHERN PIEDMONT THROUGH SUNRISE. LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN CAN BE EXPECTED. THE SECOND AND MAIN MID-UPPER LEVEL WAVE WAS LOCATED OVER NORTH GEORGIA AT THE MOMENT. THIS WAVE IS FORECAST TO LIFT NE ACROSS OUR REGION LATER THIS MORNING AND AFTERNOON. SHOWERS AND SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO AGAIN SPREAD/DEVELOP NE ACROSS WESTERN AND PORTIONS OF CENTRAL NC THIS MORNING AS THIS FEATURE APPROACHES. THE COMBINATION OF THE TWO WAVES OF SHOWERS/STORMS SHOULD STABILIZE THE AREAS THAT GET THE HEAVY RAIN IN THE W-N PIEDMONT... REINFORCE THE LOW LEVEL BOUNDARY THAT IS EXPECTED TO LIFT SLOWLY NORTH INTO THE SE PIEDMONT THIS MORNING... IN RESPONSE TO THE APPROACHING WAVE. TIMING MAY BE A BIT EARLY FOR PEAK HEATING. NONETHELESS... AT LEAST SPOTTY HEATING OF THE BOUNDARY LAYER WILL OCCUR ALONG AND SE OF THE BOUNDARY THIS MORNING INTO THE EARLY AFTERNOON. THIS HEATING WILL COMBINE WITH THE LOWER 70S DEW POINTS TO PRODUCE AT MLCAPES NEAR 1500 J/KG. IN ADDITION... WINDS ALOFT WILL INCREASE WITH HEIGHT WHICH WILL ALLOW FOR STORM ORGANIZATION. THE THUNDERSTORMS THAT FORM NEAR THE BOUNDARY MAY BECOME CAPABLE OF DAMAGING WET MICROBURSTS AND MAY ALSO EXHIBIT ROTATION DUE TO THE ENHANCED OW LEVEL SHEAR NEAR THE BOUNDARY. WEAK SUPERCELLS AND EVEN A BRIEF TORNADO (PER MENTIONED IN EARLIER SHIFTS APPEARS POSSIBLE). BOTTOM LINE... A COUPLE OF ROUNDS OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TODAY. FIRST IN THE NW THIS MORNING... THEN ACROSS MUCH OF THE REGION THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. AS LOW PRESSURE DEVELOPS OVER SC THIS MORNING... THEN TRACKS NE ALONG THE BOUNDARY... NUMEROUS SHOWERS/SCATTERED STORMS NORTH OF THE BOUNDARY WILL ENHANCE THE BOUNDARY. WE WILL CARRY CATEGORICAL POP W-N PIEDMONT. TO THE EAST AND SOUTH OF THE PIEDMONT TRIAD REGION... SURFACE HEATING WITH PARTLY SUNNY SKIES OUT AHEAD OF THE APPROACHING WAVE LATE IN THE MORNING SHOULD DESTABILIZE THE REGION. NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ON THE LEADING EDGE OF THE MAIN RAIN SHIELD/ALONG THE LOW LEVEL BOUNDARY... THEN OVERSPREAD THE REGION FROM THE SW LATE MORNING AND AFTERNOON. WE WILL CARRY LIKELY POP IN THE EAST AND SOUTH. ISOLATED WET MICROBURSTS AND A BRIEF WEAK TORNADO WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THE STORMS IN THE EAST AND SOUTH LATE MORNING AND AFTERNOON. QPF OF 0.5 TO 1.5 EXPECTED. LOCALLY 2 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE. HIGHS 78-86. WIDESPREAD SHOWERS/STORMS WILL TAPER OFF AS THE WAVE PASSES LATE TODAY AND TONIGHT. AREAS OF FOG POSSIBLE. LOWS IN THE 60S TO NEAR 70. && .SHORT TERM /MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT/... AS OF 300 AM EDT SATURDAY... ANOTHER MID-UPPER WAVE IS FORECAST TO APPROACH THE REGION LATE MONDAY INTO MONDAY NIGHT. WE WILL HAVE A LULL IN THE RAIN CHANCES MONDAY MORNING... THEN INCREASING AGAIN MONDAY AFTERNOON INTO MONDAY NIGHT. MONDAY AFTERNOON... FORECAST MLCAPES ARE ONLY ON THE ORDER OF 500-1000 J/KG WITH HIGHS 80-85. THIS IS MORE STABLE THAN IN PREVIOUS RUNS... AND LIKELY DUE TO THE STABILITY AFTER THE PASSAGE OF THE WAVE TODAY/TONIGHT. WE WILL CARRY PARTLY SUNNY SKIES MONDAY. ONLY A 20-30 PERCENT CHANCE OF SHOWERS/STORMS IN THE AFTERNOON. HIGHS 80-85. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MONDAY NIGHT WITH LOWS 65-70. && .LONG TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/... AS OF 30O AM... BROAD TROUGH OVER TENNESSEE TUESDAY MORNING WILL REACH THE APPALACHIANS WEDNESDAY MORNING... THEN ONLY PROGRESS TO THE WESTERN PIEDMONT BY THURSDAY AFTERNOON. AN EASTWARD MOVING SHORT WAVE NORTH OF MINNESOTA THURSDAY NIGHT WILL KICK THE TROUGH OVER NORTH CAROLINA OFFSHORE FRIDAY AFTERNOON AS ANOTHER SHORT WAVE APPROACHES NORTH CAROLINA SATURDAY. A STRONGER LOW LEVEL WIND FIELD IN SOUTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA TUESDAY... EAST OF THE 850 MILLIBAR TROUGH... WILL COUPLE WITH THE BEST INSTABILITY TO PROVIDE THE BEST RAIN CHANCES SOUTHEAST TUESDAY AFTERNOON. THIRTY PERCENT NORTHWEST TO 50 PERCENT EAST. POTENTIAL ENERGY VERTICALLY THIN AND RELATIVELY LOW... FOR A MINIMAL SEVERE WEATHER THREAT. A THIRD TO ONE HALF INCH RAINFALL EAST TAPERING TO LESS THAN ONE TEN INCH NORTHWEST. THE 850 MILLIBAR WEAKENS AND LIFTS NORTHEAST TUESDAY NIGHT... AND CONVECTION SHOULD DIMINISH TOWARD MIDNIGHT... ENDING WELL BEFORE DAWN. THE NORTHWEST PIEDMONT DRYS BEHIND THE 850 MILLIBAR TROUGH... WHICH ALTHOUGH WEAKER THAN WEDNESDAY... SHOULD STILL BE A MINOR FOCUS FOR CONVECTION IN THE EAST. DUE TO MINIMAL POTENTIAL ENERGY ALOFT... WILL LEAVE THURSDAY AFTERNOON RAIN CHANCES AT SLIGHT... THOUGH SLIGHTLY FAVORING THE SOUTHEAST. THE WIND FIELD BELOW 15000 FEET BECOMES QUITE WEAK FOR FRIDAY AND SATURDAY AS BROAD MID LEVEL HIGH PRESSURE SETTLES OVER THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES. RAIN CHANCES SLIGHT OR LESS... CONFINED TO THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING. AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES WILL SHOW A WEAK WARMING TREND AS RAIN CHANCES DIMINISH THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD. HIGH TEMPERATURES IN THE LOWER 80S TUESDAY... OTHERWISE MID 80S. LOW TEMPERATURES IN THE LOW TO MID 60S. && .AVIATION /07Z SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... AS OF 200 AM SUNDAY... GENERALLY VFR CIGS/VSBYS FORECAST OUTSIDE THE KINT/KGSO REGION THROUGH NEAR 12Z TODAY... WITH IFR/LIFR CIGS DEVELOPING TOWARD DAYBREAK. MVFR TO IFR CIGS/VSBYS WITH THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE KINT/KGSO AREAS 07Z-09Z... THEN LOW STRATUS DEVELOPING. LOW STRATUS EXPECTED TO LIFT TO MVFR TO VFR CIGS BY 16Z-18Z... WITH SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND STORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING. LIFR TO IFR CIGS WITH MVFR TO IFR VSBYS TONIGHT. IMPROVING TO MVFR CIGS BY NOON MONDAY. OUTLOOK... AT THIS TIME...THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH RESPONSIBLE FOR THE UNSETTLED WEATHER PATTERN IS EXPECTED TO LIFT NWD TUESDAY-THURSDAY. THIS SUGGESTS A GRADUAL IMPROVEMENT (IE FEWER SHOWERS AND T-STORMS) DURING THE LATER HALF OF THE FORECAST PERIOD. && .RAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && SYNOPSIS...BADGETT NEAR TERM...BADGETT SHORT TERM...BADGETT AVIATION...BADGETT
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC 414 AM EDT SUN AUG 19 2012 NCZ007>011-021>028-038>043-073>078-083>086-088-089-200815- PERSON-GRANVILLE-VANCE-WARREN-HALIFAX-FORSYTH-GUILFORD-ALAMANCE- ORANGE-DURHAM-FRANKLIN-NASH-EDGECOMBE-DAVIDSON-RANDOLPH-CHATHAM-WAKE- JOHNSTON-WILSON-STANLY-MONTGOMERY-MOORE-LEE-HARNETT-WAYNE-ANSON- RICHMOND-SCOTLAND-HOKE-CUMBERLAND-SAMPSON- 414 AM EDT SUN AUG 19 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS... WITH DAMAGING WIND THE PRIMARY THREAT... WILL BE POSSIBLE THROUGH THIS EVENING. THE MAIN AREA OF CONCERN WILL BE OVER SOUTHERN AND EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA... ALONG AND EAST OF A NEARLY STATIONARY FRONT. SHOWERS AND SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL OVERSPREAD THE REGION FROM THE SOUTHWEST THIS MORNING... AND CONTINUE INTO THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING. STORMS THAT FORM ALONG AND EAST OF THE STATIONARY FRONT MAY PRODUCE STRONG WINDS... WITH ISOLATED DAMAGING WIND GUSTS POSSIBLE. IN ADDITION... 1 TO LOCALLY 2 INCHES OF RAIN IS EXPECTED TODAY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. THE PROBABILITY OF WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED TODAY. SPOTTERS SHOULD STAY TUNED AND REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE... INCLUDING FLOODING. BADGETT
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC
426 AM EDT SUN AUG 19 2012
NCZ007>010-021>026-038>041-191045-
ALAMANCE-CHATHAM-DAVIDSON-DURHAM-FORSYTH-FRANKLIN-GRANVILLE-GUILFORD-
ORANGE-PERSON-RANDOLPH-VANCE-WAKE-WARREN-
426 AM EDT SUN AUG 19 2012
...THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN OVER PORTIONS OF THE NORTHWEST
AND NORTHEAST PIEDMONT...
AT 424 AM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY
HEAVY RAIN EXTENDING FROM THE GREENSBORO AIRPORT TO ASHEBORO... EAST
THROUGH BURLINGTON AND HAW RIVER... MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH.
LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS INCLUDE GREENSBORO...
RANDLEMAN... CLIMAX... ELON... BURLINGTON... HILLSBOROUGH...
ROXBORO. THIS WILL INCLUDE MUCH OF NORTHERN RANDOLPH... GUILFORD...
ALAMANCE... NORTHERN ORANGE... AND PERSON COUNTIES.
IN ADDITION... SCATTERED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING OVER
WESTERN WAKE COUNTY.. MOVING NORTH AT 25 MPH. THESE STORMS MAY
AFFECT THE RDU AIRPORT AND DURHAM.
HAZARDS INCLUDE...
GUSTY WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH.
HEAVY RAINFALL AND MINOR FLOODING.
THESE STORMS WILL PRODUCE HEAVY RAINFALL...WHICH WILL CAUSE MINOR
FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS INCLUDING DITCHES...CREEKS...ROADWAYS AND
AREAS OF POOR DRAINAGE. AVOID THESE AREAS AND DO NOT CROSS FLOODED
ROADS. MOTORISTS SHOULD ALSO REDUCE DRIVING SPEEDS TO AVOID
HYDROPLANING.
&&
LAT...LON 3654 7789 3630 7794 3582 7825 3557 7865
3558 7892 3555 7903 3563 7912 3554 7926
3551 8005 3623 8015 3627 8003 3625 7916
3652 7914 3655 7903
TIME...MOT...LOC 0821Z 232DEG 30KT 3613 7927
BADGETTThe Roanoke radar (KFCX), 115 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 09:01 UTC.
2 flash flood, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Flood waters from South Buffalo Creek flooded Latham Road near Wendover Avenue. The intersections of Beckford Drive and Fairfax Road were also blocked off from traffic.
Trees and power-lines were blown near the intersection of 13 Bridges Roand and Douglas Hill Farm Road.
High water was reported on several roads in Roanoke Rapids, including 12th Street, NC Highway 158 and on the Julian R. Allsbrook Highway. High water was also reported on Weavers Chapel Road.
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: 408838, 408839, 408840.