An upper level disturbance moved east across Eastern North Carolina during the afternoon hours of August 2nd, 2012. A few thunderstorms became severe with hail and damaging winds.
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 MHX wrote it up.
An upper level disturbance moved east across Eastern North Carolina during the afternoon hours of August 2nd, 2012. A few thunderstorms became severe with hail and damaging winds.
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 Aug 2, 10:25 AM EST, 1 hour 45 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEWPORT/MOREHEAD CITY NC 1125 AM EDT THU AUG 2 2012 .SYNOPSIS... UPPER LEVEL TROUGH OVER THE AREA TODAY WILL WEAKEN. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD OVER THE AREA TONIGHT AND CONTINUE THROUGH THE WEEKEND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. && .NEAR TERM /REST OF TODAY/... AS OF 11 AM THU...ADDED CHC POPS FOR THIS AFTN TO ALL OF COASTAL PLAINS AND MADE MINOR ADJUSTMENTS TO SKY COVER AND TEMPS. AREA OF SHOWERS/TSTMS INLAND NEAR RAH AND FAY ASSCTD WITH SHRT WV AND WEAK SFC BNDRY. SHRT WV HANDLED WELL BY MODELS AND FCST TO MOVE E-SE THIS AFTN AND PROVIDE FOCUS FOR CONVECTIVE DEVELOPMENT MAINLY OVER COASTAL PLAINS WITH ISOLATED ACTIVITY PSBL CLOSER TO COAST WITH SEA BREEZE. TEMPS ON TRACK FOR HIGHS IN LOWER 90S INLAND WITH 80S ALONG COAST. PREV DISC...AS OF 225 AM THU...CLEAR SKIES WILL GREET THE SUNRISE WITH EXCEPTION OF ANY FOG THAT DEVELOPED OVERNIGHT...WHICH WILL LIFT SHORTLY AFTER SUNRISE. WILL HAVE TO KEEP AN EYE ON STORMS IN WESTERN PART OF STATE THIS MORNING. LOOKS LIKE THEY COULD SLIDE TO THE COAST SOUTH OF THE FORECAST AREA. UPPER TROUGH STILL OVER THE EAST COAST AND MODELS IN AGREEMENT THAT IT WILL CONTINUE OVER THE AREA AS NEXT PIECE OF ENERGY SWINGS THROUGH TODAY. WEAK SURFACE BOUNDARY THAT HAS BEEN AROUND FOR PAST FEW DAYS HAS DISSIPATED AND LOW LEVEL FLOW WILL REMAIN SOUTHERLY AS SURFACE RIDGE TRIES TO BUILD IN FROM THE EAST. WITH LACK OF LOW LEVEL BOUNDARY WILL HAVE LESS CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY TODAY THAN YESTERDAY. NSSL WRF SHOWING SCATTERED AFTERNOON ACTIVITY TODAY. PWS HAVE DROPPED TO AROUND 1.5 INCHES. DECREASED CLOUD COVER...CONTINUED SOUTHERLY FLOW AND RISING HEIGHTS WILL ALLOW HIGH TEMPERATURES TO RISE INTO THE LOW 90S THIS AFTERNOON. && .SHORT TERM /TONIGHT/... MAS OF 250 AM THU...MODELS IN AGREEMENT ON HOLDING UPPER TROUGH OVER AREA THROUGH THE NIGHT BUT SHOW SHORT WAVE WEAKENING...HOWEVER THEY DO HAVE SOME DIFFERENCES IN STRENGTH OF SHORT WAVE...ECMWF BEING THE MOST VIGOROUS. WITH RIDGES TO THE WEST AND EAST...BELIEVE TROUGH WILL BE RATHER WEAK. WITH LOSS OF HEATING AFTER SUNSET ACTIVITY WILL DIMINISH. && .LONG TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... AS OF 315 AM THU...LITTLE CHANGES TO THE FORECAST OR FORECAST REASONING THROUGH THE LONG TERM. UPPER LEVEL FLOW WILL BECOME ZONAL FRI WITH HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING BACK IN ALOFT FROM THE WESTERN ATLANTIC. THE BERMUDA HIGH ALSO STRENGTHENS OFFSHORE ALLOWING MOIST SOUTHERLY FLOW TO CONTINUE THROUGH THE EXTENDED. EXPECT ISOL TO SCT DIURNAL CONVECTION FRI THROUGH THE WEEKEND INLAND AND ALONG THE SEA BREEZE BOUNDARY. LOW LEVEL THICKNESSES WILL PERSIST AT 1415-1420 METERS...YIELDING TEMPS NEAR CLIMATOLOGY WITH HIGHS IN THE LOW/MID 90S INLAND TO 80S ALONG THE COAST. A FRONTAL BOUNDARY IS PROGGED TO APPROACH THE AREA FROM THE NORTHWEST MON WITH MOIST SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW AND INCREASING LOW LEVEL SHEAR AHEAD OF A ROBUST MID LEVEL SHORTWAVE. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE MON AFTERNOON/EVENING WITH PWATS AGAIN BUILDING ABOVE 2 INCHES. 00Z AUG 2ND OPERATIONAL ECMWF AND GFS INDICATE THE FRONT WILL STALL JUST W OF THE REGION ACROSS THE CENTRAL PIEDMONT AND MID ATLANTIC STATES LATE MONDAY AND LINGER THROUGH MID WEEK WHILE AN UPPER TROUGH BECOME RE- ESTABLISHED ACROSS THE ERN CONUS. WILL KEEP CHANCE POPS TUE AND WED WITH THE UPPER TROUGH AND STALLED SFC FRONT CONTINUING ACROSS THE REGION WHILE WEAK SHORTWAVES MOVE THROUGH THE FLOW ALOFT. LOW LEVEL THICKNESSES WILL REMAIN AROUND 1415 METERS MON THROUGH WED HOWEVER GREATER CLOUD COVER AND PRECIP MAY MODERATE TEMPS FROM REACHING THE 90 DEGREE MARK EACH DAY. && .AVIATION /11Z THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY/... SHORT TERM /THROUGH 12Z FRIDAY/... AS OF 715 AM THU...MOSTLY VFR UNDER CLEAR SKIES THIS MORNING...BUT WITH AREAS OF FOG AND ISOLATED ST. ST/FOG WILL BURN OFF SHORTLY. ISOLATED SHOWERS POSSIBLE TODAY...HAVE NOT INCLUDED THEM IN TAFS DUE TO THE ISOLATED NATURE...BUT IF A STORM MOVES OVER A TAF SITE...CONDITIONS WILL DROP TO MVFR. OTHERWISE VFR. LONG TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH MONDAY/ AS OF 330 AM THU...PREDOMINANT VFR AVIATION CONDITIONS EXPECTED THROUGH THE EXTENDED. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE IN DIURNAL CONVECTION EACH DAY. SOUTHWESTERLY SURFACE FLOW WILL PERSIST FRI INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. && .MARINE... SHORT TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... AS OF 11 AM THU...ADJUSTED SEAS TO 2-3 FT PER CURRENT OBS...SWAN AND WW3 RUNNING ABOUT 1 FOOT TOO HIGH. CURRENT LIGHT/VRBL WINDS WILL BECOME S-SW NEAR 10 KT THIS AFTN WITH PRES GRAD TIGHTENING SLIGHTLY. /PREVIOUS DISCUSSION/ AS OF 311 AM THU...SOUTHWEST WIND OVER THE WATERS THIS MORNING RUNNING AROUND 10 KNOTS OR LESS WITH SEAS 2 TO 4 FEET. WEAK WAVE ON BOUNDARY OVER THE CENTRAL PART OF THE STATE WILL MOVE NORTH BRINGING WIND TO WESTERLY TEMPORARILY DURING THE MORNING. THE BOUNDARY WILL DISSIPATE ALLOWING THE FLOW OVER THE WATERS TO BECOME SOUTHERLY BY MIDDAY. THIS PATTERN WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE NIGHTTIME HOURS WITH SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST FLOW 10 KNOTS OR LESS AND SEAS 2 TO 4 FEET. LONG TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH MONDAY/ AS OF 330 AM WED...GOOD BOATING CONDITIONS EXPECTED FRI THROUGH THE WEEKEND WITH THE BERMUDA HIGH STRENGTHENING OVER THE WESTERN ATLANTIC BRINGING SLY WINDS ACROSS THE WATERS. SPEEDS WILL RANGE GENERALLY 10-15 KNOTS WITH SEAS 2 TO 3 FT. ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE THROUGH THE WEEKEND AS WELL. GRADIENTS BEGIN TO TIGHTEN LATE SUN AND MON AS FRONTAL SYSTEM APPROACHES FROM THE NW AND EXPECT WINDS TO INCREASE TO AROUND 15-20 KT...MAINLY ACROSS THE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL WATERS. SEAS BUILD ACCORDINGLY TO AROUND 3-5 FT SUN NIGHT TROUGH MON. SWAN AND WAVEWATCH IN GOOD AGREEMENT THROUGH THE PERIOD. && .MHX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NC...NONE. MARINE...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...CGG NEAR TERM...JBM/CGG SHORT TERM...CGG LONG TERM...SK AVIATION...CGG/SK MARINE...JBM/CGG/SK
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEWPORT/MOREHEAD CITY NC 504 AM EDT THU AUG 2 2012 NCZ095-103-104-030915- CARTERET-OUTER BANKS DARE-OUTER BANKS HYDE- 504 AM EDT THU AUG 2 2012 ...MODERATE RIP CURRENT RISK IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. 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. .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. NCZ029-044>047-079>081-090>094-098-030915- MARTIN-PITT-WASHINGTON-TYRRELL-MAINLAND DARE-GREENE-BEAUFORT- MAINLAND HYDE-DUPLIN-LENOIR-JONES-CRAVEN-PAMLICO-ONSLOW- 504 AM EDT THU AUG 2 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND 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.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEWPORT/MOREHEAD CITY NC
1203 PM EDT THU AUG 2 2012
NCZ044-079-021700-
GREENE-PITT-
1203 PM EDT THU AUG 2 2012
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL MOVE ACROSS PITT AND GREENE COUNTIES
THROUGH 100 PM EDT...
AT 1203 PM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER
WALSTONBURG...OR ABOUT 10 MILES WEST OF FARMVILLE...MOVING NORTHEAST
AT 5 MPH.
SOME LOCATIONS AFFECTED BY THIS STORM INCLUDE...WALSTONBURG...
WALSTONBURG...FOUNTAIN.
SEEK SHELTER IN A NEARLY BUILDING OR VEHICLE. STRONG WINDS ARE
CAPABLE OF KNOCKING DOWN SMALL TREES AND BLOWING AROUND TRASH CANS...
POTTED PLANTS...LAWN FURNITURE AND OTHER LIGHT OUTDOOR OBJECTS.
IF YOU SEE LIGHTNING OR HEAR THUNDER...YOU ARE AT RISK. TAKE SHELTER
INDOORS IMMEDIATELY. IF YOU CANNOT FIND SHELTER IN A BUILDING A
VEHICLE PROVIDES SAFETY FROM LIGHTNING.
&&
LAT...LON 3559 7781 3575 7755 3562 7744 3551 7780
3554 7783 3557 7783
TIME...MOT...LOC 1603Z 236DEG 6KT 3559 7777
DAGSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEWPORT/MOREHEAD CITY NC
1252 PM EDT THU AUG 2 2012
NCZ044-079-021745-
GREENE-PITT-
1252 PM EDT THU AUG 2 2012
...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE ACROSS PITT AND GREENE COUNTIES
THROUGH 145 PM EDT...
AT 1252 PM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS 6 MILES
WEST OF SNOW HILL...OR ABOUT 12 MILES NORTH OF LA GRANGE...MOVING
NORTHEAST AT 10 MPH.
LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS INCLUDE SNOW HILL...FOUNTAIN
FARMVILLE...SNOW HILL AND WALSTONBURG.
HAZARDS INCLUDE...
PEA SIZE HAIL.
GUSTY WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH.
DEADLY CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING.
HEAVY RAINFALL AND MINOR FLOODING.
SEEK SHELTER IN A NEARLY BUILDING OR VEHICLE. STRONG WINDS ARE
CAPABLE OF KNOCKING DOWN SMALL TREES AND BLOWING AROUND TRASH CANS...
POTTED PLANTS...LAWN FURNITURE AND OTHER LIGHT OUTDOOR OBJECTS.
IF YOU SEE LIGHTNING OR HEAR THUNDER...YOU ARE AT RISK. TAKE SHELTER
INDOORS IMMEDIATELY. IF YOU CANNOT FIND SHELTER IN A BUILDING A
VEHICLE PROVIDES SAFETY FROM LIGHTNING.
&&
LAT...LON 3557 7783 3568 7767 3578 7750 3547 7738
3537 7780 3540 7781 3543 7783
TIME...MOT...LOC 1652Z 247DEG 8KT 3549 7777
DAGPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEWPORT/MOREHEAD CITY NC
1256 PM EDT THU AUG 02 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1254 PM HAIL 3 N SHINES CROSSROADS 35.48N 77.79W
08/02/2012 E0.25 INCH GREENE NC SPOTTER
SPOTTER REPORTED PEA SIZE HAIL WITH HEAVY RAIN ALONG
ROUTE 13 WEST OF SNOW HILL
&&
EVENT NUMBER MHX1200416
PAGANOThe Raleigh/Durham radar (KRAX), 74 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 17:11 UTC.
4 hail, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Local fire department reported a mix of dime and nickel size hail along Fire Tower Road.
Public reported a mix of nickel and quarter size hail along Highway 91.
Lenoir County 911 relayed a public report of quarter size hail north of La Grange.
Lenoir County 911 reported a tree down on a vehicle on Doctors Drive north of Kinston.
North Carolina Department of Transportation employee reported hail as large as nickel size near Highway 41 and Jackson Store Road south of Beulaville.
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: 407840, 407841, 407842, 407844, 407843.