A stationary boundary was located along the North Carolina coast on July 31st. Moist and unstable air allowed for the formation of several waterspouts.
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.
A stationary boundary was located along the North Carolina coast on July 31st. Moist and unstable air allowed for the formation of several waterspouts. One thunderstorm produced two waterspouts which moved onshore near Bodie Island and Wanchese during the morning hours.
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 Jul 30, 9:08 AM EST, 32 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEWPORT/MOREHEAD CITY NC 1008 AM EDT MON JUL 30 2012 .SYNOPSIS... A FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL REMAIN ALONG THE COAST THROUGH MIDWEEK. HIGH PRESSURE WILL NOSE BACK INTO AREA BY THURSDAY AND REMAIN THROUGH THE WEEKEND. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 PM THIS EVENING/... AS OF 1000 AM MON...NO BIG CHANGES TO CURRENT FCST. RAISED TEMPS SLIGHTLY ACROSS COASTAL SECTIONS. EXPECT TEMPS WILL RANGE FROM THE MID 80S COAST TO THE UPPER 80S INLAND. WILL KEEP LIKELY POPS FOR COASTAL SECTION INVOF THE STATIONARY FRONT AND HIGH CHC POPS INLAND. UPPER TROUGH DIGS SWD AS IT APPROACHES EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA WITH AN H5 IMPULSE MOVING THROUGH THE BASE OF THE TROUGH AFFECTING THE AREA LATER THIS AFTERNOON. UPPER LEVEL ENERGY COMBINED WITH THE FRONT AND SEA BREEZE WILL HELP INITIATE CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY THIS AFTERNOON. NOT TOO MUCH WIND JUST OFF THE SURFACE...BUT FORECAST SOUNDINGS SHOWING PWS AROUND 2 INCHES TODAY AND WITH LIGHT STEERING WINDS LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE. && .SHORT TERM /6 PM THIS EVENING THROUGH 6 AM TUESDAY/... AS OF 307 AM MON...UPPER LEVEL ENERGY SWINGING THROUGH THE BASE OF THE TROUGH DURING THE PERIOD MAY KEEP CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY GOING THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS AND POSSIBLY PAST MIDNIGHT. FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL BE ORIENTED ALONG THE COAST AND THROUGH THE NORTHERN WATERS. PWS AOA 2 INCHES DURING THE EVENING HOURS. CAPE VALUES WILL REMAIN AROUND 1000. && .LONG TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... AS OF 318 AM MON...UPPER TROF WILL CONTINUE ALONG THE EASTERN SEABOARD FOR SEVERAL MORE DAYS. ALL MODELS AGREE ON THIS...BUT NOT ON THE TIMING OF INDIVIDUAL SPOKES OF VORTICITY ROTATING THROUGH. AT THE BROAD SURFACE TROF OF LOW PRESSURE WILL LINGER OVER THE EASTERN CAROLINAS. NEW ZONE FORECAST WILL CONTINUE CHANCE POPS OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS. UPPER PATTERN SLOWLY BECOMES MORE ZONAL THIS WEEKEND. TEMPS WILL AVERAGE NEAR TO SLIGHTLY BELOW CLIMO THROUGH MUCH OF NEXT WEEK...WITH HIGHS IN THE 80S AND LOWS IN THE 70S. && .AVIATION /14Z MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... SHORT TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... AS OF 1000 AM MON...FRONTAL BOUNDARY ACROSS THE AREA WITH WINDS GENERALLY LIGHT TODAY. FRONT WILL REMAIN QUASI-STATIONARY THROUGH THE DAY BUT WILL START A SLOW DRIFT TO THE NORTH LATER IN THE AFTERNOON. UPPER LEVEL ENERGY WILL MOVE THROUGH THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON...WHICH WILL COMBINE WITH SEA BREEZE AND FRONTAL BOUNDARY FOR ACTIVITY PICKING UP THIS AFTERNOON AND CONTINUING INTO THE EVENING HOURS. FOR NOW HAVE INDICATED ACTIVITY ENDING IN THE LATE EVENING HOURS. HOWEVER...COULD SEE ACTIVITY CONTINUE WELL INTO THE NIGHTTIME HOURS. LONG TERM /TUE THROUGH FRI/ AS OF 318 AM MON...SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK...MAINLY IN THE AFTERNOON/EVENING WITH LOCALLY LOWERED CEILINGS & VISIBILITIES. SURFACE WINDS WILL CONTINUE FROM THE SOUTHWEST. && .MARINE... SHORT TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... AS OF 1000 AM MON...NO CHANGES TO MARINE FCST. SOUTHERLY WINDS 10 KT OR LESS OVER THE SOUTHERN WATERS WITH EAST AND SOUTHEAST WIND OVER THE NORTHERN WATERS AS FRONTAL BOUNDARY IS DRAPED ACROSS THE AREA. FRONT IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN FAIRLY STATIONARY DURING THE DAY. A WAVE MAY FORM ON THE FRONT OVER SOUTH CAROLINA AND MOVE NORTH DURING THE DAY WHICH WILL PUSH WINDS IN THE SOUTHERN WATERS UP TO AROUND 15 KNOTS. FRONT WILL MOVE NORTH DURING THE EVENING AND IS EXPECTED TO BE IN THE EXTREME NORTHERN WATERS TONIGHT WITH MAINLY SOUTHWEST WIND OVER MOST OF THE WATERS. SPEEDS WILL REMAIN 10 TO 15 KNOTS THROUGH TONIGHT WITH SEAS 2 TO 3 FEET. LONG TERM /TUE THROUGH FRI/ AS OF 318 AM MON...MODELS IN GOOD AGREEMENT THROUGH THE PERIOD WITH THE OVERALL SOUTHWEST FLOW PATTERN. HOWEVER...ONCE AGAIN THE GFS CONTINUES TO BE STRONGER WITH THE WINDS ON TUESDAY SO HAVE LEANED MORE TOWARD THE WEAKER 12Z ECMWF/00Z NAM SOLUTION. AS A RESULT THE 00Z WAVEWATCH SEAS ARE TOO HIGH FOR TUESDAY AND TUESDAY EVENING...SO I USED THE SWAN FOR WAVE HEIGHTS. && .MHX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NC...NONE. MARINE...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...CGG NEAR TERM...CGG/JAC SHORT TERM...CGG LONG TERM...HSA AVIATION...CGG/JAC/HSA MARINE...CGG/JAC/HSA
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEWPORT/MOREHEAD CITY NC 449 AM EDT MON JUL 30 2012 NCZ029-044>047-079>081-090>095-098-103-104-310900- MARTIN-PITT-WASHINGTON-TYRRELL-MAINLAND DARE-GREENE-BEAUFORT- MAINLAND HYDE-DUPLIN-LENOIR-JONES-CRAVEN-PAMLICO-CARTERET-ONSLOW- OUTER BANKS DARE-OUTER BANKS HYDE- 449 AM EDT MON JUL 30 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TODAY AND TONIGHT. GUSTY WINDS AND HEAVY RAIN CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THE STORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. 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 NEWPORT/MOREHEAD CITY NC
802 AM EDT MON JUL 30 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0750 AM WATER SPOUT 3 N SOUNDSIDE 36.01N 76.24W
07/30/2012 AMZ130 NC LAW ENFORCEMENT
TYRRELL COUNTY LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTED WATERSPOUTS
NORTHEAST OF COLUMBIA IN THE ALBEMARLE SOUND.
&&
EVENT NUMBER MHX1200409
DAGSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEWPORT/MOREHEAD CITY NC
823 AM EDT MON JUL 30 2012
NCZ103-301300-
OUTER BANKS DARE-
823 AM EDT MON JUL 30 2012
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL MOVE ACROSS OUTER BANKS DARE COUNTY
THROUGH 900 AM EDT...
AT 823 AM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER
AVON...OR ABOUT 6 MILES NORTH OF BUXTON...MOVING EAST AT 5 MPH.
SOME LOCATIONS AFFECTED BY THIS STORM INCLUDE...AVON.
HAZARDS INCLUDE...
GUSTY WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH.
DEADLY CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING.
DARE COUNTY LAW ENFORCEMENT ALSO REPORTED A WATERSPOUT WEST OF AVON
WHICH MAY IMPACT SOUND SIDE REGIONS NEAR AVON.
BOATERS ON THE OPEN WATER AND THOSE CAMPING OUTDOORS ARE ESPECIALLY
VULNERABLE TO THE DANGERS OF LIGHTNING. BOATERS SHOULD SEEK SAFE
HARBOR. THOSE CAMPING SHOULD TAKE SHELTER IN A NEARBY BUILDING OR
VEHICLE.
&&
LAT...LON 3530 7551 3530 7552 3536 7552 3539 7550
3540 7551 3541 7550 3541 7548
TIME...MOT...LOC 1223Z 271DEG 3KT 3536 7553
DAGPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEWPORT/MOREHEAD CITY NC
829 AM EDT MON JUL 30 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0816 AM WATER SPOUT 2 W AVON 35.34N 75.54W
07/30/2012 AMZ135 NC LAW ENFORCEMENT
DARE COUNTY LAW ENFORCEMENT RELAYED A PUBLIC REPORT OF
WATERSPOUT WEST OF AVON MOVING EAST.
&&
EVENT NUMBER MHX1200410
DAGThe Morehead City radar (KMHX), 167 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 14:42 UTC.
2 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
Dare county 911 center relayed a report of a waterspout that moved onshore north of the Bodie Island lighthouse heading west. No damage was reported with the tornado. The waterspout dissipated shortly after becoming a tornado.
Dare county 911 center reported a waterspout moved onshore just southeast of Wanchese on Roanoke Island. No damage was reported and the waterspout dissipated shortly after becoming a tornado.
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 historyThe tornado archive for North Carolina, 2012Warnings in North Carolina, July 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: 387526, 387527.