Thunderstorms developed primarily along the seabreeze during the afternoon and moved over the same general area as they built upstream and persisted.
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 ILM wrote it up.
Thunderstorms developed primarily along the seabreeze during the afternoon and moved over the same general area as they built upstream and persisted.
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 Wilmington, NC wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 16, 2:15 PM EST, 5 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC 315 PM EDT WED MAY 16 2012 .SYNOPSIS... A SLOW MOVING COLD FRONT WILL BRING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THIS EVENING AND AGAIN ON THURSDAY. THE FRONT WILL MOVE OFF THE COAST LATE THURSDAY AND STALL. HIGH PRESSURE WILL RIDGE INTO THE AREA FROM THE NORTHEAST INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK WHILE LOW PRESSURE DEVELOPS ALONG THE FRONT AND MOVES SLOWLY NE. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... AS OF 1:30 PM WEDNESDAY...VIGOROUS SEA BREEZE CONVECTION OVER THE COASTAL COUNTIES NOW IN PROGRESS IS BEING CAPTURED NEARLY PERFECTLY BY THE LOCAL HRRR MODEL. THIS SAME MODEL CONTINUES SEA BREEZE RELATED CONVECTION INTO THE AFTERNOON HOURS...WITH ACTIVITY SPREADING INLAND DURING THAT TIME. ACT TWO WILL BEGIN THIS EVENING AS CONVECTION ASSOCIATED WITH A SLOW MOVING COLD FRONT SPREADS FROM THE NORTHWEST TOWARDS THE COAST. MODIFIED AREA SOUNDINGS FROM THIS MORNING SHOW A MOIST AND MODERATELY UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE WITH STEEP LAPSE RATES DEVELOPING THIS AFTERNOON. EXTENSIVE CLOUD COVER IS KEEPING A BIT OF A DAMPER ON CONVECTION INLAND SO FAR...ALTHOUGH CONVECTIVE TEMPERATURES SEEM TO HAVE BEEN EXCEEDED MOST PLACES. CONVECTION ALONG THE SEA BREEZE FRONT HAS BEEN STRONG TO MARGINALLY SEVERE SO FAR WITH REPORTS OF FREQUENT LIGHTNING...HEAVY RAIN AND MOSTLY SMALL HAIL. AS STATED ABOVE...APPROACHING COLD FRONT WILL TRIGGER ADDITIONAL CONVECTION STARTING THIS EVENING FROM THE NORTHWEST. FRONT WILL SLOWLY DROP SE ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA AND OFFSHORE BY AROUND DAYBREAK THURSDAY. SYSTEM HAS DECENT UPPER LEVEL SUPPORT WITH AN IMPRESSIVE VORTICITY MAXIMUM AND A MODERATELY DEEP H/5 TROUGH ACCOMPANYING THE FRONT. THESE FEATURES WILL CONTINUE THE GOOD CHANCE THAT CONVECTION WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. BASED ON RECENT MODEL PERFORMANCE HAVE GONE ABOVE GUIDANCE FOR OVERNIGHT TEMPERATURES. MAJOR GUIDANCE HAS BEEN CONSISTENTLY TOO COOL LATELY...SO WILL BE GOING WITH MID 60S FOR MINIMUMS OVERNIGHT. && .SHORT TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT/... AS OF 300 PM WEDNESDAY...THURSDAY LOOKS LIKE ANOTHER DAY WHERE SCATTERED SHOWERS AND STORMS ARE POSSIBLE AS THE FRONT MOVES SLOWLY THROUGH BEFORE STALLING OFF THE COAST. THERE IS THE POSSIBILITY OF SHOWERS AND STORMS AGAIN FRIDAY ALONG THE COAST...OTHERWISE FRIDAY IS EXPECTED TO BE DRY. TEMPS WILL REMAIN AROUND CLIMO FOR HIGHS THROUGH THE PERIOD...REACHING A FEW DEGREES EITHER SIDE OF 80. LOWS AROUND 60 ARE EXPECTED THURSDAY NIGHT WITH MID 50S TO AROUND 60 EXPECTED FRIDAY NIGHT. && .LONG TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... AS OF 300 PM WEDNESDAY...SATURDAY LOOKS TO BE DRY WITH HIGH PRESSURE RIDGING IN FROM THE NORTHEAST. HOWEVER...AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE ALONG AN OLD FRONT OFF THE COAST OFF THE COAST WILL BRING A RETURN OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SHOWERS ON SUNDAY. AS WINDS BECOME MORE EASTERLY EARLY NEXT WEEK...THE POSSIBILITY OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...MAINLY OF THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING VARIETY...WILL RETURN. MAX TEMPERATURES WILL MODERATE SLIGHTLY THROUGH THE PERIOD FROM UPPER 70S TO LOWER 80S SATURDAY TO LOW TO MID 80S BY MID WEEK. LOWS WILL ALSO MODERATE FROM THE MID 50S TO AROUND 60 SATURDAY NIGHT TO LOW TO MID 60S BY TUESDAY NIGHT. && .AVIATION /17Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... AS OF 17Z...CONVECTION ALREADY FIRING ALONG THE RESULTANT...WITH CAPES AT 2K+ AND 1.6" PRECIPITABLE WATER. CONVECTION MAY OVERPOWER THE RESULTANT AND AFFECT THE COASTAL TERMINALS THROUGH MUCH OF THE AFTERNOON...POSSIBLY EARLY EVENING. LOOK FOR MVFR CEILINGS AND BRIEF IFR VISIBILITIES IN THE HEAVY RAIN. SCATTERED CONVECTION WILL ALSO AFFECT INLAND TERMINALS...BUT CONFIDENCE IS LOWER WITH RESPECT TO TIMING AND INTENSITY. TONIGHT...CONVECTION WILL WANE...BUT MORE NOCTURNAL SHOWERS COULD ERUPT OFFSHORE...POSSIBLY COMING NEAR THE MYRTLES AND ILM THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. BRIEF IFR CEILINGS ARE POSSIBLE AFTER 08Z WITH ABUNDANT LOW LEVEL MOISTURE. THURSDAY...WINDS SHIFT WEAKLY TO THE NORTHEAST WITH MORE SCATTERED CONVECTION EXPECTED...BEST CHANCE SOUTH. EXTENDED OUTLOOK...CONDITIONS IMPROVING LATE THURSDAY NIGHT WITH VFR EXPECTED FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. CHANCE OF SHOWERS SOUTH ON MONDAY. && .MARINE... NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... AS OF 1:30 PM WEDNESDAY...WINDS NEAR SHORE THIS AFTERNOON BEING ENHANCED BY CONVECTION JUST INLAND THAT IS RELATED TO THIS AFTERNOONS SEA BREEZE CIRCULATION. SOUTHERLY WINDS ARE RIGHT AROUND 15 KTS NEAR SHORE...AND AROUND 20 IN THE VICINITY OF CONVECTION. OTHERWISE...GENERALLY LIGHT SOUTH TO SOUTHWESTERLY WINDS OVER THE WATERS WILL PRECEDE A COLD FRONT TODAY AND THIS EVENING...WITH WINDS TURNING NEARLY CALM BY DAYBREAK AS THE FRONT MOVES OVER THE WATERS. SEAS WILL REMAIN IN THEIR PRESENT 3 FT RANGE THROUGH THE PERIOD...PERHAPS DROPPING A FOOT BY MORNING AS WINDS SLACKEN. SHORT TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT/... AS OF 300 PM WEDNESDAY...THURSDAY IS A TRANSITION DAY AS A COLD FRONT CROSSES THE WATERS DURING IN THE DAY. NW WINDS OF 5-10 KTS EARLY THURSDAY WILL BECOME NE AND BEGIN TO INCREASE ON A NE SURGE AS HIGH PRESSURE RIDGES DOWN THE COAST. WINDS INCREASE TO 10-15 KTS THURSDAY NIGHT WHICH HELPS BUILD SEAS FROM 2-3 FT UP TO 3-4 FT...WITH THE NE WIND CHOP BECOMING INCREASINGLY MORE DOMINANT IN THE SPECTRUM. NE WINDS INCREASE FURTHER FRIDAY...TO 15-20 KTS THROUGH THE DAY. THIS BUILDS SEAS FURTHER...TO 4-5 FT...AND SCEC HEADLINES MAY BE NEEDED LATE IN THE DAY. LONG TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY/... AS OF 300 PM WEDNESDAY...CONTINUED STRONG E-NE WINDS THROUGH THE WKND MAY NECESSITATE A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY THROUGH THROUGH MUCH OF THE WEEKEND. NE WINDS OF 15-20 KTS WILL PERSIST INTO SUNDAY BEFORE DIMINISHING LATE SUNDAY INTO MONDAY AS WINDS BECOME MORE EASTERLY. AS A RESULT...SEAS WILL BUILD TO 4-6 FT BEGINNING VERY EARLY SATURDAY AND PERSISTING INTO SUNDAY. SEAS WILL SUBSIDE TO AROUND 4 FT BY MONDAY AFTERNOON. && .ILM WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... SC...NONE. NC...NONE. MARINE...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...REK/JDW NEAR TERM...REK SHORT TERM...RAN LONG TERM...RAN AVIATION...DL
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC 616 AM EDT WED MAY 16 2012 NCZ087-096-099-105>109-SCZ017-023-024-032-033-039-053>056-171030- ROBESON-BLADEN-COLUMBUS-INLAND PENDER-COASTAL PENDER- INLAND NEW HANOVER-COASTAL NEW HANOVER-INLAND BRUNSWICK-MARLBORO- DARLINGTON-DILLON-FLORENCE-MARION-WILLIAMSBURG-INLAND HORRY- COASTAL HORRY-INLAND GEORGETOWN-COASTAL GEORGETOWN- 616 AM EDT WED MAY 16 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA AND NORTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BRING PERIODS OF HEAVY RAINFALL TODAY. THE STRONGEST STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING WIND DAMAGE...MAINLY THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH EARLY EVENING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. NO HAZARDS ARE EXPECTED. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED. AMZ250-252-254-256-171030- SURF CITY TO CAPE FEAR NC OUT 20 NM- CAPE FEAR NC TO LITTLE RIVER INLET SC OUT 20 NM- LITTLE RIVER INLET TO MURRELLS INLET SC OUT 20 NM- MURRELLS INLET TO SOUTH SANTEE RIVER SC OUT 20 NM- 616 AM EDT WED MAY 16 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BRING PERIODS OF HEAVY RAINFALL TODAY...WHICH MAY BRING LIMITED VISIBILITIES AND LOCALLY HIGHER WINDS AND WAVES...AS WELL AS CLOUD TO WATER LIGHTNING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. NO HAZARDS ARE EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED. NCZ110-171030- COASTAL BRUNSWICK- 616 AM EDT WED MAY 16 2012 ...MODERATE RISK OF RIP CURRENTS IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST 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 RISK OF RIP CURRENTS. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BRING PERIODS OF HEAVY RAINFALL TODAY. THE STRONGEST STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING WIND DAMAGE...MAINLY THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH EARLY EVENING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. NO HAZARDS ARE EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED. 8
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC
937 AM EDT WED MAY 16 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0935 AM HAIL 3 SW LAKE WACCAMAW 34.29N 78.55W
05/16/2012 E1.00 INCH COLUMBUS NC PUBLIC
DIME TO QUARTER SIZE HAIL FELL FOR APPROXIMATELY 2
MINUTES
&&
EVENT NUMBER ILM1200104
CRMPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC
939 AM EDT WED MAY 16 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0130 PM HAIL 3 SW LAKE WACCAMAW 34.29N 78.55W
05/15/2012 E1.00 INCH COLUMBUS NC PUBLIC
DIME TO QUARTER SIZE HAIL FELL FOR APPROXIMATELY 2
MINUTES
&&
CORRECTED EVENT DATE...EVENT TIME
EVENT NUMBER ILM1200104
CRMPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC
1036 AM EDT WED MAY 16 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0205 PM HAIL 1 SSE PLANTERSVILLE 33.53N 79.21W
05/15/2012 E1.00 INCH GEORGETOWN SC PUBLIC
NICKEL TO QUARTER SIZE HAIL FELL AT PLANTERSVILLE
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
&&
EVENT NUMBER ILM1200105
CRMPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC
1153 AM EDT WED MAY 16 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0420 PM HAIL 5 S SMITHS 34.58N 78.87W
05/15/2012 E1.00 INCH ROBESON NC PUBLIC
DIME TO QUARTER SIZE HAIL FELL FOR ABOUT 5 MINUTES AND
BRIEFLY COVERED THE GROUND
&&
EVENT NUMBER ILM1200106
CRMSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC 1224 PM EDT WED MAY 16 2012 NCZ099-109-SCZ053-161730- COLUMBUS-INLAND BRUNSWICK-INLAND HORRY- 1224 PM EDT WED MAY 16 2012 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL MOVE ACROSS HORRY...BRUNSWICK AND COLUMBUS COUNTIES THROUGH 130 PM EDT... AT 1224 PM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER HAMMOND...OR ABOUT 11 MILES NORTHEAST OF RED HILL...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH. SOME LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE ADRIAN...ALLSBROOK...ASH...BETHEL... BROOKSVILLE...BUGHILL...DULAH...GORETOWN...GRISSETTOWN...HAMMOND... HAND AND IREDELL. HAZARDS INCLUDE... PEA SIZE HAIL. GUSTY WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH. HEAVY RAINFALL AND MINOR FLOODING. THUNDERSTORMS CAN POSE A VARIETY OF THREATS INCLUDING GUSTY WINDS... SMALL HAIL...CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...AND LOCALIZED FLOODING. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU REMAIN INDOORS UNTIL THE STORMS PASS. && LAT...LON 3395 7902 3428 7871 3396 7845 3379 7892 TIME...MOT...LOC 1624Z 240DEG 12KT 3392 7887 BACON
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC
301 PM EDT WED MAY 16 2012
NCZ096-161930-
BLADEN-
301 PM EDT WED MAY 16 2012
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL MOVE ACROSS BLADEN COUNTY THROUGH 330
PM EDT...
AT 302 PM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER
WHITE LAKE...OR ABOUT 5 MILES EAST OF ELIZABETHTOWN...MOVING
NORTHEAST AT 10 MPH.
SOME LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE ELIZABETHTOWN...LAGOON...LISBON AND
WHITE LAKE.
HAZARDS INCLUDE...
PEA SIZE HAIL.
GUSTY WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH.
THUNDERSTORMS CAN POSE A VARIETY OF THREATS INCLUDING GUSTY WINDS...
SMALL HAIL...CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...AND LOCALIZED FLOODING. IT
IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU REMAIN INDOORS UNTIL THE STORMS PASS.
&&
LAT...LON 3478 7842 3475 7838 3473 7838 3470 7836
3469 7834 3467 7832 3465 7832 3465 7831
3463 7831 3450 7853 3464 7867 3482 7846
TIME...MOT...LOC 1902Z 229DEG 9KT 3463 7851
BACONThe Wilmington radar (KLTX), 80 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:21 UTC.
1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Several quarter size hail stones fell during a torrential downpour.
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, May 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: 378560.