A stationary front, oriented east to west across the area, became a focus for convection. Thunderstorms developed to the west of the area and then propagated along the front and across the area during the evening.
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.
A stationary front, oriented east to west across the area, became a focus for convection. Thunderstorms developed to the west of the area and then propagated along the front and across the area during the evening. A mid-level shortwave trough helped to enhance the severity of the thunderstorms.
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 Apr 27, 2:25 PM EST, 1 hour 45 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC 325 PM EDT FRI APR 27 2012 .SYNOPSIS... A STATIONARY FRONT WILL LINGER ACROSS THE AREA OVERNIGHT BEFORE LIFTING NORTH ON SATURDAY. WARM SOUTHWEST FLOW WILL PREVAIL THROUGH SUNDAY BEFORE THE FRONT DROPS BACK SOUTH AND CROSSES THE AREA SUNDAY NIGHT. RELATIVELY COOL HIGH PRESSURE WILL BRIEFLY BUILD IN BEHIND THE FRONT MONDAY...THEN MOVE OFFSHORE TUESDAY ALLOWING THE RETURN OF A WARM SOUTHERLY FLOW THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... AS OF 300 PM FRIDAY...A BACKDOOR COLD FRONT OVER EAST-CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA HAS BECOME QUITE DIFFUSE INLAND BUT IS STILL VERY EASY TO LOCATE ALONG THE COAST WHERE A SOUTHWESTWARD-MOVING ROPE CLOUD AND 10-15 DEGREE TEMPERATURE GRADIENT EXIST. THE FRONT SHOULD EASE ITS WAY INTO WILMINGTON...ELIZABETHTOWN AND LUMBERTON EARLY THIS EVENING...STALLING OUT SOMEWHERE ALONG A LINE FROM LAKE CITY TO MURRELLS INLET TONIGHT. NORTH OF THIS BOUNDARY WINDS WILL BECOME EAST TO NORTHEAST...WHILE TO THE SOUTH A SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WIND WILL CONTINUE. OF MORE IMPORTANCE IN THE NEAR-TERM...MODERATELY UNSTABLE CONDITIONS HAVE DEVELOPED ALONG AND SOUTH OF THE FRONT WHERE SB-CAPE VALUES ARE ECLIPSING 1500 J/KG AND LIFTED INDICES HAVE FALLEN BELOW -4. THERE IS A WANING CONVECTIVE CAP AT 800 MB THAT WILL BREAK WITH THE ARRIVAL OF A WEAK UPPER DISTURBANCE NOW CROSSING THE UPPER SAVANNAH RIVER VALLEY. MUCH OF OUR MODEL GUIDANCE IS FORECASTING AN MCS TO DEVELOP ACROSS SOUTH CAROLINA IN THE NEXT 1-2 HOURS...PROPAGATING EAST TO THE COAST BY 6-8 PM THIS EVENING. SUFFICIENT BULK SHEAR EXISTS FOR MULTICELL STORM ORGANIZATION. STEEP MID-LEVEL LAPSE RATES IS GENERATING 500 J/KG OF CAPE THROUGHOUT THE -10C TO -30C LAYER (ROUGHLY 18000-27000 FT AGL TODAY)...SUGGESTING LARGE HAIL COULD BE A THREAT. COLD POOL EFFECTS WILL FURTHER INCREASE THE POTENTIAL FOR DAMAGING WIND GUSTS ONCE THE MCS ACHIEVES "CRITICAL MASS." SPC HAS ALREADY GIVEN NOTICE IN THEIR MOST RECENT MESOSCALE DISCUSSION THAT A WATCH IS LIKELY ACROSS CENTRAL SOUTH CAROLINA...WHICH MAY END UP INCLUDING A PORTION OF THE SC PEE DEE. THE GREATEST POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE WEATHER SHOULD END AFTER 8 PM...WITH MORE IN THE WAY OF SHOWERS (AND LESS IN THE WAY OF THUNDERSTORMS) EXPECTED OVERNIGHT. THE APPROACH OF ANOTHER UPPER DISTURBANCE AFTER MIDNIGHT SHOULD INDUCE A SURFACE WAVE OF LOW PRESSURE TO DEVELOP ALONG THE STALLED FRONT. CROSS-FRONTAL FLOW ABOVE THE BOUNDARY LAYER COULD CREATE MORE SHOWERS OR EVEN JUST A PERIOD OF STRATIFORM RAIN AFFECTING MAINLY SOUTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA AFTER MIDNIGHT...MOVING OFF THE COAST AROUND DAYBREAK SATURDAY. LOWS TONIGHT SHOULD RANGE FROM AROUND 60 IN THE NORTH TO THE MID 60S IN THE SOUTH. && .SHORT TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT/... AS OF 3 PM FRIDAY...COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO BE DRAPED EAST- WEST ACROSS THE CWA EARLY SATURDAY AND LIFT NORTH THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. CONVECTION ASSOCIATED WITH 500 MB SHORTWAVE ENERGY SHOULD BE MOVING OFF THE COAST IN THE MORNING. POPS WILL DECREASE THROUGH THE DAY AS THE ATMOSPHERE DRIES OUT ABOVE 850 MB...THOUGH IT WILL BE TOUGH TO RULE OUT AN ISOLATED TSTM DURING THE AFTERNOON...ESPECIALLY ALONG THE SEA BREEZE BOUNDARY. THE FRONT WILL REMAIN NORTH OF THE AREA THROUGH THE DAY SUNDAY. WEST-SOUTHWEST LOW-LEVEL FLOW AND MID-UPPER RIDGING WILL SEE TEMPS SOAR INTO THE MID 80S...EVEN UPPER 80S ACROSS THE SOUTHERN CWA. IT APPEARS THAT AN ABSENCE OF MID-LEVEL MOISTURE ALONG WITH SUBSIDENCE WILL PRECLUDE ANY SIGNIFICANT CHANCE OF CONVECTION. THE FRONT WILL RETURN SOUTH AS A BACKDOOR COLD FRONT SUNDAY EVENING AND WILL WARRANT AT LEAST SLIGHT CHANCE POPS ACROSS THE NORTHERN CWA...PERHAPS FURTHER SOUTH DEPENDING ON ITS PROGRESS. && .LONG TERM /MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... AS OF 3 PM FRIDAY...MODELS NOW MORE AGGRESSIVE WITH HIGH PRESSURE PUSHING BACK DOOR COLD FRONT WELL TO OUR SOUTH ON MONDAY. GIVEN THE STRENGTH OF THE UPPER TROUGH OFF OF CANADIAN MARITIMES THIS SEEMS QUITE PLAUSIBLE. LOOKS LIKE IT WILL NOW WEAKEN TO THE POINT OF WASHING OUT OFF TO OUR SOUTH AS THE DAY WEARS ON. WHILE THIS WILL ACT TO KEEP HIGH TEMPERATURES COOL RELATIVE TO THE REST OF THE LONG TERM IT DOES NOT ARGUE FOR MUCH IN THE WAY OF RAIN CHANCES ASSOCIATED WITH THE BOUNDARY...NOR DOES THE BUILDING RIDGE ALOFT. THIS RIDGE...CENTERED OVER FL/BAHAMAS...WILL REMAIN IN PLACE TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY WHILE THE SURFACE HIGH MOVES OFF THE EAST COAST. WARMER AND MORE HUMID BOUNDARY LAYER AIR WILL THUS ADVECT UP AND DOWN THE EAST COAST. THIS PATTERN WILL MORE OR LESS STAY AS-IS FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE LONG TERM. EVENTUALLY SOME MESOSCALE FORCING MAY SUPPORT ISOLATED CONVECTION ONCE HEAT AND MOISTURE BECOME ADEQUATE BUT GIVEN THE UNCERTAINTY AND EXPECTED LOW COVERAGE THE FORECAST WILL REMAIN DRY AT THIS TIME. TEMPS WILL BE ABOVE NORMAL THROUGH THE PERIOD WITH THE EXCEPTION OF MONDAY. && .AVIATION /18Z FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... AS OF 18Z...WEAK COLD FRONT VISIBLE ON SATELLITE IMAGERY WILL DROP INTO THE REGION THIS AFTERNOON. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ALONG AND SOUTH OF THIS BOUNDARY. COVERAGE SHOULD BE SIMILAR TO YESTERDAY...PERHAPS A BIT LESS INTENSE. TONIGHT...WINDS SHIFT TO THE EAST NORTHEAST...USHERING IN MVFR CIGS...PERHAPS DROPPING TO IFR INLAND. A MODERATE UPPER LEVEL IMPULSE WILL MOVE INTO THE EASTERN CAROLINAS AFTER LOCAL MIDNIGHT...WITH ANOTHER ROUND OF SHOWERS AND EMBEDDED STORMS EXPECTED. BY MID MORNING SATURDAY... EXPECT IMPROVING CONDITIONS AS THE UPPER DISTURBANCE EXITS TO THE NORTHEAST. A MVFR CEILING MAY LINGER...LIFTING TO VFR BY EARLY SATURDAY AFTERNOON. EXTENDED OUTLOOK...ISOLATED STORMS POSSIBLE SATURDAY. VFR SUNDAY. MVFR OR BRIEF IFR VSBYS IN MORNING FOG POSSIBLE MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. && .MARINE... NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... AS OF 300 PM FRIDAY...A BACKDOOR COLD FRONT HAS PUSHED SOUTH THROUGH THE MOREHEAD CITY AREA AND SHOULD BE MOVING INTO THE CAPE FEAR REGION BEFORE SUNSET. SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST SYNOPTIC WINDS WILL TURN EAST TO NORTHEAST BEHIND THE FRONT...ALTHOUGH WITH NO SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN WIND SPEED EXPECTED. THE BOUNDARY WILL DROP SOUTH THROUGH MYRTLE BEACH LATE THIS EVENING...STALLING IN THE MURRELLS INLET VICINITY OVERNIGHT. A LARGE AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ACROSS CENTRAL SOUTH CAROLINA IN THE NEXT 1-2 HOURS. THIS ACTIVITY SHOULD MAKE IT TO THE SOUTH CAROLINA COAST BEFORE SUNSET...PERHAPS AFFECTING A PORTION OF THE NC COAST AS WELL. HAIL AND STRONG WIND GUSTS ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS ACTIVITY THROUGH 8-9 PM. AFTERWARDS...ALTHOUGH MORE SHOWERS AND PERHAPS THUNDERSTORMS ARE IN THE FORECAST OVERNIGHT THEY SHOULD BE OF THE NON-SEVERE VARIETY. SEAS HAVE BEEN SLOW TO FALL GIVEN ALL THE STRONG WINDS EXPERIENCED OVER THE PAST 24-36 HOURS. THE FRYING PAN SHOALS BUOY IS STILL HANGING ON TO 6 FOOT SEAS AS OF THE 2 PM REPORT...WITH 3-4 FT SEAS STILL REPORTED NEARSHORE AT THE CORMP BUOYS. SHOULD GRADUALLY FALL TO 2-4 FT TONIGHT. SHORT TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT/... AS OF 3 PM FRIDAY...STATIONARY FRONT WILL BE DRAPED SOMEWHERE NEAR THE NC-SC STATE LINE SATURDAY MORNING AND WILL MOVE TO THE NORTH THROUGH THE DAY. WINDS NORTH OF THE FRONT WILL BE PRIMARILY EAST...WITH A MORE SOUTHEASTERLY COMPONENT SOUTH OF THE BOUNDARY. WINDS WILL SHIFT TO THE SOUTH-SOUTHWEST AS THE FRONT LIFTS NORTH AND WILL REMAIN GENERALLY SOUTH-SOUTHWEST INTO SUNDAY EVENING. AT THAT POINT THE FRONT WILL MOVE BACK TO THE SOUTH...AND THERE IS SOME UNCERTAINTY ON HOW QUICKLY AND HOW FAR IT PROGRESSES. A SHIFT TO THE NORTHEAST APPEARS LIKELY SUNDAY NIGHT FOR THE WATERS NORTH OF LITTLE RIVER INLET...AND IS POSSIBLE FOR THE WATERS AS FAR SOUTH AS THE SANTEE RIVER AS WELL. AS FAR AS PRECIPITATION...EXPECT SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED TSTMS TO BE MOVING ACROSS THE WATERS EARLY SATURDAY IN ASSOCIATION WITH A MID-LEVEL DISTURBANCE. THESE SHOULD EXIT THE WATERS BY LATE MORNING...THEN ANY SIGNIFICANT CHANCE FOR CONVECTION APPEARS TO HOLD OFF UNTIL SUNDAY EVENING AND WILL BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY DROPPING SOUTH. LONG TERM /MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... AS OF 3 PM FRIDAY...COLD FRONT PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT TO BE STALLED ACROSS THE REGION EARLY MONDAY NOW MAY REMAIN WELL TO THE SOUTH. THERE IS STILL SOME UNCERTAINTY ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF THIS SHIFT BUT IT DOES SEEM PLAUSIBLE GIVEN THE POSITION AND STRENGTH OF FEATURES ALOFT. EASTERLY/ONSHORE FLOW FOR THE EARLIER PARTS OF MONDAY WILL BRING SOME HIGHER WAVE HEIGHTS ACROSS THE FORECAST ZONES. THIS ONSHORE FLOW COMPONENT MAY NOW LAST A LITTLE LONGER THAN PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT BY PERSISTING INTO MONDAY NIGHT AS THE HIGH OFF THE COAST ONLY VERY SLOWLY PROGRESSES EAST. BY TUESDAY HOWEVER THE ANTICIPATED VEER TO A MORE SOUTHERLY FLOW SPREADING NORTHWARD ACROSS THE WATERS. THERE WILL NOT BE A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN WIND SPEED AS THIS OCCURS BUT THE LESSENED ONSHORE COMPONENT SHOULD STILL TRANSLATE TO A SLIGHT DIMINUTION OF WAVE HEIGHTS. SOUTHERLY COMPONENT REMAINS THROUGH THE PERIOD BUT NOT THE TYPICAL BERMUDA HIGH TYPE OF MODERATE SWRLY FLOW...THIS HIGH WILL BE CONSIDERABLY DISPLACED EAST OF THAT. OVERALL WIND MAY BE A CATEGORY LOWER THAN THOSE BORNE OF BERMUDA HIGH...AND THERE COULD BE SOME VARIABILITY BETWEEN SOUTHERLY DIRECTIONS...I.E. SW TO S OR EVEN SE. && .ILM WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... SC...NONE. NC...NONE. MARINE...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...CRM NEAR TERM...TRA SHORT TERM...CRM LONG TERM...MBB AVIATION...DL/TRA
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC 354 PM EDT FRI APR 27 2012 NCZ087-096-099-105>110-SCZ017-023-024-032-033-039-053>056-282000- ROBESON-BLADEN-COLUMBUS-INLAND PENDER-COASTAL PENDER- INLAND NEW HANOVER-COASTAL NEW HANOVER-INLAND BRUNSWICK- COASTAL BRUNSWICK-MARLBORO-DARLINGTON-DILLON-FLORENCE-MARION- WILLIAMSBURG-INLAND HORRY-COASTAL HORRY-INLAND GEORGETOWN- COASTAL GEORGETOWN- 354 PM EDT FRI APR 27 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA AND NORTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP LATE THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS CENTRAL SOUTH CAROLINA...MOVING EAST TO THE NORTH AND SOUTH CAROLINA COAST EARLY THIS EVENING. LARGE HAIL AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS ARE EXPECTED IN THE STRONGEST STORMS. MOST OF THE STRONG THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY SHOULD MOVE OUT OF THE AREA BY 8 PM. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED. AMZ250-252-254-256-282000- 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- 354 PM EDT FRI APR 27 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS EVENING WILL PRODUCE STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND POSSIBLY HAIL. MOST OF THE STRONG THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD EXIT THE AREA BY 9 PM. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. 9
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC
1133 AM EDT FRI APR 27 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0420 PM HAIL 4 WSW FAIRMONT 34.48N 79.18W
04/26/2012 E1.00 INCH ROBESON NC PUBLIC
1.0 INCH HAIL FELL AT THE INTERSECTION OF HIGHWAY 130
AND YUKON LN.
&&
EVENT NUMBER ILM1200064
CRMSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC
425 PM EDT FRI APR 27 2012
SCZ023-272100-
DARLINGTON-
425 PM EDT FRI APR 27 2012
...THUNDERSTORM WITH SMALL HAIL ENTERING WESTERN DARLINGTON COUNTY...
AT 425 PM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 8 MILES
WEST OF CLYDE...OR ABOUT 13 MILES NORTH OF BISHOPVILLE...MOVING EAST
AT 20 MPH.
SOME LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE HARTSVILLE...CLYDE...KELLYTOWN...
LYDIA...NORTH HARTSVILLE AND OATS.
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 3437 8028 3446 8011 3444 7998 3422 8005
3425 8013 3428 8014 3430 8017 3432 8018
3436 8018 3433 8021 3432 8024 3436 8029
TIME...MOT...LOC 2025Z 285DEG 16KT 3439 8029
BACONThe Columbia radar (KCAE), 101 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:10 UTC.
5 hail, 4 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A tree was reportedly down across West Seven Pines Street.
A grove of pine trees was reportedly snapped and a 2 foot diameter oak tree was blown over.
A roof was partially lifted off a mobile home.
A large tree was reported down on a liquor store.
Hail to the size of pennies was reported along Lamar Highway.
Hail up to the size of nickels and quarters was reported. The hail lasted for 5 minutes.
Hail to the size of quarters was reported.
Hail to the size of quarters was reported.
Hail to the size of nickels was reported.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in South Carolina in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in South Carolina, April 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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 373579, 373498, 373512, 373516, 373486, 373547, 373549, 373552, 373489.