Showers and thunderstorms developed across Virginia and sent an outflow southward into central North Carolina. With moderate to strong instability thunderstorms developed along this outflow.
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.
Showers and thunderstorms developed across Virginia and sent an outflow southward into central North Carolina. With moderate to strong instability thunderstorms developed along this outflow. Several storms became severe across portions of the northern Piedmont and central and northern Coastal Plain of central North Carolina and produced damaging wind gusts.
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 10, 12:30 PM EST, 1 hour 5 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC 130 PM EDT SAT AUG 10 2013 .SYNOPSIS... BERMUDA HIGH PRESSURE WILL EXTEND ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST STATES THIS WEEKEND. MEANWHILE...A COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH SLOWLY FROM THE NORTHWEST...THEN STALL AND WEAKEN OVER OUR REGION ON MONDAY. A STRONGER COLD FRONT WILL ARRIVE DURING THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... AS OF 130 PM SATURDAY... KEEPING A CLOSE EYE ON SHOWER/TSTM ACTIVITY TO OUR NORTH OVER CENTRAL VA AND WEST APPROACHING OUR TRIAD ZONES. ACTIVITY IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TO DEVELOP SOUTHWARD AND EASTWARD RESPECTIVELY ON OUTFLOWS AND PERHAPS EXPAND IN COVERAGE WITH NEW CELLS DEVELOPING INVOF THE PIEDMONT TROUGH. LATEST MESOANALYSIS SHOWS 3500+ J/KG SBCAPE ACROSS MOST OF OUR CWA...AND WHILE MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES ARE FAIRLY MODEST...A PWAT RIDGE OF 2+ INCHES LIES ACROSS AT LEAST THE NORTHERN HALF OF OUR CWA. BULK SHEAR LESS THAN 30 KTS SUGGESTS LIMITED ORGANIZATION...BUT GIVEN MOISTURE PROFILE AND CAPE...THE DEEPER CELLS SHOULD BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING INTENSE DOWNPOURS... FREQUENT TO EXCESSIVE LIGHTNING...AND PERHAPS A FEW ISOLATED STRONG TO NEAR-SEVERE WIND GUSTS. GIVEN SW-NE ORIENTATION OF CURRENT ACTIVITY AND DEEP LAYER SW FLOW...WILL HAVE TO WATCH THE DIRECTION OF OUTFLOWS AND POTENTIAL FOR SOME CELL TRAINING...WHICH COULD LEAD TO POOR DRAINAGE AND URBAN FLOODING. IN TERMS OF COVERAGE...WITH MOISTURE DECREASING AND STABILITY INCREASING SOUTHWARD...THE BEST COVERAGE ACROSS CENTRAL NC THE REST OF THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING SHOULD BE ACROSS THE NORTHERN HALF OF OUR CWA...WITH THE LEAST COVERAGE ACROSS OUR SE ZONES. WHILE MOST OF THIS ACTIVITY IS EXPECTED TO WIND DOWN BY MIDNIGHT... A FEW SHOWERS MAY PERSIST A LITTLE BEYOND MIDNIGHT...PARTICULARLY ACROSS OUR NE ZONES. OTHERWISE...PC SKIES THE REST OF THE NIGHT. SFC DWPTS ONCE AGAIN SUGGEST LOWS IN THE LOWER-MIDDLE 70S. && .SHORT TERM /SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT/... AS OF 130 PM SATURDAY... SIMILAR PATTERN WILL BE IN PLACE ON SUNDAY WITH THE MID LEVEL RIDGE CENTERED JUST OFF THE SE COAST AND THE SFC FRONT REMAINING TO OUR NORTH. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP AFT 18Z ALONG THE PIEDMONT TROUGH AND ANY REMNANT/LINGERING OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES FROM TODAY'S ACTIVITY. CONVECTIVE PARAMETERS ON SUNDAY WILL BE VERY SIMILAR TO TODAY'S (SEE NEAR TERM DISC FOR DETAILS)...THUS THE MAIN CONCERNS WILL ONCE AGAIN BE LOCALIZED DOWNPOURS...FREQ-TO-EXCESS LIGHTNING...AND PERHAPS AN ISOLATED STRONG-TO-SEVERE WIND GUST. PERSISTENCE FOR HIGHS...89-92...WARMEST EAST. WILL CARRY CHANCE POPS INTO EARLY SUNDAY NIGHT FOR ANY LINGERING SHOWER/TSTM ACTIVITY...HOWEVER ACTIVITY SHOULD WIND DOWN AFT MIDNIGHT. LOWS SUNDAY NIGHT ONCE AGAIN IN THE LOWER 70S. && .LONG TERM /MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/... AS OF 130 PM SATURDAY... A VERY WET PERIOD SETTING UP FOR THE LONG TERM AS A FRONTAL ZONE DRAPES ACROSS THE CAROLINAS WITH PERSISTENT 2 TO 2.5 INCH PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES BEING TRANSPORTED OUT OF THE EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO. THE MAIN SEVERE THREAT FOR THIS TIME PERIOD WILL BE FLASH FLOODING AS SEVERAL DAYS OF RAIN ARE EXPECTED WITH HIGHEST AMOUNTS LIKELY IN THE SOUTHEASTERN PORTIONS OF THE CWA. CURRENT 7 DAY PRECIPITATION FORECAST OUT OF THE WPC CALLS FOR AS MUCH AS 5 INCHES OF RAIN ALONG THE COAST WITH 3-4 INCHES LIKELY OVER SOUTHEASTERN PORTIONS OF THE CWA. BACK TO THE NORTHWEST...A LITTLE DRIER FORECAST IS EXPECTED BUT 2-3 INCHES OF RAIN DURING THIS PERIOD ARE STILL LIKELY. THE SURFACE FRONT IS PROGGED TO BE DRAPED ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE CWA AS WELL AS SOUTH CAROLINA AND GEORGIA ON MONDAY. BY MONDAY EVENING THE FRONT WILL BEGIN TO SLOWLY CREEP BACK NORTHWARD AS A WARM FRONT...BUT MOVEMENT WILL BE SLOW DUE TO THE VERY ZONAL UPPER LEVEL PATTERN.BY TUESDAY THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WILL BEGIN TO DEEPEN INTO THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY...HELPING THE FRONTAL ZONE ACROSS THE CAROLINAS TO MOVE NORTHWARD...ESPECIALLY IN THE EASTERN PART OF THE STATE. IN THE WEST...THE FRONT WILL REMAIN FURTHER SOUTH. A SURFACE HIGH OVER THE GREAT LAKES WILL STRENGTHEN ON WEDNESDAY WILL BEGIN TO CLEAR OUT THE NORTHWESTERN PART OF THE STATE AND KEEP THE FRONT CONFINED TO THE EASTERN HALF OF NORTH CAROLINA. IT IS DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE HOW BIG THE INFLUENCE OF THE HIGH WILL BE...IN PARTICULAR IF IT WILL KEEP THE NORTHWESTERN PIEDMONT DRY OR NOT. CHANCES FOR PRECIP WILL CERTAINLY INCREASE TO THE EAST. IN ADDITION...THE UPPER LEVEL JET STRUCTURE BECOMES MUCH MORE FAVORABLE FOR UPPER LEVEL DIVERGENCE BY WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON WITH A 50-75 KT 300MB JET SETTING UP OVER SOUTHERN VA. NOT MUCH TO CHANGE THE PATTERN ON THURSDAY AS THE SURFACE HIGH EXTENDS INTO THE NORTHEAST...WITH THE FRONT SANDWICHED BETWEEN IT AND THE BERMUDA HIGH...BISECTING THE CWA FROM SOUTHWEST TO NORTHEAST. AT THE UPPER LEVELS THE FRONT WILL REMAIN CAMPED ON THE FRONT SIDE OF THE TROUGH WITH AN UPPER LEVEL HIGH OFF THE FLORIDA COAST HELPING TO KEEP IT THERE. THIS PATTERN WILL KEEP THE GULF OF MEXICO OPEN FOR CONTINUED OPTIMAL MOISTURE TRANSPORT. FRIDAY THE HIGH WILL MIGRATE TO THE NORTHEASTERN CONUS AND BEGIN TO CREATE A WEDGE FRONT THAT WILL NOSE DOWN ALONG THE LEE OF THE APPALACHIANS...POSSIBLY SETTING UP AN OVERRUNNING PRECIP EVENT IF NOT BY FRIDAY THAN ON SATURDAY..AS A MESO LOW MOVES UP THE SOUTHEAST COAST...BRINGING ANOTHER SLOG OF MOISTURE WITH IT. NEAR AND SLIGHTLY BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES IN THE MID TO UPPER 80S MONDAY AND TUESDAY WILL QUICKLY DROP BACK TO THE LOWER 80S AND POSSIBLY EVEN UPPER 70S FOR HIGHS LATE IN THE FORECAST PERIOD. && .AVIATION /18Z SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... AS OF 111 PM SATURDAY... VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH MOST OF THE 24 HOUR TAF PERIOD...WITH THE EXCEPTION BEING DURING PERIODS OF SCATTERED SHOWER AND TSTM ACTIVITY THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING...WHICH WILL LOCALLY REDUCE FLT CONDITIONS TO MVFR OR PERHAPS EVEN IFR IN THE HEAVIER DOWNPOURS. PRECIP EXPECTED TO END ACROSS CENTRAL NC BY 11/06Z WITH VFR CONDITIONS THE REST OF THE NIGHT. SIMILAR WEATHER PATTERN ON SUNDAY WILL MEAN VFR CONDITIONS THROUGH 11/16Z...THEN SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS DEVELOPING ONCE AGAIN DURING THE AFTERNOON. LOOKING AHEAD: PATCHY MORNING FOG AND/OR LOW STRATUS...AND SCATTERED MAINLY AFTERNOON AND EVENING SHOWERS AND STORMS...WILL BE POSSIBLE THROUGHOUT THE PERIOD. THE RELATIVE BEST CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND STORMS WILL BE TUE AND TUE NIGHT...WHEN AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH AND SURFACE COLD FRONT MOVE INTO OUR REGION. && .RAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && SYNOPSIS...MWS NEAR TERM...NP SHORT TERM..NP LONG TERM...RTE AVIATION...NP/MWS
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC 413 AM EDT SAT AUG 10 2013 NCZ007>011-021>028-038>043-073>077-110815- PERSON-GRANVILLE-VANCE-WARREN-HALIFAX-FORSYTH-GUILFORD-ALAMANCE- ORANGE-DURHAM-FRANKLIN-NASH-EDGECOMBE-DAVIDSON-RANDOLPH-CHATHAM-WAKE- JOHNSTON-WILSON-STANLY-MONTGOMERY-MOORE-LEE-HARNETT- 413 AM EDT SAT AUG 10 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS...THE STRONGEST OF WHICH WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING STRONG TO MARGINALLY SEVERE WIND GUSTS AND LOCALIZED FLOODING...ARE EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. THE THREAT OF STRONG TO MARGINALLY SEVERE WIND GUSTS WILL AGAIN ACCOMPANY SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS ON SUNDAY. THUNDERSTORMS...WITH HEAVY RAIN AND LOCALIZED FLOODING...WILL BECOME MORE NUMEROUS TO WIDESPREAD ON TUESDAY. NCZ078-083>086-088-089-110815- WAYNE-ANSON-RICHMOND-SCOTLAND-HOKE-CUMBERLAND-SAMPSON- 413 AM EDT SAT AUG 10 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS...THE STRONGEST OF WHICH WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING STRONG TO MARGINALLY SEVERE WIND GUSTS AND LOCALIZED FLOODING...ARE EXPECTED SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THUNDERSTORMS...WITH HEAVY RAIN AND LOCALIZED FLOODING...WILL BECOME MORE NUMEROUS TO WIDESPREAD ON TUESDAY. MWS/CBL
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC
144 PM EDT SAT AUG 10 2013
NCZ021-101845-
FORSYTH-
144 PM EDT SAT AUG 10 2013
...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS APPROACHING FORSYTH COUNTY...
AT 142 PM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM RURAL HALL TO 6 MILES WEST
OF DONNAHA TO 21 MILES WEST OF HUNTSVILLE...OR ALONG A LINE EXTENDING
FROM KING TO EAST BEND TO 20 MILES NORTHWEST OF MOCKSVILLE...MOVING
EAST AT 20 MPH.
THROUGH 245 PM...THIS LINE OF STORMS WILL GRADUALLY MOVE EAST AND
AFFECT FORSYTH COUNTY. LOCATIONS THAT MAY BE AFFECTED INCLUDE...
DONNAHA...RURAL HALL...HUNTSVILLE...BELEWS CREEK...LEWISVILLE...AND
PFAFFTOWN.
HAZARDS INCLUDE...
PEA SIZE HAIL.
GUSTY WINDS.
AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF DEADLY CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING.
HEAVY RAINFALL AND MINOR FLOODING.
DON'T WAIT UNTIL YOU SEE THE FIRST LIGHTNING FLASH BEFORE HEADING TO
SAFETY. MOVE INDOORS AT THE FIRST SIGN OF THREATENING SKIES OR THE
FIRST SOUND OF THUNDER. DEADLY LIGHTNING STRIKES CAN OCCUR WELL AHEAD
OF AN APPROACHING STORM...PRIOR TO THE ARRIVAL OF RAIN AND WIND. MAKE
SURE THAT LIGHTNING IS WELL AWAY FROM YOUR LOCATION BEFORE RESUMING
OUTDOOR ACTIVITY.
&&
LAT...LON 3611 8051 3614 8044 3622 8044 3626 8045
3626 8003 3601 8005 3603 8021 3600 8022
3600 8032 3597 8040 3599 8043 3601 8042
3606 8047 3604 8048 3605 8051 3609 8052
TIME...MOT...LOC 1742Z 288DEG 19KT 3628 8029 3624 8052
3602 8087SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC 229 PM EDT SAT AUG 10 2013 NCZ022-101930- GUILFORD- 229 PM EDT SAT AUG 10 2013 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE ACROSS GUILFORD COUNTY THROUGH 330 PM EDT... AT 227 PM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS 6 MILES SOUTHWEST OF STOKESDALE...OR ABOUT OVER BELEWS CREEK...MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH. LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS INCLUDE STOKESDALE... SUMMERFIELD...GREENSBORO...LAKE TOWNSEND...AND...GREENSBORO. HAZARDS INCLUDE... PENNY SIZE HAIL. GUSTY WINDS OF 40 TO 50 MPH. DEADLY CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. HEAVY RAINFALL AND MINOR FLOODING. THIS INCLUDES INTERSTATE 40 BETWEEN EXITS 206 AND 221. SEEK SHELTER IN A NEARBY BUILDING OR VEHICLE. WIND GUSTS AS HIGH AS 40 MPH ARE CAPABLE OF KNOCKING DOWN TREE LIMBS AND BLOWING AROUND TRASH CANS...POTTED PLANTS...LAWN FURNITURE AND OTHER LIGHT OUTDOOR OBJECTS. LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN WILL QUICKLY REDUCE VISIBILITY AND RESULT IN PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS. DRIVERS ARE URGED TO SLOW DOWN AND USE EXTRA CAUTION TO AVOID HYDROPLANING. HEAVY RAIN WILL RESULT IN PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS...STANDING WATER IN LOW LYING AREAS AND MINOR FLOODING OF CREEKS...STREAMS AND AREAS OF POOR DRAINAGE. DRIVERS ARE URGED TO SLOW DOWN AND USE EXTRA CAUTION TO AVOID HYDROPLANING...ESPECIALLY IN URBAN AREAS WHERE PROLONGED HEAVY RAIN CAN QUICKLY LEAD TO FLASH FLOODING. IF YOU SEE LIGHTNING OR HEAR THUNDER...YOU ARE AT RISK. TAKE SHELTER INDOORS IMMEDIATELY. IF YOU CANNOT FIND SHELTER INDOORS...AN ENCLOSED VEHICLE CAN PROVIDE SAFE SHELTER FROM LIGHTNING. DEADLY LIGHTNING STRIKES CAN OCCUR WELL AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING STORM...PRIOR TO THE ARRIVAL OF RAIN AND WIND. && LAT...LON 3625 7971 3601 7976 3601 8004 3626 8003 TIME...MOT...LOC 1827Z 280DEG 23KT 3620 8005 ELLIS
The Roanoke radar (KFCX), 96 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:35 UTC.
12 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
One tree was reported down on Bethel Church Road and Stigall Road.
Trees were reported down on Bunch Road near Oakridge Road.
Trees were reported down on Bunch Road near Northwest School Road.
One tree was blown down near the intersection of Adams Farm Parkway and Watercrest Drive.
One tree was reported down on a power line near Carpenter Pond Road.
One tree was reported down across the road at Brighton Road and Courtland Drive.
One tree was reported down on a house near Southeast Cary Parkway.
One tree was reported down on Williams Road near Old United States Highway 64.
One tree was reported down near North Carolina highways 39 and 98.
One tree was reported down on a mobile home on Black Creek Road.
One tree was reported down on railroad tracks near Wal Pat Road.
Power lines were reported blown down near the intersection of North Carolina Highway 117 and Great Swamp Loop.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in North Carolina in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in North Carolina, August 2013
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: 470791, 470792, 470793, 470794, 470795, 470796, 470797, 470798, 470824, 470826, 470829, 470835.