Isolated to locally scattered showers and storms developed during the afternoon in an environment conducive of enhanced wind gust potential. A few of the strongest storms became severe and produced damaging wind gusts across portions of Wake County, North Carolina, including at the Raleigh Durham International Airport.
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.
Isolated to locally scattered showers and storms developed during the afternoon in an environment conducive of enhanced wind gust potential. A few of the strongest storms became severe and produced damaging wind gusts across portions of Wake County, North Carolina, including at the Raleigh Durham International Airport.
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 20, 2:05 PM EST, 2 hours 50 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC 305 PM EDT WED AUG 20 2014 .SYNOPSIS...A SERIES OF UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES IN NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT WILL CROSS THE REGION THIS WEEK. A BACK DOOR COLD FRONT IS FORECAST TO SLIP INTO THE AREA OVER THE WEEKEND. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... AS OF 220 PM WEDNESDAY... THE OVER ALL WEATHER PATTERN STILL CONSISTS OF RELATIVELY WEAK NORTHWESTERLY FLOW ALOFT AND A BROAD TROUGH AT THE SURFACE. ONE UPPER DISTURBANCE...ATTENDANT TO A SHORTWAVE CROSSING THE APPALACHIANS...CLIPPED THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE AREA THIS MORNING...BUT THE ASSOCIATED CONVECTION DIED AS IT MOVED INTO THE TRIAD. A TRAILING DISTURBANCE IS EVIDENT IN WATER VAPOR AND RAP H5 ANALYSIS OVER SOUTHWEST VA AND NORTHEAST TN...AND IS PROGGED TO CROSS THE AREA THIS EVENING. THE BEST INSTABILITY HAS DEVELOPED FROM THE SANDHILLS TO THE WESTERN PIEDMONT WHERE HEATING WAS UNINHIBITED BY MORNING STRATUS. WITHIN THE INSTABILITY AXIS...A ZONE OF LOW-LEVEL CONVERGENCE ACROSS THE SANDHILLS HAS INITIATED SOME SLOW MOVING SHOWERS AND ISOLATED STORMS FROM RAEFORD TO THE SOUTHEAST. THE APPROACHING DISTURBANCE SHOULD HELP TO INITIATE SOME ADDITIONAL CONVECTION THIS AFTERNOON...THOUGH THE HRRR HAS YET TO LATCH ONTO ANY TREND IN THE NEAR TERM. EXPECT SHOWERS AND STORMS ARE MORE LIKELY FROM THE TRIAD DOWN TO FAYETTEVILLE...WITH JUST A SLIGHT CHANCE FROM THO TRIANGLE NORTHEAST. IF CONVECTION DOES FIRE...A RIBBON OF 30KT EFFECTIVE DEEP SHEAR AT THE BASE OF THE UPPER TROUGH WILL SUPPORT SOME STRONGER CLUSTERS OF STORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SMALL HAIL AND ISOLATED DAMAGING WIND GUSTS. TONIGHT...FORECAST SOUNDINGS SHOW SOME STEEP L;APSE RATES ABOVE THE NOCTURNAL INVERSION...BUT THERE ISNT A CLEAR MECHANISM TO FORCE ANY PARCELS OVERNIGHT...SO WILL LEAVE POPS OUT OF THE FORECAST AFTER 03Z. FORECAST SOUNDINGS ALSO SHOW LESS LOW-LEVEL MOISTENING TONIGHT WITHOUT THE NORTHEASTERLY FLOW WE'VE SEEN THE LAST COUPLE OF NIGHT...AND THEREFORE LESS POTENTIAL FOR STRATUS. LOWS IN THE UPPER 60S AND LOWER 70S. && .SHORT TERM /THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT/... AS OF 305 PM WEDNESDAY... MID-LEVEL RIDGING BUILDS OVER THE DEEP SOUTH ON THURSDAY...LEADING TO WEAK HEIGHT RISES OVER THE CAROLINAS AND H85 TEMPS SURPASSING 20C. FORECAST SOUNDINGS SHOW DEEP MIXING WITH WESTERLY FLOW...AND DRY ADIABATIC MIXING YIELDS HIGHS WILL INTO THE 90S...WITH A CONSENSUS OF 93-97. MIXING SHOULD ALSO HELP KNOCK DEWPOINTS BACK A FEW DEGREES...HELPING KEEP HEAT INDICES AT 100F OR LESS. MLCAPE OF AROUND 1000 J/KG IS FORECAST...BUT FORCING APPEARS TO BE LIMITED TO THE RESIDUAL/THERMAL TROUGH WHICH SETS UP OVER THE EASTERN PIEDMONT. WILL KEEP POPS AS ISOLATED UNLESS. LOWS THURSDAY NIGHT IN THE LOWER 70S. && .LONG TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... AS OF 145 PM WEDNESDAY... THE INITIAL LONG TERM PERIOD REMAINS CHARACTERIZED BY A BUILDING UPPER RIDGE ACROSS THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER VALLEY WITH AN UPPER TROUGH/CLOSED LOW OFF THE NORTHEAST COAST...LEAVING CENTRAL NC UNDER NORTHWEST UPPER FLOW INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. A BACKDOOR FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE AREA LATE FRIDAY THROUGH SATURDAY...WHICH WILL PRODUCE OUR BEST CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION DUE TO LOW LEVEL LIFT FROM THE COOL AIR ADVECTION POTENTIALLY AIDED BY MODEST UPPER LEVEL SUPPORT. OUTSIDE OF THE SLIGHTLY INCREASED CONFIDENCE IN THIS EARLY WEEKEND PERIOD... PRECIP CHANCES HINGE ON MESOSCALE DISTURBANCES ALOFT WITHIN THE NORTHWEST FLOW...WHICH ARE JUST ABOUT IMPOSSIBLE TO FORECAST THIS FAR IN ADVANCE. AS SUCH...WILL MAINTAIN SMALL CHANCE POPS THROUGH MONDAY...AFTER WHICH THE UPPER RIDGE AXIS SHIFTS EAST ENOUGH TO DAMPEN PRECIP CHANCES. HEIGHTS AND LOW LEVEL THICKNESSES PEAKING FRIDAY ARE INDICATIVE OF HIGHS REACHING THE MID 90S OVER MUCH OF THE AREA. THESE HEIGHTS FALL AS THE UPPER TROF DEEPENS ALONG THE EAST COAST CONCURRENT WITH COOL AIR ADVECTION BY LATER SATURDAY IN UNIFORM LOW LEVEL NORTHEAST FLOW. HIGHS WILL BE IN TRANSITION SATURDAY...FROM MID 80S NORTH TO 90 SOUTH...AND BOTTOMING OUT IN THE UPPER 70S TO LOWER 80S SUNDAY AND MONDAY AS DAMMING SETTLES DOWN THE EAST COAST. MORNING LOWS INITIALLY IN THE LOWER 70S SATURDAY MORNING WILL GRADUALLY FALL INTO THE LOW TO MID 60S BY TUESDAY MORNING. THE UPPER RIDGE AXIS WILL SHIFT EAST ON TUESDAY...WITH DRIER AIR AND GRADUAL MODIFICATION OF THE AIR MASS IN PLACE. HIGHS TUESDAY WILL BE MOSTLY IN THE LOW TO MID 80S...WARMING TO MOSTLY MID 80S ON WEDNESDAY. && .AVIATION /18Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY/... AS OF 145 PM WEDNESDAY... MORNING STRATUS LIFTED TO VFR MOST PLACES PRIOR TO 17Z...THOUGH A FEW LOCATIONS ARE STILL REPORTING MVFR CEILINGS. INCREASING INSTABILITY AND AN APPROACHING WEAK UPPER DISTURBANCE SHOULD LEAD TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND STORMS AGAIN THIS AFTERNOON...THOUGH THERE IS STILL NEAR TERM UNCERTAINTY AS TO WHERE SHOWERS AND STORMS WILL BE FOCUSED. BASED ON LATEST ANALYSIS IT APPEARS AREA FROM KGSO/KINT TO KFAY WILL BE MOST FAVORED...AND THERE ARE ALREADY SOME SHOWERS DEVELOPING JUST TO THE SOUTHWEST OF KFAY. OUTSIDE OF THE SHOWERS AND/OR STORMS...VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO PREVAIL. TONIGHT...LIGHT WINDS AND SOME CLEARING MAY LEAD TO LOW CLOUDS AND FOG BY THURSDAY MORNING...THOUGH FORECAST SOUNDINGS DONT SHOW AS MUCH POTENTIAL AS IN PREVIOUS NIGHTS. IF LOW CLOUDS OR FOG DEVELOP...IFR/LIFR CONDITIONS WOULD BE ANTICIPATED. OUTLOOK... EARLY MORNING STRATUS/FOG...ALONG WITH AFTERNOON SHOWERS AND STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE EACH DAY THIS WEEK. A BACKDOOR COLD FRONT WILL MOVE INTO THE AREA OVER THE WEEKEND...WHICH MAY BRING ANOTHER PERIOD UNSETTLED WEATHER FOR PORTIONS OF THE AREA. && .RAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && SYNOPSIS...BLS NEAR TERM...BLS SHORT TERM...BLS LONG TERM...MLM AVIATION...BLS
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC 430 AM EDT WED AUG 20 2014 NCZ007>011-021>028-038>043-073>078-083>086-088-089-210830- PERSON-GRANVILLE-VANCE-WARREN-HALIFAX-FORSYTH-GUILFORD-ALAMANCE- ORANGE-DURHAM-FRANKLIN-NASH-EDGECOMBE-DAVIDSON-RANDOLPH-CHATHAM-WAKE- JOHNSTON-WILSON-STANLY-MONTGOMERY-MOORE-LEE-HARNETT-WAYNE-ANSON- RICHMOND-SCOTLAND-HOKE-CUMBERLAND-SAMPSON- 430 AM EDT WED AUG 20 2014 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. 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 RALEIGH NC
137 PM EDT WED AUG 20 2014
NCZ075-084>086-201830-
HOKE-RICHMOND-MOORE-SCOTLAND-
137 PM EDT WED AUG 20 2014
...SLOW MOVING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT PORTIONS OF
HOKE...EASTERN RICHMOND...SOUTHWESTERN MOORE AND SCOTLAND COUNTIES
UNTIL 230 PM EDT...
AT 135 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED AN
AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS 9 MILES WEST OF RAEFORD...MOVING
SOUTHEAST AT 15 MPH.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...RAEFORD...WAGRAM...ASHLEY HEIGHTS...
ABERDEEN...SILVER CITY...AND HOFFMAN.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
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.
&&
LAT...LON 3499 7978 3516 7963 3516 7962 3517 7962
3523 7945 3499 7905 3495 7904 3483 7919
3484 7935 3482 7936 3477 7933 3470 7940
TIME...MOT...LOC 1735Z 326DEG 12KT 3495 7938
22SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC
500 PM EDT WED AUG 20 2014
NCZ008-025-026-041-202200-
WAKE-GRANVILLE-FRANKLIN-DURHAM-
500 PM EDT WED AUG 20 2014
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT PORTIONS OF NORTHERN WAKE...
SOUTHERN GRANVILLE... AND CENTRAL DURHAM COUNTIES UNTIL 600 PM EDT...
AT 457 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER CREEDMOOR...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 15 MPH.
WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.
OCCASIONAL LIGHTNING WILL POSE A WEATHER HAZARD AS WELL.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... DURHAM...CREEDMOOR...FALLS LAKE...
BUTNER... AND FRANKLINTON.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM.
&&
LAT...LON 3613 7825 3568 7866 3598 7900 3600 7899
3621 7873
TIME...MOT...LOC 2057Z 309DEG 12KT 3610 7873
PWBSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC
535 PM EDT WED AUG 20 2014
NCZ025-041-202230-
WAKE-DURHAM-
535 PM EDT WED AUG 20 2014
...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT PORTIONS OF WAKE AND
SOUTHEASTERN DURHAM COUNTIES UNTIL 630 PM EDT...
AT 532 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 5 MILES NORTHWEST OF RDU INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 15 MPH. ANOTHER STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED
OVER WAKE FOREST... ALSO MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 15 MPH.
WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS.
FREQUENT LIGHTNING WILL ALSO POSE A WEATHER HAZARD.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... RALEIGH...DURHAM...CARY...WAKE
FOREST...RDU INTERNATIONAL... AND MORRISVILLE.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
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.
FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM.
MOVE INDOORS AT THE FIRST SIGN OF THREATENING SKIES OR THE FIRST
SOUND OF THUNDER. MAKE SURE THAT LIGHTNING IS WELL AWAY FROM YOUR
LOCATION BEFORE RESUMING OUTDOOR ACTIVITY.
&&
LAT...LON 3602 7855 3574 7839 3571 7847 3565 7853
3554 7879 3584 7891 3587 7891 3587 7893
3592 7895 3607 7873 3608 7869
TIME...MOT...LOC 2132Z 334DEG 14KT 3589 7881
PWBThe Raleigh/Durham radar (KRAX), 36 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:53 UTC.
5 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Severe winds flipped over a super carivan aircraft and blew a large cargo container over an 8 foot fence into a car.
A 50 knot wind gusts was reported at KRDU.
One tree was blown down near the intersection of Timber Drive and Benson Road.
A tree was reported down on a power line near South Garner Park.
A tree was blown down on a transmission line that feeds two substations near Mechanical Boulevard, which resulted in a large power outage affecting around 10,000 customers.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in North Carolina in 2014Every state in 2014This day in weather historyWarnings in North Carolina, August 2014
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: 538732, 538742, 538735, 538738, 538740.