North Carolina, 2014

Damaging Winds in North Carolina, July 15, 2014

July 15, 2014 · NWS ILM · 3 events in 2 counties and zones

Large clusters of thunderstorms erupted in the warm and humid air-mass ahead of a surface cold front and upper trough. A few of these thunderstorms produced damaging wind gusts along with prolific lightning and persistent heavy downpours.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$8,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
3

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS ILM wrote it up.

Large clusters of thunderstorms erupted in the warm and humid air-mass ahead of a surface cold front and upper trough. A few of these thunderstorms produced damaging wind gusts along with prolific lightning and persistent heavy downpours.

What forecasters said that day

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 Jul 15, 9:31 AM EST, 2 hours 32 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 15, 9:31 AM EST, 2 hours 32 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 15, 5:14 AM EST, 6 hours 49 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC
614 AM EDT TUE JUL 15 2014

AMZ250-252-254-256-161015-
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-
614 AM EDT TUE JUL 15 2014

...SMALL CRAFT SHOULD EXERCISE CAUTION THROUGH WEDNESDAY
MORNING...

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS.

.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.

   SMALL CRAFT EXERCISE CAUTION.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY.

PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE
INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS.

   SMALL CRAFT EXERCISE CAUTION.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

NCZ087-096-099-105>109-SCZ017-023-024-032-033-039-053>056-161015-
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-
614 AM EDT TUE JUL 15 2014

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA AND
NORTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT.

HEAT INDEX VALUES AT OR JUST ABOVE 100 DEGREES EXPECTED THIS
AFTERNOON.

STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON INTO THIS
EVENING. DAMAGING WIND GUSTS WILL BE THE PRIMARY CONCERN.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

NCZ110-161015-
COASTAL BRUNSWICK-
614 AM EDT TUE JUL 15 2014

...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.

HEAT INDEX VALUES AT OR JUST ABOVE 100 DEGREES EXPECTED THIS
AFTERNOON.

STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON INTO THIS
EVENING. DAMAGING WIND GUSTS WILL BE THE PRIMARY CONCERN.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

III

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 15, 11:12 AM EST, 51 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Jul 15, 11:43 AM EST, 20 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Jul 15, 11:48 AM EST, 15 minutes before
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The radar

The Wilmington radar (KLTX), 33 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 17:01 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Columbus

When
July 15, 12:03 PM EST to 12:04 PM EST
Where
Columbus County, 0.93 mi SSW of Mollie
Measured
52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$3,000
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
34.138, -78.738

The media relayed a viewer report of trees down on Furnie Hammond Road. The time was estimated based on radar data.

Thunderstorm Wind, Columbus

When
July 15, 12:05 PM EST to 12:06 PM EST
Where
Columbus County, 1.22 mi SSE of Mollie
Measured
52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$3,000
Reported by
911 Call Center
Coordinates
34.134, -78.722

Trees were reported down on Walter Todd Road. The time was estimated based on radar data.

Thunderstorm Wind, Pender

When
July 15, 1:06 PM EST to 1:07 PM EST
Where
Pender County, 3.17 mi W of Burgaw
Measured
52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$2,000
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
34.554, -77.986

Media relayed a viewer report of a tree down on a house on Phedora Spur. There were no details as to any structural damage. The time was estimated based on radar data.

What these are

Thunderstorm Wind
Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in North Carolina in 2014Every state in 2014This day in weather historyWarnings in North Carolina, July 2014

Sources

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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 530087, 530092, 530098.