A man was pulled out to sea in a rip current at Carolina Beach and drowned.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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 man was pulled out to sea in a rip current at Carolina Beach and drowned.
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 31, 2:20 PM EST, 2 hours 10 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC 320 PM EDT SAT MAY 31 2014 .SYNOPSIS... LOW HUMIDITY AND SLIGHTLY COOLER THAN NORMAL WEATHER WILL LAST INTO SUNDAY. A GRADUAL INCREASE IN HUMIDITY WILL BEGIN ON MONDAY AND TEMPERATURES WILL TREND BACK TOWARDS NORMAL. A COLD FRONT MAY APPROACH LATE IN THE WEEK OR WEEKEND. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... AS OF 3:00 PM SATURDAY...SHOWER ACTIVITY NOW MAINLY CONFINED TO OUR SOUTHERNMOST COUNTIES OF WILLIAMSBURG AND GEORGETOWN. SHOWERS THERE ARE CONCENTRATED ALONG A COLD FRONT...WHICH SEEMS TO HAVE STALLED OVER THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE FORECAST AREA. THE FRONT IS SHOWING SIGNS OF DROPPING BACK SOUTH THROUGH...AND THE SHOWERS WILL FOLLOW ALONG WITH IT. CLOUD COVER IS CLEARING FROM NORTH TO SOUTH AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS DOWN FROM NEW ENGLAND. WE CAN EXPECT THIS TREND TO CONTINUE THROUGH THE NEAR TERM...WITH SKIES CLEARING FROM NORTH TO SOUTH AS DRIER AIR MOVES IN POST-FROPA. MODEST CAA WILL BRING US OVERNIGHT LOWS THAT ARE BELOW AVERAGE...WITH READINGS DROPPING TO THE UPPER 50S AND LOWER 60S MOST PLACES BY DAYBREAK ON SUNDAY. && .SHORT TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT/... AS OF 3 PM SATURDAY...VERY QUIET AND PLEASANT WEATHER ON TAP FOR THE SHORT TERM. HIGH PRESSURE CENTERED NORTH OF THE REGION TO BE FUNNELING IN SLIGHTLY COOL AND CONSIDERABLY DRY DEWPOINTS ON A LIGHT NE WIND. UPPER LEVEL RIDGE OVERHEAD PROVIDES DRY AIR ALOFT FOR PLENTY OF SUNSHINE. GOOD SETUP FOR HEAT TO RADIATE FREELY FROM THE EARTH TO THE ATMOSPHERE SUNDAY NIGHT AND LOOKING FOR LOWS TO DROP INTO THE 50S. THE SURFACE HIGH BUILDS OVER THE AREA ON MONDAY WHILE THE MID LEVEL RIDGE FLATTENS SOME. TEMPERATURES MAY REBOUND A FEW DEGREES BY DAY AND A FEW CLOUDS MAY DEVELOP AS MOISTURE POOLS BENEATH SUBSIDENCE INVERSION AROUND 5KFT. && .LONG TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/... AS OF 3 PM SATURDAY...SURFACE HIGH OVER THE WESTERN ATLANTIC AND FLAT/ELONGATED MID LEVEL RIDGE OVER THE SOUTHERN CONUS WILL BE THE DOMINANT FEATURES FOR MUCH OF THE PERIOD. FLAT RIDGING ALOFT WILL PROVIDE LITTLE SUBSIDENCE AS THE SURFACE HIGH CONTINUES TO PUMP WARMTH AND MOISTURE INTO THE SOUTHEAST. THIS WILL LEAD TO A STEADY INCREASE IN POP AND TEMPS DURING NEXT WEEK. LATER IN THE WEEK DEVELOPMENT OF THE PIEDMONT TROUGH INCREASES PRECIP POTENTIAL...AS DOES THE ARRIVAL OF A WEAKENING COLD FRONT AS THE PERIOD ENDS. IT IS HARD TO TIME ANY FEATURES RELATED TO ENHANCING CONVECTION...FOR EXAMPLE SHORTWAVES OR WEAK SURFACE BOUNDARIES...THIS FAR IN ADVANCE. FOR NOW WILL NOT ACCOUNT FOR THESE FEATURES WHICH COULD ENHANCE POP ON ANY GIVEN DAY. ALSO WORTH NOTING THE OPERATIONAL GFS CONTINUES TO DEVELOP A TROPICAL SYSTEM IN THE GULF OF MEXICO LATE NEXT WEEK. IT IS REALLY THE ONLY MODEL TO DO SO. THE ECMWF AND ITS ENSEMBLES...AS WELL AS THE GFS ENSEMBLES...AND THE CANADIAN ALL HAVE A MUCH WEAKER SURFACE LOW. FOR NOW WILL IGNORE OPERATIONAL GFS SOLUTION. TEMPS NEAR CLIMO AT THE START OF THE PERIOD CREEP ABOVE CLIMO THROUGH SAT. && .AVIATION /18Z SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... AS OF 18Z...FRONT CONTINUES TO DRIFT TO THE SOUTH. THE SOUTHERN TERMINALS SHOULD BE OUT OF THE PRECIP SHORTLY AFTER TAF ISSUANCE...AROUND 19Z. CONDITIONS IN THE PRECIP WILL BE PREDOMINATELY MVFR. LOOK FOR CLEARING SKIES BY LATE AFTERNOON AS THE FRONT DROPS SOUTH OF THE CWA WITH NORTHEAST FLOW. WINDS WILL LIKELY STAY ABOVE 6 KTS OVERNIGHT...WITH LITTLE TO NO FOG EXPECTED. SUNDAY...A NICE DAY WITH ONLY SCATTERED HIGH CLOUDS IN STORE. NORTHEAST WINDS WILL CONTINUE AROUND 10 KTS WITH HIGH PRESSURE CENTERED OVER THE NORTHEAST STATES. EXTENDED OUTLOOK...VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED THROUGH MONDAY. MORNING FOG/STRATUS POSSIBLE TUESDAY. LOW CONFIDENCE FOR SCATTERED SHOWERS TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY. && .MARINE... NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... AS OF 3:00 PM SATURDAY...HIGH PRESSURE DROPPING DOWN FROM THE NORTH WILL KEEP WINDS EAST TO NORTHEASTERLY THROUGH THE NEAR TERM. A COOL SURGE OVERNIGHT WILL KICK WINDS UP TO AROUND 15 KTS FOR MOST OF OUR WATERS OVERNIGHT...WITH 15 TO 20 KTS POSSIBLE FOR OUR SOUTHERNMOST WATERS. SEAS MAY BUILD TO 3 TO 5 FT FOUR THESE VERY SOUTHERN WATERS...SO WILL BE POSTING SCEC HEADLINES FOR THAT AREA. SHORT TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT/... AS OF 3 PM SATURDAY...NORTHEAST WINDS ON SUNDAY AS HIGH PRESSURE CENTERED NORTH OF THE REGION OVER THE MIDATLANTIC/NATIONS CAPITAL. 6 FT SEAS MAY BE LURKING OUTSIDE OF THE 20NM BORDER OF THE FORECAST ZONES BUT AN ADVISORY IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. SIMILARLY THE LARGELY COAST-PARALLEL NE WIND SHOULD ALLOW FOR A NEARSHORE/OFFSHORE GRADIENT IN SEAS AS WAVES MAX OUT AT 5 FT...MEANING THAT EVEN SCEC HEADLINES MAY NOT QUITE BE MET. THIS WILL BE ESPECIALLY TRUE FOR BRUNSWICK CTY WATERS WHERE THERE WILL BE A CONSIDERABLE LANDMASS WAVE SHADOW. MONDAY WILL BRING A TURN TO A MORE ONSHORE/EASTERLY FLOW. NORMALLY THIS WOULD NEGATE SOME OF THE AFOREMENTIONED FACTORS AS LARGER WAVES ARE CARRIED FURTHER INTO THE MARINE ZONES. HOWEVER THE VEER WILL OCCUR ALONG WITH QUITE A DROP IN WIND SPEED AS THE HIGH MOVES OVER THE REGION. WAVES WILL DROP BY ABOUT A FOOT ON AVERAGE. LONG TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... AS OF 3 PM SATURDAY...SOUTHWEST FLOW WILL PREVAIL THROUGH THE PERIOD WITH WATERS REMAINING ON WEST SIDE OF SURFACE HIGH. SPEEDS WILL INCREASE FROM 10 TO 15 KT TUE TO 15 TO 20 KT WED AND THU. THIS IS A DIRECT RESPONSE TO PIEDMONT TROUGH SETTING UP AND PINCHING THE SURFACE GRADIENT. ADDITIONALLY ALONG THE IMMEDIATE COAST WIND SPEEDS WILL BE ENHANCED EACH AFTERNOON BY THE SEABREEZE. SEAS 2 FT TUE BUILD TO 2 TO 3 FT WED AND THU. && .ILM WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... SC...NONE. NC...NONE. MARINE...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...MBB NEAR TERM...REK SHORT TERM...MBB LONG TERM...III AVIATION...DL
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC 323 PM EDT SAT MAY 31 2014 NCZ087-096-099-105>110-SCZ017-023-024-032-033-039-053>056-011930- 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- 323 PM EDT SAT MAY 31 2014 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA AND NORTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. AMZ250-252-254-256-011930- 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- 323 PM EDT SAT MAY 31 2014 ...SMALL CRAFT SHOULD EXERCISE CAUTION FROM 2 AM EDT SUNDAY THROUGH LATE TONIGHT... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON 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...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 rip current. Local standard time, as filed.
A young man who was swimming at Carolina Beach got pulled out to sea by a rip current and subsequently drowned. He was swimming between two lifeguard stands near Texas Avenue when the lifeguards saw him go underwater and not come back up.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rip Current, Coastal New Hanover | 2014-05-31 | 24 | Male | In Water | Direct |
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, May 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: 530105.