A stationary front produced slow moving storms and heavy rain.
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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 produced slow moving storms and heavy rain.
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 Aug 3, 1:32 PM EST, 2 hours 43 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Wilmington NC 232 PM EDT WED AUG 3 2016 .SYNOPSIS... Seasonable warmth along with scattered thunderstorms will prevail in the days ahead, as a weak front lingers along the coast. Another cold front will approach and may stall near the coast early next week. && .NEAR TERM /through tonight/... As of 3 PM Wednesday...Isolated, modest convection continues across the forecast area this afternoon. Extensive cloud cover is hindering further development. Analysis of soundings and latest guidance show primary threat today will once again be from heavy rainfall leading to localized flooding, with the best timing being late this afternoon and into the evening. Convective indices nearly identical to yesterday as is the P/W content at a very juicy 2.2 inches. The cold front that dropped down overnight is now stalled and wavering over the area and will act as a focus for convection, along with outflow and differential heating boundries that can make an appearance at any time or place. Storm motion is a major factor as far as flooding potential goes, as motions will be very slow, little more than a slow drift. Will ramp up pops through the afternoon and early evening hours, with rain potential gradually fading overnight. Overnight temperatures will dip into the lower 70s according to a consensus of guidance, which is right around normal for this time of year. && .SHORT TERM /Thursday through Friday night/... As of 3 PM Wednesday...A frontal boundry will remain stalled in the Cape Fear region through the short term. Ample moisture will combine with foci in the form of the frontal boundry, outflow boundries and a weak sea breeze circulation to bring at least scattered convection each day, primarily in the afternoons and evenings. Temperatures will remain seasonal on both days. && .LONG TERM /Saturday through Wednesday/... As of 3 PM Wednesday...Weekend weather looking a bit unsettled as a well defined Piedmont trough on Saturday gets replaced by a stalling cold front on Sunday. Both will provide surface lift for convection, the front moreso as a healthy flat wave of low pressure develops on it. Moisture may be deepest along the coast ahead of both boundaries and thus pose the best chance for rainfall. The surface lift associated with both boundaries will be bolstered by mid level ascent from several shortwaves that traverse the area over the weekend. Slow storm motion paired with training cells will yield a heavy rain threat. High pressure pushes the front south in a wedge- like fashion by Monday according to the GFS, shunting rain to just SC zones. The EC has consistently stalled it farther north, keeping part or all of our area on the warmer side. Since the former is not very common climatologically will favor the latter. This will keep the forecast a bit unsettled and may cap highs a bit below climo whilst keeping lows a tad above-both due to cloud cover. && .AVIATION /18Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY/... As of 18Z...Expect a litany of conditions through the period as convection slowly moves across/redevelops this afternoon followed by some clearing and the possibility of fog/stratus tonight. Addressed the convection with the usual MVFR tempo groups. Guidance strongly pointing to stratus and some fog late tonight in most areas. I used tempo groups of IFR for these sites with mostly stratus via low level jetting. If winds back off more, expect a significant fog event via the prolific rains seen in most areas the past few days. EXTENDED OUTLOOK...Isolated to scattered afternoon and evening convection each day may result in localized MVFR/IFR conditions. Each morning may also observe brief MVFR/IFR from fog and/or low ceilings. && .MARINE... NEAR TERM /through tonight/... As of 3 PM Wednesday...A stalled frontal boundry will continue to bisect the coastal waters, keeping the gradient slack and the weather unsettled through the near term. As the front will be wavering about, wind direction will be hard to pin down, but in any case will be light at around 10 kts or less. Expect higher gusts in the vicinity of showers or thunderstorms. Seas will be right around 3 ft through the period. SHORT TERM /Thursday through Friday night/... As of 3 PM Wednesday...A cold front will remain stalled over the forecast area through the short term. As the front will be weak with little in the way of gradient we expect winds to stay on the modest side, generally 10 kts or less, with seas in the 2 or 3 ft range. Expect higher gusts each day, especially in the vicinity of showers and thunderstorms, which will be present through much of the period. LONG TERM /Saturday through Monday/... As of 3 PM Wednesday...Piedmont trough adds a few knots of wind to the forecast as it tightens the pressure gradient between itself and strong offshore high. A front then drops into the area and takes residence in the same location as the trough. There may be a brief dip in wind speeds as this occurs but overall suspect than any variation in wind/seas will be minor. Tough call on Monday as some models shove the front well to our south while others keep it more or less in place preventing the big wind veer currently being advertised. && .ILM WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... SC...None. NC...None. MARINE...None. && SYNOPSIS...REK NEAR TERM...REK SHORT TERM...REK LONG TERM...MBB AVIATION...SHK MARINE...REK/MBB
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC 502 PM EDT WED AUG 3 2016 NCZ087-096-099-105-107-109-SCZ017-023-024-032-033-039-053-055-042115- ROBESON-BLADEN-COLUMBUS-INLAND PENDER-INLAND NEW HANOVER- INLAND BRUNSWICK-MARLBORO-DARLINGTON-DILLON-FLORENCE-MARION- WILLIAMSBURG-INLAND HORRY-INLAND GEORGETOWN- 502 PM EDT WED AUG 3 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA AND NORTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. SLOW MOVING THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN MAY CAUSE SIGNIFICANT PONDING OF WATER IN LOW-LYING AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. THUNDERSTORMS MAY PRODUCE HEAVY RAINFALL THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. NCZ106-108-042115- COASTAL PENDER-COASTAL NEW HANOVER- 502 PM EDT WED AUG 3 2016 ...MODERATE RISK OF RIP CURRENTS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING... ...MODERATE RISK OF RIP CURRENTS IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY MORNING THROUGH THURSDAY EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...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. SLOW MOVING THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN MAY CAUSE SIGNIFICANT PONDING OF WATER IN LOW-LYING AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. 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. THUNDERSTORMS MAY PRODUCE HEAVY RAINFALL THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. NCZ110-SCZ054-056-042115- COASTAL BRUNSWICK-COASTAL HORRY-COASTAL GEORGETOWN- 502 PM EDT WED AUG 3 2016 ...MODERATE RISK OF RIP CURRENTS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA AND NORTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...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. SLOW MOVING THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN MAY CAUSE SIGNIFICANT PONDING OF WATER IN LOW-LYING AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. THUNDERSTORMS MAY PRODUCE HEAVY RAINFALL THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. AMZ250-252-254-256-042115- COASTAL WATERS FROM SURF CITY TO CAPE FEAR NC OUT 20 NM- COASTAL WATERS FROM CAPE FEAR NC TO LITTLE RIVER INLET SC OUT 20 NM- COASTAL WATERS FROM LITTLE RIVER INLET TO MURRELLS INLET SC OUT 20 NM- COASTAL WATERS FROM MURRELLS INLET TO SOUTH SANTEE RIVER SC OUT 20 NM- 502 PM EDT WED AUG 3 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN WILL AT TIMES RESULT IN POOR VISIBILITY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN WILL AT TIMES RESULT IN POOR VISIBILITY THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. 27
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC
304 PM EDT WED AUG 03 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0303 PM RIP CURRENTS WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH 34.21N 77.80W
08/03/2016 NEW HANOVER NC LIFEGUARD
THERE WERE FOUR RIP RELATED RESCUES AT WRIGHTSVILLE
BEACH.
&&
EVENT NUMBER ILM1600271
43The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Flooding was reported on Hwy 701. Widespread street flooding was also reported south of Whiteville.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in North Carolina in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in North Carolina, August 2016
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: 657099.