A stationary front produced a thunderstorm which caused damaging lightning.
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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 a thunderstorm which caused damaging lightning.
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 Feb 22, 7:11 PM EST, 49 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC 711 PM EST MON FEB 22 2016 .SYNOPSIS... A STALLED OUT FRONT WILL BRING UNSETTLED WEATHER INTO TOMORROW. A POWERFUL SURFACE AND UPPER LOW WILL BRING SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ON WEDNESDAY IN ADDITION TO GUSTY WINDS. COOL AND DRY WEATHER IS EXPECTED LATE IN THE WEEK. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... AS OF 200 PM MONDAY...COLD FRONT DRAPED FROM WEST TO EAST ACROSS FROM NC/SC BORDER THEN RUNNING EAST BISECTING LOCAL FORECAST AREA...WILL CONTINUE TO DROP SOUTH THROUGH THE DAY. TEMPS WERE BEGINNING TO FALL BEHIND THE FRONT WITH ALMOST A 10 DEGREE DROP AT THE ILM AIRPORT BETWEEN 1 AND 2 PM FROM 67 TO 59 DEGREES. COOLER NE-E FLOW TO THE NORTH OF FRONT WITH TEMPS BETWEEN 55 TO 60 LATE THIS MORNING WHILE SOUTH OF THE FRONT TEMPS WERE RUNNING IN THE MID 60S MOST PLACES IN S-SE WINDS. ONE EXCEPTION IS THE RAIN COOLED AIR WHERE PCP WAS FALLING. EXPECT CLOUDS AND INTERMITTENT PCP TO HOLD OVER THE AREA THROUGH TONIGHT. SOME HEAVIER PCP SHIFTED NORTH RUNNING BETWEEN FLORENCE AND JUST OFF THE COAST OF CAPE FEAR WITH AN ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM NORTHEAST OF LAKE CITY IN FLORENCE COUNTY. MAIN BAND OF PCP WILL CONTINUE TO SHIFT NORTH AND WILL CONTINUE TO INCLUDE MENTION OF SOME ISO TSTM THROUGH THIS AFTN. THE SHALLOW COOL AIR WILL CONTINUE TO MAKE ITS WAY SOUTH THROUGH TONIGHT AS COLD FRONT DROPS FARTHER SOUTH. THEREFORE EXPECT TEMPS TO DROP TO NEAR 50 OVER NORTH CAROLINA AND LOWER 50S OVER SOUTH CAROLINA. THIS WILL PRODUCE SOME DECENT ISENTROPIC LIFT AS WINDS ALOFT BACK OVERNIGHT AS SHORTWAVE DIGS OVER TEXAS AND PRODUCES BETTER SW FLOW WITH THE WARMER AIR ALOFT OVERRUNING THE SHALLOW COOL AIR AT THE SURFACE. EXPECT MAIN AREA OF LIFT TO SHIFT JUST NORTH AND WEST OF FORECAST AREA BY MORNING AS WEDGE STRENGTHENS INLAND. ANOTHER FOCAL POINT FOR PCP WILL BE ASSOCIATED WITH COASTAL TROUGH WHICH WILL APPROACH THE COAST OVERNIGHT. AXIS OF GREATEST PCP WATER VALUES UP TO 1.3 INCHES RUNNING ACROSS NORTHEAST SC EARLIER TODAY WILL SPREAD NORTH AND DROP TO CLOSER TO AN INCH BY DAYBREAK AS GREATEST PCP MOVES NORTH OF AREA. && .SHORT TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT/... AS OF 3 PM MONDAY...BACKDOOR FRONT TO BE STALLED SOMEWHERE ALONG THE COAST ON TUESDAY. THIS WILL KEEP THE AREA RATHER CLOUDY AND WITH THE OPPORTUNITY FLOW SOME LIGHT RAINFALL. THE EXCEPTION MAY BE OVER FAR SOUTHERN ZONES WHERE SOME WEAK INSTABILITY MANAGES TO DEVELOP. RAIN CHANCES INCREASE TUESDAY NIGHT AS THE LOW LEVEL JET STRENGTHENS AND THE SENSE OF WARM ADVECTION AND ISENTROPIC UPGLIDE IS BOLSTERED. MANY PLACES WILL SEE A FAIRLY FLAT TEMPERATURE CURVE AND COASTAL LOCALES SHOULD RISE SOME LATE AS THE FRONT STARTS TO LIFT NORTHWARD AS A WARM FRONT. SEVERE WEATHER IS EXPECTED ON WEDNESDAY AND IT MAY END UP BEING FAIRLY WIDESPREAD. TEMPERATURES WILL RISE RAPIDLY THROUGH THE MORNING HOURS REACHING 70 OR BETTER BY MIDDAY ALL WHILE MOISTURE SURGES INTO THE AREA. SURFACE AND LOW LEVEL WIND FIELDS GROW SO STRONG THAT A WIND ADVISORY APPEARS POSSIBLE IF NOT LIKELY WITH 50KT WINDS BEING FORECAST BY 18Z 925MB...WELL WITHIN THE BOUNDARY LAYER. 18Z ALSO APPEARS TO BE CLOSE TO WHEN THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT IS REALLY RAMPING UP ACROSS THE AREA WITH SEVERAL MECHANISMS SUPPORTIVE OF A VERY ACTIVE DAY. THE LOW LEVEL JET WILL STILL BE RAMPING UP WITH THE MORE AGGRESSIVE WRF DEPICTING 60+KT ESPECIALLY ALONG THE COAST (GFS ABOUT 10KT LOWER). IN THE MID LEVELS CYCLONIC FLOW, HEIGHT FALLS, AND PVA WILL ALL BE IMPINGING UPON THE AREA. LASTLY IN THE UPPER LEVELS OF THE ATMOSPHERE THE COASTAL CAROLINAS WILL BE UNDERNEATH NOT ONLY UPDRAFT-VENTILATING DIFFLUENT FLOW BUT ALSO THE AGEOSTROPHIC LIFT ASSOCIATED WITH THE LEFT EXIT OF A 150KT JET AT 300MB OVER THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE. ALL OF THIS EXPECTED TO OCCUR IN THE PRESENCE OF ANYWHERE FROM 1000-2000 J/KG OF ENERGY...OR EVEN 2500 J/KG SHOULD SOME BREAKS OF SUNSHINE MATERIALIZE, WHICH SEEMS QUITE POSSIBLE. DAMAGING WIND WILL BY FAR BE THE MAIN THREAT WITH SUCH STRONG WIND FIELDS. THERE WILL BE ADEQUATE SHEAR FOR SUPERCELLUAR STRUCTURES AND TORNADOES WILL BE POSSIBLE GIVEN THE LOW LEVEL HELICITY (MOST OF THE 300 S-1 FOUND IN THE LOWEST 1KM) THOUGH THE STRONG WINDS AND DEEP MIXED LAYER/CLOUD BASE MAY SERVE AS A SLIGHT INHIBITOR. SEVERE HAIL THREAT ABOUT ON PART WITH THE TORNADO THREAT DUE TO THE PRESENCE OF INSTABILITY WITHIN THE HAIL GROWTH ZONE AND THE AFOREMENTIONED FACTORS FAVORING VERY DEEP UPDRAFTS. && .LONG TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY/... AS OF 3 PM MONDAY...POWERFUL STORM EXITING TO THE NORTH AS THE PERIOD BEGINS WILL LEAVE BROAD MID LEVEL TROUGHING OVER THE EASTERN CONUS. COLD ADVECTION FOLLOWING THE EXITING COLD FRONT THU AND THU NIGHT WILL DROP TEMPS BELOW CLIMO...BUT WITH 850 TEMPS ONLY FORECAST TO DROP INTO THE -4C TO -6C RANGE DO NOT ANTICIPATE ANY BITTERLY COLD TEMPERATURES. THU WILL BE ON THE BREEZY SIDE WITH SUNSHINE ENHANCED MIXING HELPING BRING 40 KT WINDS AROUND 3K FT TO THE SURFACE. REINFORCING SHOT OF COLD AIR FOLLOWING A DRY COLD FRONT LATE FRI NIGHT WILL KEEP TEMPERATURES FOR THE FIRST PART OF THE WEEKEND BELOW CLIMO. SURFACE HIGH SLIDES SOUTHWEST OF THE AREA SAT INTO SUN WITH RETURN FLOW DEVELOPING FOR THE START OF THE WEEK...PUSHING TEMPERATURES NEAR CLIMO. PERIOD WILL BE RAIN FREE WITH DEEP WEST TO NORTHWEST FLOW ENSURING AIRMASS ALOFT REMAINS ON THE DRY SIDE. && .AVIATION /00Z TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/... AS OF 00Z...MVFR/IFR EXPECTED THROUGH THE PERIOD AS A STALLED FRONT REMAINS JUST SOUTH OF THE FORECAST AREA BRINGING LOW CIGS...AREAS OF FOG...AND ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS. LATEST RADAR IMAGERY DEPICTS SHOWERS MOVING ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE AREA THIS EVENING...WITH LATEST OBS REPORTING A MIXTURE OF VFR/MVFR/IFR AS LINGERING CIGS MOVE ABOUT THE AREA. ALONG WITH SHOWERS AND LOW CIGS...WILL CONTINUE TO SEE AREAS OF FOG AS WELL ALLOWING FOR DETERIORATED CONDITIONS TO CONTINUE OVERNIGHT. NORTHEASTERLY WINDS WILL CONTINUE AOB 10 KTS. ON TUESDAY...MVFR/IFR CONTINUES WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS...LOW CIGS AND AREAS OF FOG. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS COULD NOT BE RULED OUT TUESDAY AFTERNOON BUT GIVEN LOWER CONFIDENCE HAVE NOT INTRODUCED ATTM. EAST-NORTHEAST WINDS WILL CONTINUE...5 TO 10 KTS. EXTENDED OUTLOOK...RAIN...LOW CIGS AND AREAS OF FOG ANTICIPATED THRU LATE TUES WITH SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WEDNESDAY. BECOMING VFR WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THE END OF THE FORECAST PERIOD. && .MARINE... NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... AS OF 200 PM MONDAY...COLD FRONT DRAPED ACROSS THE WATERS FROM WEST TO EAST WILL BE DROPPING SOUTH THROUGH TODAY. WINDS TO THE NORTH OF THE FRONT WILL BE NE-E AND SOUTHERLY TO SOUTH OF THE FRONT. THE WINDS WILL SHIFT TO THE NE-E OVERNIGHT WITH A BIT OF A NORTHEAST SURGE BEHIND FRONT MAINLY AFFECTING THE NORTH CAROLINA WATERS PRODUCING SEAS UP TO 4 AND POSSIBLY 5 FT IN OUTER WATERS. ELSEWHWERE SEAS WILL REMAIN 1 TO 3 FT MOST WATERS WITH A LONGER PERIOD...UP TO 12 SECONDS SE SWELL MIXING IN. ISOLATED TSTMS ARE POSSIBLE ASSOCIATED WITH COASTAL TROUGH AS IT SHIFTS CLOSER TO THE COAST. SHORT TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT/... AS OF 3 PM MONDAY... A BIT OF UNCERTAINTY REGARDING WIND DIRECTION ON TUESDAY AS A BOUNDARY WILL BE STALLED NEAR NEAR AND PARALLEL TO THE COAST. EVEN SO WIND SPEEDS WILL BE QUITE LIGHT AND SEAS FAIRLY MANAGEABLE TO MOST MARINERS. THEY WILL VEER AROUND TO THE SOUTH TUESDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY AND THEN INCREASE DRAMATICALLY IN RESPONSE TO A RAPIDLY DEEPENING LOW OVER THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI. WEDNESDAY WILL QUICKLY TURN INTO A TREACHEROUS DAY FOR MARINERS WITH THE ONLY QUESTION REMAINING BEING WILL THERE BE A STRONG SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY OR A MARGINAL GALE WARNING. LOW LEVEL WIND FIELDS ARE QUITE SUPPORTIVE OF THE LATTER IN FREQUENT GUSTS BUT WITH THE AIR WINDING UP SO MUCH WARMER THAN SSTS THEY MAY HAVE DIFFICULTY IN REACHING THE SURFACE. LONG TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/... AS OF 3 PM MONDAY...DEVELOPING OFFSHORE FLOW IN THE WAKE OF EXITING COLD FRONT KEEPS WIND SPEEDS ABOVE 25 KT INTO THU NIGHT BEFORE COLD ADVECTION WEAKENS AND GRADIENT STARTS TO RELAX. WINDS WILL REMAIN WEST TO NORTHWEST THROUGH SATURDAY WITH A SECOND DRY COLD FRONT CROSSING THE WATERS SAT MORNING. LIMITED COLD ADVECTION AND/OR GRADIENT BEHIND THE FRONT WILL RESULT IN NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO WINDS FOLLOWING THE PASSAGE OF THE FRONT. SEAS 6 TO 10 FT FOR MUCH OF THU WILL START DROPPING WITH THE DEVELOPMENT AND WEAKENING OF OFFSHORE FLOW THU NIGHT INTO FRI. SEAS ARE LIKELY TO REMAIN ABOVE HEADLINE CRITERIA FOR MUCH OF THU NIGHT BUT NO HEADLINES ARE EXPECTED FRI OR SAT WITH SEAS 2 TO 4 FT FRI AND 2 TO 3 FT SAT. && .ILM WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... SC...NONE. NC...NONE. MARINE...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...MBB NEAR TERM...RGZ SHORT TERM...MBB LONG TERM...III AVIATION...SGL
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC 311 PM EST MON FEB 22 2016 NCZ087-096-099-105>110-SCZ017-023-024-032-033-039-053>056-232015- 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- 311 PM EST MON FEB 22 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA AND NORTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY WEDNESDAY ALONG WITH A RISK FOR LOCALIZED FLOODING ACROSS POOR DRAINAGE AND FLOOD PRONE AREAS. WIND ADVISORY IS ALSO POSSIBLE ON WEDNESDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. AMZ250-252-254-256-232015- 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- 311 PM EST MON FEB 22 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY CONDITIONS EXPECTED WEDNESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. GUSTS TO GALE FORCE POSSIBLE. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE WATERS WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
The Columbia radar (KCAE), 123 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:58 UTC.
1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Lightning struck a tree which fell on a house, damaging several rooms.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in South Carolina in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in South Carolina, February 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: 621850.