North Carolina, 2018

Flash Flooding and Damaging Winds in North Carolina, July 17, 2018

July 17, 2018 · NWS RAH · 10 events in 2 counties and zones

A slow moving cold front lagged over West Virginia and Virginia through late afternoon, with a prefrontal trough over central NC. Scattered clusters of storms developed during the mid afternoon, with a couple becoming severe and producing wind damage, along with one producing flash flooding.

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
$5,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
10

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 RAH wrote it up.

A slow moving cold front lagged over West Virginia and Virginia through late afternoon, with a prefrontal trough over central NC. Scattered clusters of storms developed during the mid afternoon, with a couple becoming severe and producing wind damage, along with one producing flash flooding.

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 Raleigh, NC wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 17, 2:44 PM EST, 2 hours 11 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 17, 2:44 PM EST, 2 hours 11 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 17, 2:47 PM EST, 2 hours 8 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Raleigh NC
347 PM EDT Tue Jul 17 2018

NCZ007>011-021>028-038>043-073>078-083>086-088-089-182000-
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-
347 PM EDT Tue Jul 17 2018

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central North Carolina.

.DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight.

Scattered slow moving thunderstorms with very heavy rain may cause
localized flooding of streets and poor drainage areas this afternoon
and tonight. This threat will be higher in urbanized locations
versus more rural areas. The stronger storms will produce rainfall
amounts between one and two inches in less than an hour.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday.

Hazardous weather is not expected at this time.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not expected at this time.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 17, 1:18 PM EST, 3 hours 37 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Jul 17, 2:13 PM EST, 2 hours 42 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Jul 17, 2:58 PM EST, 1 hour 57 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Jul 17, 3:42 PM EST, 1 hour 13 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Jul 17, 4:30 PM EST, 25 minutes before
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The radar

The Raleigh/Durham radar (KRAX), 92 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:57 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

7 thunderstorm wind, 3 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Alamance

When
July 17, 4:55 PM EST
Where
Alamance County, 3.77 mi SSE of Pleasant Grove
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
911 Call Center
Coordinates
36.147, -79.316

One tree was reported down at Dickey Mill Road and Barnett Road.

Thunderstorm Wind, Alamance

When
July 17, 5:05 PM EST
Where
Alamance County, 1.33 mi NW of Mebane
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
911 Call Center
Coordinates
36.111, -79.300

One tree was reported down on Mebane Rogers Road.

Thunderstorm Wind, Alamance

When
July 17, 5:05 PM EST
Where
Alamance County, 1.58 mi NE of Haw River
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
911 Call Center
Coordinates
36.118, -79.352

One tree was reported down on Highway 49 at Green Level Church Road.

Thunderstorm Wind, Harnett

When
July 17, 7:52 PM EST
Where
Harnett County, 3.01 mi NE of Dunn
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
911 Call Center
Coordinates
35.348, -78.579

A couple of trees were reported down in the 3800 block of U.S. 301.

Thunderstorm Wind, Harnett

When
July 17, 8:00 PM EST
Where
Harnett County, 2.52 mi E of Coats
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$5,000
Reported by
911 Call Center
Coordinates
35.426, -78.636

Multiple trees were reported down near the intersection of Johnson Road and Ebenezer Church Road.

Thunderstorm Wind, Harnett

When
July 17, 8:06 PM EST
Where
Harnett County, 2.78 mi ESE of Coats
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
911 Call Center
Coordinates
35.410, -78.632

One tree was reported down on North Carolina Highway 27 and Dixon Road.

Thunderstorm Wind, Harnett

When
July 17, 8:14 PM EST
Where
Harnett County, 2.75 mi NNE of Dunn
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
911 Call Center
Coordinates
35.356, -78.599

One tree was reported down on Brinkley Road.

Flash Flood, Harnett

When
July 17, 8:43 PM EST to 9:45 PM EST
Where
Harnett County, 1.13 mi E of Lillington to 0.8 mi ENE of Lillington
Cause
Heavy Rain
Reported by
911 Call Center
Coordinates
35.400, -78.810

Flooding was reported on South Main Street and East Duncan Street.

Flash Flood, Harnett

When
July 17, 8:43 PM EST to 9:45 PM EST
Where
Harnett County, 0.56 mi W of Lillington to 1.3 mi S of Lillington
Cause
Heavy Rain
Reported by
911 Call Center
Coordinates
35.400, -78.840

Flooding was reported on United States Highway 421 between the 1000 and 2000 blocks.

Flash Flood, Harnett

When
July 17, 8:43 PM EST to 9:45 PM EST
Where
Harnett County, 2.15 mi SSW of Kipling to 1.66 mi S of Kipling
Cause
Heavy Rain
Reported by
911 Call Center
Coordinates
35.450, -78.830

Flooding was reported at 401 North at Christian Light Road.

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.
Flash Flood
Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in North Carolina in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in North Carolina, July 2018

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: 774775, 774776, 774777, 774778, 774781, 774779, 774780, 774782, 774787, 774789.