North Carolina, 2018

Flash Flood and Damaging Winds in North Carolina, July 27, 2018

July 27, 2018 · NWS RAH · 4 events in 2 counties and zones

Dominated by outflow and sea-breeze boundaries, a few multi-cellular clusters developed across the NC Sandhills, eastern Piedmont and coastal plain counties. Two thunderstorm clusters produced some scattered wind damage.

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
$500
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
4

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.

Dominated by outflow and sea-breeze boundaries, a few multi-cellular clusters developed across the NC Sandhills, eastern Piedmont and coastal plain counties. Two thunderstorm clusters produced some scattered wind damage. A back-ward building cluster produced heavy rainfall of 3 to 4 inches that resulted in isolated 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 27, 3:15 PM EST, 3 hours earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 27, 3:15 PM EST, 3 hours before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 27, 1:56 PM EST, 4 hours 19 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Raleigh NC
256 PM EDT Fri Jul 27 2018

NCZ007>011-021>028-038>043-073>078-083>086-088-089-281900-
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-
256 PM EDT Fri Jul 27 2018

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central North Carolina.

.DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight.

Hazardous weather is expected at this time.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday.

An unsettled and wetter than average pattern over the Appalachians
and eastern U.S. may result in episodes of heavy rainfall and
flooding in central NC by early to mid next week.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not expected at this time.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 27, 2:15 PM EST, 4 hours before
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Special weather statement, Jul 27, 2:29 PM EST, 3 hours 46 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Jul 27, 4:35 PM EST, 1 hour 40 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Jul 27, 5:40 PM EST, 35 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Jul 27, 5:45 PM EST, 30 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Jul 27, 6:08 PM EST, 7 minutes before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Raleigh NC
708 PM EDT FRI JUL 27 2018

NCZ077-088-280000-
Harnett NC-Cumberland NC-
708 PM EDT FRI JUL 27 2018

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT EASTERN HARNETT AND NORTH
CENTRAL CUMBERLAND COUNTIES UNTIL 800 PM EDT...

At 707 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near
Godwin, or 9 miles southeast of Lillington, moving north at 10 mph.

Pea size hail and wind gusts up to 40 mph will be possible with this
storm.

Heavy rain and minor flooding will also be possible with this storm.

Locations impacted include...
Lillington, Dunn, Angier, Godwin, Erwin, Coats, Falcon, Linden,
Anderson Creek and Buies Creek.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Seek shelter in a nearby building or vehicle. Wind gusts as high as
40 mph are capable of knocking down tree limbs and blowing around
trash cans, potted plants, lawn furniture and other light outdoor
objects.

Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm, and may lead
to localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded
roadways.

&&

LAT...LON 3522 7899 3553 7873 3552 7869 3550 7868
      3549 7866 3547 7865 3543 7861 3540 7860
      3534 7853 3532 7854 3530 7858 3527 7858
      3525 7861 3521 7863 3520 7863 3520 7864
      3517 7864
TIME...MOT...LOC 2307Z 186DEG 10KT 3528 7874

23

The radar

The Raleigh/Durham radar (KRAX), 90 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:12 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 thunderstorm wind, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Warren

When
July 27, 6:15 PM EST
Where
Warren County, 2.17 mi NW of Ridgeway
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
36.452, -78.258

One tree was blown down on Ridgeway Drewry Road.

Thunderstorm Wind, Warren

When
July 27, 6:22 PM EST
Where
Warren County, 0.13 mi NW of Macon Nocarva Fld Ar
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
911 Call Center
Coordinates
36.531, -78.072

One tree was blown down on Nocarva Road.

Thunderstorm Wind, Harnett

When
July 27, 7:00 PM EST
Where
Harnett County, 0.17 mi N of Lillington
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$500
Reported by
911 Call Center
Coordinates
35.403, -78.830

Thunderstorm winds downed several trees onto power-lines along NC Highway 421, temporarily blocking the roadway.

Flash Flood, Warren

When
July 27, 7:40 PM EST to 8:40 PM EST
Where
Warren County, 1.49 mi SSE of Macon Nocarva Fld Ar to 1.31 mi SSE of Macon Nocarva Fld Ar
Cause
Heavy Rain
Reported by
Fire Department/Rescue
Coordinates
36.510, -78.060

Wise-Five Forks Road closed due to flooding.

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: 776777, 776778, 776779, 776776.