Strong rip currents led to many rescues at two area beaches.
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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.
Strong rip currents led to many rescues at two area beaches.
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 Jul 6, 9:14 AM EST, 46 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Wilmington NC 1014 AM EDT Fri Jul 6 2018 .SYNOPSIS... Seasonably warm today ahead of an approaching cold front from the north. The front will bring showers and a few thunderstorms tonight and Saturday. Slightly drier and cooler air will filter into the region Sunday. Developing low pressure off the Carolina coast Tuesday into mid-week will be closely watched, as it moves slowly northward. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... As of 1015 AM Friday...No changes to the current forecast. HRRR is wavering back and forth on how strong convection will be later today/this evening and to a certain extent the timing. The 1200 UTC NAM panels are showing more run to run consistency. Therefore there is no compelling reason to change the forecast at the moment. Previous discussion follows: A more complex pattern today will lead to more unsettled weather, especially tonight, as a cold front crosses into the CWA late. Satellite imagery early this morning depicts several features of interest. The first, a weak upper low spinning off the GA coast will push westward and overhead GA/N FL this evening. This will have little sensible weather impact locally other than to enhance the already robust easterly flow aloft. Also evident is convection associated with an area of low pressure that has some tropical characteristics well east of the SC coast. This feature will migrate westward today but get deflected N/NW tonight, also not significantly impacting the local area as the broad high pressure holds firm overhead. The third feature, a cold front moving through the OH VLY this morning, will push SE and into the region tonight, producing a good chance for showers and tstms late. Before this front affects the area, broad high pressure will remain dominant producing a weak gradient and variable winds. Initially, continued easterly flow will push showers towards the coast in an evolution similar to the past two mornings. Subtly lowered thicknesses and PWATs nearing 2" this aftn suggest a better chance for sea breeze and other typical summertime convection than the past few days. However, continued significant dry air in the mid-levels of the column will again inhibit strong or deep convection, so showers with just isolated tstms are the forecast wx type. Best shower chances will lift inland through the aftn/eve but then become aligned with SE moving convection along the cold front which will be on the doorstep of the CWA this evening. This front is then likely to push SE and be very near the extreme S/E portions of the CWA by Saturday morning. It is during this slow FROPA that tstm chances ramp up despite the nocturnal passage, and have bumped POP to LKLY for much of the CWA overnight. Showers and tstms should be ongoing across a large portion of the area at 8am Saturday as continued ridging and easterly flow keep temps around seasonable norms, 88-90 at the coast and 90-93 inland. This combined with dewpoint temperatures in the low 70s will create heat index values around 100 well inland from the coast. Mins will also be quite warm and humid, falling to around 75 at the coast, low 70s further inland. && .SHORT TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT/... As of 300 AM Friday..."July Cold Frontal Passage" the chief headline this period, with the front poised to bring a wettish forecast engulfing Saturday. Near saturation to 700 mb, will be undercut by sfc-925 NE maritime flow of high RH. Isentropic lift although not strong will be sufficient for precipitation much if not all of Saturday periodically. The rich influx of ocean moisture and over-running will favor highest weekend QPF along the coast, from 1/2 inch at ILM to 1 inch at GGE, lesser totals below 1/4 inch toward I-95. Dewpoints will take a dip Saturday night, and the faint cool air advection will allow Min- Ts in the upper 60s over interior portions of SE NC and NE SC daybreak on Sunday. Sunday will favor perhaps additional QPF over NE SC, giving highest forecast rainfall totals here. This weekend convective steering flow remains weak, with elevated precipitable water this could lead to periods of significant rainfall if convection is strong enough in proximity to the frontal boundary. By this time however, MUCAPE/SBCAPE will be notably lower area-wide. && .LONG TERM /MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... As of 300 PM Thursday...The large 500 mb ridge covering the United States this week will cleave in two this weekend as significant shortwave energy spills across New England. The upper ridge, temporarily shunted west to the Rockies, will build back across the Mississippi and Ohio Valleys next week. This should bring a return of hot temperatures to the Carolinas with forecast heat indices are back above 100 degrees by Wednesday, and inland air temperatures in the mid to upper 90s by Thursday. Drier air should build in from the north Monday with rain chances essentially disappearing by Monday morning. The latest two ECMWF runs actually have dewpoints dipping into the 50s inland on Monday! Surface high pressure will dip southeastward across the area Monday night and Tuesday. Low- level moisture increasing behind the departing high should push dewpoints back into the 70s with isolated showers and t-storms back in the forecast again by Thursday. && .AVIATION /14Z FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... As of 12Z...Same airmass will reside for the next 24 hours. TUTT low continues to spin off the coast of Georgia. Some convection will move onshore today, along the coast through 15Z, pushing inland after that. Coverage will be limited, focused mainly on the resultant boundary. Light gradient will allow an onshore wind around mid to late morning. Some nocturnal showers are possible tonight. Outlook...More widespread showers and thunderstorms possible Saturday along a cold front. VFR Sunday through Tuesday. && .MARINE... NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... As of 300 AM Friday...A weak gradient in the vicinity of broad high pressure will produce light and variable winds much of the period outside of the aftn near-shore sea breeze. Within the sea breeze circulation, winds will reach up to 10 kts from the S, with areas outside of the sea breeze experiencing only around 5 kt winds. Tonight, a cold front will approach from the NW and the gradient pinches ahead of it. This will cause a more uniform SW wind to develop across the waters with speeds ramping up to 10-15 kts before a wind shift to the W/NW occurs late. These light winds across most of the waters will enable the 3ft/8sec E swell to be the primary wave group through much of the period, although a weak SW wind wave is likely to form in the spectrum tonight. That wind wave will have little contribution to the significant seas however, which will be 2-3 ft today and tonight. SHORT TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT/... As of 300 AM Friday...Marine conditions to become noticeably more difficult this period, as seasonably strong NE winds in wake of a cold front rake the 0-20 NM waters. 'Exercise Caution' conditions certainly possible later Saturday into Sunday as NE fetch persistence builds significant seas. If the NE surge is slightly stronger than currently forecast, a 'Small Craft Advisory' would be needed for frequent 25 kt gusts. Visibility may be sharply reduced a heavy rain at times below 1/2 NM, and radar updates are encouraged all of the weekend, as isolated TSTMs will lurk in the mix as well. LONG TERM /MONDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... As of 300 PM Thursday...Breezy northeast winds are expected through at least the first half of Monday before high pressure reaches the Outer Banks Monday Night. Recent models have cranked up the winds, with some indication we could be looking at 15-20 kt speeds for a solid 12 hour period. I've raised our forecast winds by several knots into Monday morning, and added another half foot to forecast seas. As of now I do not have Small Craft Advisory conditions forecast. && .ILM WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... SC...None. NC...None. MARINE...None. && SYNOPSIS...MJC NEAR TERM...JDW/SHK SHORT TERM...MJC LONG TERM...TRA AVIATION...DL MARINE...
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Wilmington NC 318 AM EDT Fri Jul 6 2018 NCZ096-099-105-107-109-SCZ055-058-059-070730- Bladen-Columbus-Inland Pender-Inland New Hanover-Inland Brunswick- Inland Georgetown-Central Horry-Northern Horry- 318 AM EDT Fri Jul 6 2018 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for southeast North Carolina and northeast South Carolina. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight. No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday. Heat indices will approach 105 degrees next Wednesday and Thursday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected at this time. AMZ250-252-254-256-070730- 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- 318 AM EDT Fri Jul 6 2018 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for the adjacent Coastal Waters. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight. Hazardous weather is not expected at this time. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday. Small Craft Exercise Caution conditions possible Saturday night and Sunday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected at this time. NCZ106-108-110-SCZ054-056-070730- Coastal Pender-Coastal New Hanover-Coastal Brunswick-Coastal Horry- Coastal Georgetown- 318 AM EDT Fri Jul 6 2018 ...MODERATE RISK OF RIP CURRENTS IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS EVENING... This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for southeast North Carolina and northeast South Carolina. .DAY ONE...Today and 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. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday. Heat indices will approach 105 degrees next Wednesday and Thursday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected at this time. NCZ087-SCZ017-023-024-032-033-039-070730- Robeson-Marlboro-Darlington-Dillon-Florence-Marion-Williamsburg- 318 AM EDT Fri Jul 6 2018 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for southeast North Carolina and northeast South Carolina. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight. Heat indices may exceed 100 degrees this afternoon. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday. Heat indices will approach 105 degrees next Wednesday and Thursday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected at this time. 17
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 rip current. Local standard time, as filed.
Strong rip currents led to 20 rescues at Wrightsville Beach. Another 15 rescues occurred at Carolina Beach.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in North Carolina in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in North Carolina, July 2018
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: 776163.