Strong rip currents produced multiple rescues at Wrightsville Beach.
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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 produced multiple rescues at Wrightsville Beach.
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 Sep 8, 7:57 AM EST, 2 hours 3 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Wilmington NC 857 AM EDT Sat Sep 8 2018 .SYNOPSIS... A weak cold front will dip into the Carolinas late tonight, but should return northward Sunday. High pressure building off the Mid-Atlantic coast next week may help steer Hurricane Florence toward the Carolinas for the second half of the week. Large ocean swells will lead to an enhanced rip current risk at the beaches, and dangerous conditions will develop for mariners later in the week. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... As of 9 AM Saturday...Isolated showers and thunderstorms are expected again today. Showers and storms could be a little more scattered in nature over northwest portions areas due to the proximity of a cold front dropping in from the north and stalling just to the north of the area. Highs today should peak out in the 90 to 95 range with slightly cooler numbers nearer the immediate coast. Lows tonight will generally be between 70 and 75 degrees. && .SHORT TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT/... As of 300 AM Saturday...The upper level pattern will consist of a ridge developing off the Mid-Atlantic coast and a trough shearing out across the Ohio Valley and Great Lakes. This leaves a light south to southwesterly mid and upper level flow across the Carolinas. There will be plenty of moisture in this flow, but no well defined upper disturbances. A weak cold front will push as far south as Myrtle Beach and Florence early Sunday morning, but should return northward during the daylight hours. It appears there will be some low clouds on the north side of the boundary -- important as this will create an enhanced thermal contrast across the front by late morning. Look for this to serve as the genesis point for scattered showers and thunderstorms. The GFS is wetter than the NAM or ECMWF, but averaging these together yields a 30 to 40 percent rain chance across the area, highest across the Sandhills and interior coastal plain. Very slow cell motion is expected, so look for large disparity in point to point rainfall totals. By Monday the front will be well north of the area leaving a more typical light south wind in place. Despite the lack of the boundary, rain chances may not diminish much given deep moisture and enough anticipated heating to generate rather large instability during the day. Mid-level steering flow will also increase to around 10 knots. A very successful forecast methodology for the inland eastern Carolinas over the past 10 days has been to add 3-6 degrees to MOS highs, accounting for the model's inability to see the hot and very dry soils we currently have in place. Given the shift in synoptic winds and the expected presence of more showers than we've seen in several weeks, I've tempered my forecast highs back to 1-3 degrees above MOS Sunday and Monday. MOS forecast lows seem to be verifying quite well and I've made few changes to that output. && .LONG TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... As of 300 AM Saturday...I've updated the Wednesday Night through Friday forecast to account for increasing probabilities of an impact by Hurricane Florence. Following NWS guidance about capping forecast wind speeds at 30 knots at days 5-7, I've gone with maximum possible winds across the area Thursday night, and have bumped PoPs up to 50 percent as well. Obviously if Florence were to directly strike the area conditions would become much worse. Adjustments have been made to temperatures and dewpoints as well. -TRA Discussion from 300 PM Friday... Surface pressure pattern will be pretty poorly defined Monday through Wednesday. In the mid levels the area will be on the southwest periphery of strengthening ridge. This setup doesn't really favor any particular area for what will continue to be low coverage of mainly afternoon convection. Daytime temperatures will average above normal. Rain chances could decrease Wednesday if Florence draws close enough as a major hurricane due to the sinking motion surrounding the storm. This hopefully holds true as the system makes its closest approach to the region. Model spread continues to be too high to lend much confidence in the forecast past day 5 with respect to the system. Regardless, once the system passes Friday will feature a deep layer reversal to more westerly flow allowing for possibly lowered humidity though since heights remain high, so too may temperatures. && .AVIATION /12Z SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... As of 12Z...VFR conditions will prevail over the next 24 hours with a few exceptions. Patchy early morning fog/low ceilings could affect the LBT and FLO airports before 13Z, with MVFR ceilings also possible at the MYR/CRE airports before 15Z. Only isolated showers and t-storms are expected this afternoon. Coverage is expected to be less than 20 percent, and no explicit mention is in the TAF forecasts at this time. A weak cold front dipping into the area late tonight could develop low stratus or fog at LBT, with lesser potential elsewhere. Extended Outlook...Mostly VFR. The exception, scattered t-storms possible Sunday and Monday, becoming more isolated Tuesday and Wednesday. Patchy early morning MVFR fog is also possible. && .MARINE... NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... As of 9 AM Saturday...Isolated showers and storms with a E to SE winds of about 10 KT through tonight. Seas will run 2 to 3 feet except for a few 4 footers at 20 NM near Frying Pan Shoals. Dominant wave periods will be in excess of 10 seconds due swells from TS Florence. SHORT TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT/... As of 300 AM Saturday...A weak cold front could dive as far south as Myrtle Beach early Sunday morning, bringing a brief period of northerly winds up to 10 knots. This boundary, pushed south by high pressure over southern Canada, won't stay long and should get pushed back to the north by noon on Sunday. High pressure will strengthen offshore Sunday night into Monday providing a light south wind. Scattered showers and thunderstorms are possible through the period, mainly overnight and during the mornings. Storms developing inland during the daylight hours should generally remain inland and not bother mariners. Seas will largely consist of swell from Tropical Storm Florence, averaging 2-3 feet at 13 to 15 second periods. LONG TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... As of 300 AM Saturday...Light south to east winds continue Monday as the pressure gradient across the Southeast remains quite poorly defined. Florence swells to be present along with the normal 2-3 occasionally 4 ft wind wave but they will be rather lackluster in height. They may build into Advisory realm later Tuesday well ahead of the system. Another wave front hits Wednesday at which time seas will grow very large and hazardous. && .ILM WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... SC...None. NC...None. MARINE...None. && SYNOPSIS...TRA NEAR TERM...RAN/RH SHORT TERM...TRA LONG TERM...TRA/III AVIATION...TRA
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Wilmington NC 356 AM EDT Sat Sep 8 2018 NCZ087-096-099-105-107-109-SCZ017-023-024-032-033-039-055-058-059- 090800- Robeson-Bladen-Columbus-Inland Pender-Inland New Hanover- Inland Brunswick-Marlboro-Darlington-Dillon-Florence-Marion- Williamsburg-Inland Georgetown-Central Horry-Northern Horry- 356 AM EDT Sat Sep 8 2018 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for southeast North Carolina and northeast South Carolina. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight. Hazardous weather is not expected at this time. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday. Hurricane Florence may affect the Carolinas late Wednesday through Friday. The potential for significant impacts from strong winds and heavy rainfall is growing. Please closely monitor the latest forecasts on this storm. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected at this time. AMZ250-252-254-256-090800- 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- 356 AM EDT Sat Sep 8 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...Sunday through Friday. Hurricane Florence may affect the Carolinas next week. Long period swells ahead of the storm could reach 6 feet Tuesday, and could grow to 10 feet by Wednesday night. Strong winds are most likely late Wednesday through Friday. Please closely monitor the latest forecasts on this storm. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected at this time. NCZ106-108-110-SCZ054-056-090800- Coastal Pender-Coastal New Hanover-Coastal Brunswick-Coastal Horry- Coastal Georgetown- 356 AM EDT Sat Sep 8 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...Sunday through Friday. Hurricane Florence may affect the Carolinas late Wednesday through Friday. The potential for significant impacts from strong winds and heavy rainfall is growing. Please monitor the latest forecasts on this storm. An enhanced risk of rip currents may exist at the beaches most of the week due to Florence's approach. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected at this time. 9
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 rip current. Local standard time, as filed.
There were a dozen rip related rescues at Wrightsville 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, September 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: 786807.