North Carolina, 2021

Tropical Storm in North Carolina, July 8, 2021

July 8, 2021 · NWS ILM · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

Tropical Storm Elsa made landfall in the panhandle of Florida, then moved northeastward into the Carolinas and weakened. The storm still managed to produce gusts to tropical storm force.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 2 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
2

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 ILM wrote it up.

Tropical Storm Elsa made landfall in the panhandle of Florida, then moved northeastward into the Carolinas and weakened. The storm still managed to produce gusts to tropical storm force.

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 Wilmington, NC wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 8, 5:18 AM EST, 1 hour 31 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 8, 5:18 AM EST, 1 hour 31 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 8, 1:29 AM EST, 5 hours 20 minutes before
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In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 8, 6:27 AM EST, 22 minutes before
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The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 tropical storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Tropical Storm, Coastal Brunswick

When
July 8, 6:49 AM EST to 8:12 AM EST
Where
Coastal Brunswick forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
34.039, -78.227 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A 56 mph gust was measured at Sunset Beach, with sustained winds of 43 mph. The Oak Island Weatherflow measured a peak gust of 55 mph, with sustained winds of 37 mph.

Tropical Storm, Coastal New Hanover

When
July 8, 8:29 AM EST to 8:31 AM EST
Where
Coastal New Hanover forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
34.181, -77.866 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The Federal Point WeatherFlow station measured a peak gust of 53 mph, with sustained winds of 41 mph.

What these are

Tropical Storm
A tropical cyclone with sustained winds of 34 to 63 knots (39 to 73 mph).

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in North Carolina in 2021Every state in 2021This day in weather historyWarnings in North Carolina, July 2021The 2021 hurricane season

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 975063, 975065.