Moderate to strong rip currents along with holiday weekend crowds led to multiple rescues at local beaches.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
Moderate to strong rip currents along with holiday weekend crowds led to multiple rescues at local 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 2, 9:00 AM EST, 0 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Wilmington NC
1000
AM EDT Sun Jul 2 2023
.SYNOPSIS...
Heat will build starting today, possibly reaching dangerous
levels as it peaks Monday and Tuesday. The heat will then
slowly abate through the middle and latter part of the week.
Isolated storm coverage through Monday will then give way to
increasing coverage of storms mid to late week.
&&
.UPDATE/...
No changes to the forecast at this time.
&&
.NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/...
Could have some fog formation tonight as surface winds look largely
calm. Winds just above the surface are still a bit breezy so
hopefully this will still act to limit widespread fog formation. We
remain in a warm, moist airmass today. Hazy conditions could form in
the morning before burning off after sunrise. Sfc CAPE of 1500-2000
J/kg would suggest storm activity activity in the afternoon/evening
but support aloft is practically non-existent. Most guidance
suggests activity (if any) will remain west of I-95 in the far NW
reaches of our CWA. Some guidance does show a round of storms
pushing through the area from the N late tonight, but confidence was
too low to include this in the forecast. Given the instability, this
could be possible.
A heat advisory is in effect for tomorrow as heat indices exceed 105
degrees. Highs will be in the mid to upper 90s, near 90 at the
coast. A sea breeze will push through in the afternoon making its
way inland into the evening hours.
&&
.SHORT TERM /MONDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT/...
Elongated ridging to the southeast will be around its peak strength
Mon and Tue. At the surface the Bermuda High helps maintain moist
south to southwest flow, with afternoon enhancement via the Piedmont
trough. Partial thickness values support highs in the mid to upper
90s. Dewpoints will remain in the mid 70s, leading to heat index
values requiring at least a heat advisory each afternoon. Cannot
rule out excessive heat warning for portions of the area either
afternoon as well. Forecast soundings show some mid-level
inhibition, but not enough to prevent diurnal convection given the
available instability and the presence of a sea breeze and the
Piedmont trough. Coverage will be somewhat limited, especially Mon,
but on Tue a shortwave approaching from the southwest appears to be
timed well, with PVA arriving during peak heating. This should help
enhance coverage of any diurnal convection that develops. Another
shortwave approaches from the southwest Tue night. Remains to be
seen how much instability will be left over, but it is possible
there will be a second round of storms early Wed morning.
&&
.LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/...
Surface and mid-level ridging mid to late week will remain in a
similar configuration, elongated axis stretching from Bermuda to the
Gulf of Mexico. This will help maintain temperatures above normal
and elevated moisture (precipitable water will be 2-2.5 inches all
week). As such heat index values in the triple digits will continue
each afternoon. The lack of mid-level subsidence will lead to
coverage of diurnal convection that is at least climatological and
more than likely above climatology. Decaying cold front will remain
stalled north of the area with a second front approaching late in
the week. Its fate is likely to be the same as the previous front,
stalling before it reaches the area.
&&
.AVIATION /12Z SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/...
Mixing from aloft is holding back significant fog formation this
morning as VSBYs fluctuate over the CWA. Terminals seem to be
staying P6SM so left restrictions out. Added a TEMPO for brief
morning HZ which could bring MVFR VSBYs. VFR expected through
the day with predominantly dry conditions. An afternoon
seabreeze will go through the coastal sites with winds
increasing and becoming more southerly. Low chances of tstorms
near inland terminals late tonight.
Extended Outlook...VFR should prevail through the mid-week
period outside of daily early morning fog and diurnally- driven
showers/storms that will especially become more prevalent Tue
thru Thu due to periodic weak disturbances aloft moving
overhead.
&&
.MARINE...
Through Tonight...
Increasing S/SW winds in the afternoon lead to near 20 kt gusts.
Significant seas 2-3 ft with an increasing SW wind wave into the
afternoon, especially near the coast. Otherwise, there will be a 2-3
ft ESE swell at 8-9 seconds.
Monday through Thursday...
Bermuda High will maintain south to southwest flow through
Thursday with afternoon and evening enhancement due to
development of the Piedmont trough. Sea breeze will lead to more
of an onshore component nearshore. Speeds peak 15 to 20 kt Mon
and Tue afternoon and 10 to 15 kt Wed and Thu afternoons. Speeds
drop to around 10 kt overnight. Seas 2 to 3 ft will be a mix of
a southerly wind wave and an east to southeast swell.
&&
.TIDES/COASTAL FLOODING...
Higher than normal astronomical tides coinciding with the full moon
will bring daily coastal flooding concerns with the afternoon and
early evening high tides today through much of next week. Higher
confidence in minor coastal flooding exists for the banks along the
lower Cape Fear River from Wilmington south. Minor flooding is
possible for area beaches beginning late this weekend and through
much of next week.
Another active rip current day expected today. High
astronomical tides along with a southeast swell, will elevate
the rip current risk for all beaches except those in Brunswick
County. Favored timing for strong rip currents will be 2 to 3
hours on either side of low tide, which occurs around 1 pm EDT.
&&
.ILM WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
SC...Heat Advisory from 10 AM this morning to 9 PM EDT this evening
for SCZ017-023-024-032-033-039-055-058-059.
NC...Heat Advisory from 10 AM this morning to 9 PM EDT this evening
for NCZ087-096-099-105-107-109.
MARINE...None.
&&
SYNOPSIS...ILM
NEAR TERM...LEW
SHORT TERM...III
LONG TERM...III
AVIATION...LEW
MARINE...III/LEW
TIDES/COASTAL FLOODING...Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Wilmington NC 305 AM EDT Sun Jul 2 2023 NCZ106-108-SCZ054-056-030715- Coastal Pender-Coastal New Hanover-Coastal Horry-Coastal Georgetown- 305 AM EDT Sun Jul 2 2023 ...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...Monday through Saturday. Heat Advisories are possible early this week as heat indices of 105 to 109 degrees could occur. Enhanced risk of rip currents possible through early this week. Minor flooding along the immediate coast is possible during the evening high tide cycles through the middle of this week. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected at this time. NCZ110-030715- Coastal Brunswick- 305 AM EDT Sun Jul 2 2023 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for southeast North Carolina. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight. Hazardous weather is not expected at this time. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday. Heat Advisories are possible early this week as heat indices of 105 to 109 degrees could occur. Enhanced risk of rip currents possible early this week. Minor flooding along the immediate coast is possible during the evening high tide cycles through the middle of this week. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected at this time. NCZ087-096-099-105-107-109-SCZ017-023-024-032-033-039-055-058-059- 030715- Robeson-Bladen-Columbus-Inland Pender-Inland New Hanover- Inland Brunswick-Marlboro-Darlington-Dillon-Florence-Marion- Williamsburg-Inland Georgetown-Central Horry-Northern Horry- 305 AM EDT Sun Jul 2 2023 ...HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM THIS MORNING TO 9 PM EDT 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. Heat Advisory. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday. No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected at this time. AMZ250-252-254-256-030715- 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- 305 AM EDT Sun Jul 2 2023 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for the adjacent Coastal Waters. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight. No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday. No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected at this time.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 rip current. Local standard time, as filed.
Carolina Beach Ocean Rescue reported 70 rip current rescues, Kure Beach Ocean Rescue performed 16 rip rescues, and 12 rescues were reported at Wrightsville Beach.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in North Carolina in 2023Every state in 2023This day in weather historyWarnings in North Carolina, July 2023
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: 1106093.