Lightning struck a tree, causing the wood to split and fall onto a person near Lake Waccamaw.
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The episode as NWS ILM wrote it up.
Lightning struck a tree, causing the wood to split and fall onto a person near Lake Waccamaw.
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 26, 2:41 PM EST, 49 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Wilmington NC 341 PM EDT Wed Jul 26 2023 .SYNOPSIS... Warming trend continues into the weekend, with potentially dangerous heat indices ahead. Forecast stays mostly dry at this point, with a frontal system approaching from the north by Sunday. This brings the next appreciable chances for showers and thunderstorms. Temperatures cool off a bit by the beginning of next week. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH THURSDAY/... It's mainly a persistence forecast at this point due to a relatively non-progressive patten in place. Said pattern features two mid level ridges at our latitude, the Carolinas lying between them. The weakness between them remains overhead but not enough to trigger only the most isolated shallow convection barely worthy of being in the forecast, not unlike the current radar presentation. Temperatures will run similar to past few days by both day and night-so no Heat Advisory anticipated. && .SHORT TERM /THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT/... Ridge over the Southwest expands and tries to connect with the Bermuda ridge, which extends well into the Deep South. Heights at 500mb continue to rise, nearing 596 dam. Westerly flow aloft keeps things dry, with only isolated showers and storms possible along the seabreeze Friday afternoon. Whatever convection occurs should die off after sunset. Highs Friday shoot up into the mid 90s inland, lower 90s at the coast. Dewpoints are stuck in the mid 70s, bringing heat indices up to 105 degrees. Wouldn't be surprised if a Heat Advisory is needed Friday. Lows each night in the mid 70s. && .LONG TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... Heat continues throughout the weekend, with another Heat Advisory likely Saturday. A front tries to push in from the north on Sunday, which increases the rain chances, particularly towards the afternoon and evening. Heat and humidity will still be around, but the presence of extra clouds might be enough to keep the area out of consistent Heat Advisory territory. Time will tell. Guidance with this front is murky concerning the strength and timing of the front, so questions about temperatures and rain will continue to be sorted out. Front pushes offshore Monday, potentially stalling over the coastal waters. Weak low pressure may try to form along this front, which may help to contribute a slight chance of showers and storms along the coast, aiding the typical seabreeze. Highs generally back off to the low 90s. Lows in the mid 70s over the weekend decrease a bit to the low 70s. && .AVIATION /18Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY/... VFR with light winds through most of the period. The exception will be a brief window of MVFR fog that may affect CRE and LBT, mainly due to persistence but also in deference to some guidance. Extended Outlook...VFR to dominate. Periodic MVFR/IFR possible in showers and thunderstorms each afternoon and evening through Sunday. && .MARINE... Through Thursday...Sub 2 ft waves all the way out to 41013...pretty uncommon. The very light gradient remains in place for light (and slightly variable) winds. The swell peak in wave power is still evident, running at 9 seconds-though overall waves very diminutive. Thursday Night through Monday...SSW winds at 10-15kts with 1-3ft seas continue through Friday evening. By Saturday, a cold front starts to approach from the north, and winds start to develop more of a southwesterly tilt, increasing to 15-18kts. A few gusts up to 20-23kts are possible at this point, and seas quickly increase to 2- 4ft. Front moves over the coastal waters Sunday night, allowing winds to veer westerly and then northwesterly by Monday morning. Throughout Monday, winds continue to veer to the east, decreasing to around 10kts. Seas start dropping towards 2-3ft. && .ILM WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... SC...None. NC...None. MARINE...None. && SYNOPSIS...ILM NEAR TERM...MBB SHORT TERM...IGB LONG TERM...IGB AVIATION...MBB MARINE...MBB/IGB
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Wilmington NC 255 PM EDT Wed Jul 26 2023 NCZ087-096-099-105>110-SCZ017-023-024-032-033-039-054>056-058-059- 270715- Robeson-Bladen-Columbus-Inland Pender-Coastal Pender- Inland New Hanover-Coastal New Hanover-Inland Brunswick- Coastal Brunswick-Marlboro-Darlington-Dillon-Florence-Marion- Williamsburg-Coastal Horry-Inland Georgetown-Coastal Georgetown- Central Horry-Northern Horry- 255 PM EDT Wed Jul 26 2023 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...Thursday through Tuesday. Heat and humidity could reach dangerous levels Friday through Sunday with heat indices possibly reaching 105 degrees. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected at this time. AMZ250-252-254-256-270715- 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- 255 PM EDT Wed Jul 26 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...Thursday through Tuesday. No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected at this time.
The Wilmington radar (KLTX), 34 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:32 UTC.
1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Media reports indicate a man in his 40s was taken the hospital after lightning struck a tree which fell on him.
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: 1106345.