North Carolina, 2023Flash Flooding and Heavy Rain in North Carolina, September 23, 2023
September 23, 2023 · NWS RAH · 18 events in 4 counties and zones
Tropical Storm Ophelia made landfall across southeastern North Carolina. Ophelia tracked north-northwest into the northern Coastal Plain of central North Carolina by midday, then into eastern Virginia by the early evening hours.
Every event with a place to put it. 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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- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $30,000
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 18
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.
Tropical Storm Ophelia made landfall across southeastern North Carolina. Ophelia tracked north-northwest into the northern Coastal Plain of central North Carolina by midday, then into eastern Virginia by the early evening hours. Widespread rainfall to the north and west of Ophelia led to numerous flash flood reports in Wake, Wilson, and Halifax Counties during the morning and early afternoon hours.
Flash Flood, Wilson
- When
- September 23, 10:15 AM EST
- Where
- Wilson County, 1.56 mi SSW of Dunn Xrds to 1.73 mi SSW of Dunn Xrds
- Cause
- Heavy Rain
- Reported by
- 911 Call Center
- Coordinates
- 35.758, -77.926
High water was reported on the 2400 block of Brentwood Drive.
Flash Flood, Halifax
- When
- September 23, 10:20 AM EST
- Where
- Halifax County, 0.22 mi WSW of Scotland Neck to 0.3 mi ESE of Scotland Neck
- Cause
- Heavy Rain
- Reported by
- 911 Call Center
- Coordinates
- 36.129, -77.424
Flooding was reported along North Carolina Highway 903.
Flash Flood, Wilson
- When
- September 23, 10:30 AM EST
- Where
- Wilson County, 1.14 mi SSW of Wilson to 1.15 mi SSW of Wilson
- Cause
- Heavy Rain
- Reported by
- 911 Call Center
- Coordinates
- 35.714, -77.924
High water was reported along the 1000 block of Jordan Street and the 1000 block of Briggs Street.
Flash Flood, Wilson
- When
- September 23, 10:45 AM EST
- Where
- Wilson County, 1.42 mi S of Moores Xrds to 1.89 mi S of Moores Xrds
- Cause
- Heavy Rain
- Reported by
- 911 Call Center
- Coordinates
- 35.650, -78.070
High water was reported along the 7400 block of Wiggins Mill Road.
Flash Flood, Wake
- When
- September 23, 11:25 AM EST
- Where
- Wake County, 0.56 mi E of Starmount to 0.4 mi E of Starmount
- Cause
- Heavy Rain
- Property damage
- $30,000
- Reported by
- County Official
- Coordinates
- 35.850, -78.560
Floodwaters resulted in a road closure and stranded cars at United States Highway 401 and Fox Road.
Flash Flood, Wake
- When
- September 23, 11:37 AM EST
- Where
- Wake County, 1.09 mi SSE of Millbrook to 0.96 mi SSE of Millbrook
- Cause
- Heavy Rain
- Reported by
- County Official
- Coordinates
- 35.835, -78.614
Floodwaters were on the road at Wake Forest Road and Bland Road, making it passable only in one lane.
Flash Flood, Wake
- When
- September 23, 12:20 PM EST
- Where
- Wake County, 3.53 mi SSE of Wilders Grove to 3.66 mi WSW of Knightdale
- Cause
- Heavy Rain
- Reported by
- County Official
- Coordinates
- 35.756, -78.538
Floodwaters caused a road closure at Poole Road and Barwell Road.
Flash Flood, Wake
- When
- September 23, 12:24 PM EST
- Where
- Wake County, 2.08 mi SSE of Leesville to 1.98 mi SSE of Leesville
- Cause
- Heavy Rain
- Reported by
- County Official
- Coordinates
- 35.872, -78.717
Flooding was reported at Lynn Road and Grove Barton Road. One lane was open, but the rest were closed.
Heavy Rain, Edgecombe
- When
- September 23, 1:00 PM EST
- Where
- Edgecombe County, 0.7 mi S of Tarboro
- Reported by
- CoCoRaHS
- Coordinates
- 35.890, -77.530
A total rainfall of 4.54 inches was measured in Tarboro.
Heavy Rain, Edgecombe
- When
- September 23, 1:00 PM EST
- Where
- Edgecombe County, 2.66 mi NNW of Tarboro
- Reported by
- AWOS
- Coordinates
- 35.936, -77.546
A total rainfall of 3.81 inches was measured at the Tarboro-Edgecombe Airport.
Heavy Rain, Edgecombe
- When
- September 23, 1:00 PM EST
- Where
- Edgecombe County, 1.95 mi SSW of Kingsboro
- Reported by
- Mesonet
- Coordinates
- 35.893, -77.680
A total rainfall of 3.69 inches was measured at the Upper Coastal Plain Research Station ECONet station in Rocky Mount.
Heavy Rain, Halifax
- When
- September 23, 2:00 PM EST
- Where
- Halifax County, 0.4 mi NNE of Hobgood
- Reported by
- CoCoRaHS
- Coordinates
- 36.035, -77.397
A total rainfall of 5.06 inches was measured in Hobgood.
Heavy Rain, Halifax
- When
- September 23, 3:30 PM EST
- Where
- Halifax County, Roanoke Rapids
- Reported by
- COOP Observer
- Coordinates
- 36.470, -77.650
A total rainfall of 4.02 inches was measured in Roanoke Rapids.
Heavy Rain, Halifax
- When
- September 23, 3:30 PM EST
- Where
- Halifax County, 1.01 mi NW of Halifax Co Arpt
- Reported by
- Mesonet
- Coordinates
- 36.442, -77.711
A total rainfall of 3.57 inches was measured at the Center for Energy Education ECONet station in Roanoke Rapids.
Heavy Rain, Wake
- When
- September 23, 5:00 PM EST
- Where
- Wake County, 4.5 mi NNW of (Rdu)raleigh-Durham
- Reported by
- CoCoRaHS
- Coordinates
- 35.930, -78.811
A total rainfall of 3.66 inches was measured in Raleigh.
Heavy Rain, Wake
- When
- September 23, 5:00 PM EST
- Where
- Wake County, 1.6 mi SSE of Garner
- Reported by
- CoCoRaHS
- Coordinates
- 35.699, -78.609
A total rainfall of 3.64 inches was measured in Garner.
Heavy Rain, Wake
- When
- September 23, 5:00 PM EST
- Where
- Wake County, 1.8 mi S of Garner
- Reported by
- CoCoRaHS
- Coordinates
- 35.694, -78.620
A total rainfall of 3.54 inches was measured at Garner.
Heavy Rain, Wake
- When
- September 23, 5:00 PM EST
- Where
- Wake County, 0.56 mi WSW of Raleigh Arpt
- Reported by
- Mesonet
- Coordinates
- 35.728, -78.680
A total rainfall of 3.48 inches was measured at the Lake Wheeler Road Field Lab ECONet station in Raleigh.
- Flash Flood
- Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.
- Heavy Rain
- Rainfall totals unusual for the place and season that did not produce a flood.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
- Heat in Texas, September 23 to 24, 202321 injured · 38 events
- Flash Flooding and Hail in Oklahoma, September 23 to 24, 2023$740,000 · 3.85 in hail · 32 events
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Missouri, September 23, 2023$155,000 · 1 in hail · 25 events
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Oklahoma, September 23, 2023$97,000 · 3.25 in hail · 25 events
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Missouri, September 23, 20232.5 in hail · 38 events
- Heat in Oklahoma, September 23, 202318 events
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Kansas, September 23, 20232.5 in hail · 9 events
- Coastal Flood in Virginia, September 23, 20236 events
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Nebraska, September 23, 20232 in hail · 6 events
- Flash Flooding in Virginia, September 23, 20236 events
- Hail in Nebraska, September 23, 20231.25 in hail · 4 events
- Coastal Flood in New Jersey, September 23, 20234 events
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: 1142389, 1142373, 1142385, 1142378, 1142402, 1142396, 1142406, 1142412, 1142422, 1142424, 1142426, 1142421, 1142423, 1142429, 1142427, 1142428, 1142430, 1142431.