North Carolina, 2024

Hail and Damaging Winds in North Carolina, May 8, 2024

May 8, 2024 · NWS ILM · 10 events in 3 counties and zones

Steep lapse rates aloft and the warmest temperatures of the year helped develop strong instability with SBCAPE 2500-3000 J/kg and LIs down to -8. Thunderstorms developed in associated with a shortwave moving over the southern Appalachians early in the afternoon.

Where it happened

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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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
10

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.

Steep lapse rates aloft and the warmest temperatures of the year helped develop strong instability with SBCAPE 2500-3000 J/kg and LIs down to -8. Thunderstorms developed in associated with a shortwave moving over the southern Appalachians early in the afternoon. These storms raced eastward and were joined by new convection developing across the coastal plain in the late afternoon. Multicellular convection dominated with transient super cellular characteristics noted due to 0-6 km shear up to 40kt. Large hail and damaging winds resulted. Training cells in Lumberton dropped over 4 inches of rain and led to minor street flooding there.

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 May 8, 2:32 PM EST, 1 hour 53 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 8, 2:32 PM EST, 1 hour 53 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, May 8, 2:35 PM EST, 1 hour 50 minutes before
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In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 8, 3:55 PM EST, 30 minutes before
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Special weather statement, May 8, 4:06 PM EST, 19 minutes before
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The radar

The Wilmington radar (KLTX), 107 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:26 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 thunderstorm wind, 4 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Robeson

When
May 8, 4:25 PM EST
Where
Robeson County, 2.15 mi SSW of Red Banks
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
State Official
Coordinates
34.670, -79.260

Trees down across Old Baker Road.

Hail, Robeson

When
May 8, 4:54 PM EST
Where
Robeson County, 2.76 mi S of Lumberton
Measured
1.75 in hail
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
34.580, -79.000

Golf ball sized hail on Alamac Road.

Hail, Columbus

When
May 8, 5:16 PM EST
Where
Columbus County, 2.15 mi NNW of Armour
Measured
1.75 in hail
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
34.380, -78.280

Golf ball sized hail near the intersection of NC Highway 11 and NC Highway 87.

Hail, Robeson

When
May 8, 5:29 PM EST
Where
Robeson County, 2.19 mi SW of Moss Neck
Measured
1.75 in hail
Reported by
Fire Department/Rescue
Coordinates
34.650, -79.160

Golf ball sized hail on Chicken Road reported by Pembroke rescue squad.

Thunderstorm Wind, Robeson

When
May 8, 6:05 PM EST
Where
Robeson County, 0.69 mi S of Powers
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
34.670, -78.980

Large tree down in the intersection of Bee Gee Road and Meadow Road. There were also reports of widespread tree limbs down in the area.

Thunderstorm Wind, Bladen

When
May 8, 6:09 PM EST
Where
Bladen County, 2.07 mi N of Duart
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
34.830, -78.800

Tree down at intersection of Pine Tree Road and River Road.

Hail, Columbus

When
May 8, 6:10 PM EST
Where
Columbus County, 1.14 mi W of Delco
Measured
1.75 in hail
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
34.320, -78.240

Golf ball sized hail just west of the intersection between NC Highway 87 and US Highways 74/76.

Thunderstorm Wind, Bladen

When
May 8, 6:14 PM EST
Where
Bladen County, 2.68 mi SW of Dublin
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
34.620, -78.750

Tree down at 3023 NC Highway 410.

Thunderstorm Wind, Bladen

When
May 8, 6:17 PM EST
Where
Bladen County, 2.68 mi SW of Dublin
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
34.620, -78.750

Tree down at the intersection of NC Highway 410 and Pleasant Grove Church Road.

Thunderstorm Wind, Bladen

When
May 8, 6:27 PM EST
Where
Bladen County, 2.36 mi SSW of Ammon
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
34.770, -78.600

Tree down near intersection of Gum Spring Road and NC Highway 242.

What these are

Thunderstorm Wind
Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in North Carolina in 2024Every state in 2024This day in weather historyWarnings in North Carolina, May 2024

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: 1173143, 1173112, 1173138, 1173139, 1173144, 1173145, 1173142, 1173146, 1173147, 1173150.