Severe thunderstorms roll across region; some damage reported in Corolla

Tree damage at The Currituck Club in Corolla caused by severe thunderstorms on Aug. 1, 2021. [photo courtesy Nicholas Xiques]

Some tree damage and power outages have been reported from severe thunderstorms that rolled across northeastern North Carolina during the day Sunday, with strong wind gusts in excess of 60 mph, frequent lightning and heavy rainfall.

Multiple tornado warnings were issued with the storms between 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. in the region as National Weather Service radar indicated possible rotation happening within the strongest thunderstorms.

Spotters also confirmed seeing rotation, but no touchdowns have been confirmed as of Sunday evening.

According to reports to the weather service, a waterspout was reported in the Currituck Sound about one mile east of Waterlily around 12 p.m., while a trained spotter reported a wall cloud over the Currituck Sound at 12:12 p.m.

A tree was knocked downed on Waterlily Road in Coinjock just before noon, several trees were downed around The Currituck Club in Corolla, and some branches were knocked down in uptown Nags Head around 1:20 p.m. No structural damage has been reported so far.

Scattered power outages were also reported on mainland Currituck County around mid-afternoon due to lightning strikes.

An areal flood advisory was issued Sunday afternoon due to heavy rainfall in Currituck, Camden, Pasquotank counties. OBX Today’s WxFlow sensor in Waterlily recorded 4.45 inches of rain between 12 and 1 p.m., a sustained wind of 31 mph and a peak wind gust of 39 mph at 12:09 p.m.

As the storms grew in intensity and started drifting south, a severe thunderstorm watch was issued for areas along and south of the Albemarle Sound, the Dare beaches and Ocracoke until 8 p.m.

Wind gusts of 60 mph were recorded by a WxFlow buoy just off Nags Head at 1:21 p.m., and 62 mph by a WxFlow sensor in Waves at 4:57 p.m.

Rainfall amounts reported to the National Weather Service through Monday, 12 p.m.:

…DARE COUNTY…
KILL DEVIL HILLS 2.2 NNW 1.63 IN 0700 AM 08/02 COCORAHS
FRISCO (HSE ASOS) 1.56 IN 1051 AM 08/02 ASOS
KILL DEVIL HILLS (FFA AWOS) 1.17 IN 1115 AM 08/02 AWOS
BUXTON 0.3 ENE 1.02 IN 0910 AM 08/02 COCORAHS
SOUTHERN SHORES 0.5 NNE 0.95 IN 0700 AM 08/02 COCORAHS
DUCK 0.80 IN 0700 AM 08/02 COCORAHS
RODANTHE 0.6 N 0.60 IN 0745 AM 08/02 CWOP
RODANTHE 1.0 SSE 0.60 IN 0700 AM 08/02 COCORAHS
BUXTON 0.7 SE 0.59 IN 1100 AM 08/02 CWOP
FRISCO 0.3 SW 0.57 IN 1100 AM 08/02 CWOP
NAGS HEAD 0.2 NW 0.50 IN 0800 AM 08/02 COCORAHS
DARE CO GNRY RAN (2DP AWOS) 0.47 IN 1056 AM 08/02 AWOS
DARE BOMB RANGE RAWS 0.44 IN 1028 AM 08/02 RAWS
NAGS HEAD 0.5 ESE 0.33 IN 0700 AM 08/02 COCORAHS

…HYDE COUNTY…
SWAN QUARTER FERRY TERMINAL 1.99 IN 0800 AM 08/02 COOP
FAIRFIELD RAWS 1.16 IN 1017 AM 08/02 RAWS
OCRACOKE 0.2 ESE 0.95 IN 0800 AM 08/02 COCORAHS
ENGELHARD 0.8 NW 0.51 IN 0700 AM 08/02 COCORAHS
ENGELHARD (7W6 AWOS) 0.41 IN 1055 AM 08/02 AWOS
OCRACOKE LIGHTHOUSE 0.41 IN 1025 AM 08/02 HADS

…TYRRELL COUNTY…
GUM NECK (COOP) 2.03 IN 0600 AM 08/02 COOP
COLUMBIA 0.8 NNE 0.70 IN 0700 AM 08/02 COCORAHS
COLUMBIA 0.22 IN 1025 AM 08/02 HADS

…WASHINGTON COUNTY…
POCOSIN LAKES RAWS 0.91 IN 1017 AM 08/02 RAWS
ROPER 9.8 ENE 0.77 IN 1100 AM 08/02 CWOP
ROPER 2.4 NE 0.58 IN 0700 AM 08/02 COCORAHS

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Sam Walker was news director for OBXToday.com, Beach 104, 99.1 The Sound, Big 94.5 WCMS and Z 92.3 from August 2011 to March 2022.