Thunderstorm Wind, Rowan
- When
- July 15, 2:00 PM EST
- Where
- Rowan County, Liberty
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph)
- Coordinates
- 35.580, -80.350
Hail and Damaging Wind in North Carolina, July 15, 1997
Thunderstorms developed in the foothills and western piedmont of North Carolina during the afternoon. A couple became severe producing damaging winds which downed trees in Rowan county and large hail on the east side of Hickory.
Where it happened
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.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 3
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 GSP wrote it up.
Thunderstorms developed in the foothills and western piedmont of North Carolina during the afternoon. A couple became severe producing damaging winds which downed trees in Rowan county and large hail on the east side of Hickory. Persistent lightning in Cabarrus county resulted in countywide power outages for 4 hours.
The radar
The Roanoke radar (KFCX), 161 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:01 UTC.
Event by event
1 thunderstorm wind, 1 lightning, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Lightning, Cabarrus
- When
- July 15, 3:00 PM EST to 7:00 PM EST
- Where
- Cabarrus County, Countywide
- Coordinates
- 35.387, -80.552 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Hail, Catawba
- When
- July 15, 6:25 PM EST
- Where
- Catawba County, Hickory
- Measured
- 0.88 in hail
- Coordinates
- 35.730, -81.320
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.
- Lightning
- A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.
- 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
- Wildfire in Utah, July 15 to 20, 1997
- Flash Flood in Vermont, July 15 to 16, 1997
- Flash Flood and Hail in New York, July 15, 1997
- Flash Flood in Vermont, July 15 to 16, 1997
- Flash Flood in Vermont, July 15 to 16, 1997
- Flash Flood in Vermont, July 15 to 16, 1997
- Flash Flood in Vermont, July 15 to 16, 1997
- Flash Flood in Vermont, July 15 to 16, 1997
- Flash Flood in Vermont, July 15 to 16, 1997
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Georgia, July 15, 1997
- Damaging Wind and Lightning Strike in South Carolina, July 15, 1997
- Damaging Winds in New York, July 15, 1997
More
Every storm in North Carolina in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in North Carolina, July 1997
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: 5609120, 5609121, 5609122.