Hail and Damaging Winds in North Carolina, July 16, 1997

Name: Hail and Damaging Winds in North Carolina, July 16, 1997
Start: 1997-07-16T11:50
End: 1997-07-16T16:39
Location: North Carolina

July 16, 1997 · NWS GSP · 17 events in 9 counties and zones

Severe thunderstorms developed mainly in the foothills of North Carolina during the afternoon. Damaging winds up to 75 mph downed trees and power lines.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 4 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $100,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 17

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.

Severe thunderstorms developed mainly in the foothills of North Carolina during the afternoon. Damaging winds up to 75 mph downed trees and power lines. U.S. Highway 74 in Henderson county was blocked for 2 hours due to a large oak tree that fell across the road. Another large tree in Cleveland county fell onto 2 pickup trucks, totalling them. Three houses were damaged by fallen trees, a car was damaged by a collapsed convenience store canopy and trees blocked roads near Indian Trail. Power outages were scattered across the region, some due to lightning. Up to 4300 people were without power in Union county.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

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

Hail, Caldwell

When: July 16, 11:50 AM EST
Where: Caldwell County, Globe
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 36.050, -81.700

Lightning, Catawba

When: July 16, 1:00 PM EST
Where: Catawba County, Hickory
Property damage: $50,000
Coordinates: 35.663, -81.214 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lightning struck a house, sparking a fire which caused significant damage.

Thunderstorm Wind, Alexander

When: July 16, 1:25 PM EST
Where: Alexander County, 5 mi NW of Taylorsville
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Coordinates: 35.980, -81.230

Hail, Catawba

When: July 16, 1:40 PM EST
Where: Catawba County, Hickory
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 35.730, -81.320

Thunderstorm Wind, Henderson

When: July 16, 1:50 PM EST
Where: Henderson County, Bat Cave
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Coordinates: 35.450, -82.280

Thunderstorm Wind, Rutherford

When: July 16, 2:00 PM EST to 2:10 PM EST
Where: Rutherford County, Chimney Rock to Lake Lure
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Coordinates: 35.430, -82.250

Lightning, Catawba

When: July 16, 2:15 PM EST
Where: Catawba County, Hickory
Property damage: $5,000
Coordinates: 35.663, -81.214 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lightning struck the roof of an apartment building and travelled into a bathroom.

Hail, Cleveland

When: July 16, 2:41 PM EST
Where: Cleveland County, Earl
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 35.200, -81.530

Thunderstorm Wind, Cleveland

When: July 16, 2:55 PM EST
Where: Cleveland County, 2 mi E of Shelby
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Property damage: $10,000
Coordinates: 35.300, -81.520

Hail, Cleveland

When: July 16, 2:55 PM EST
Where: Cleveland County, 2 mi E of Shelby
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 35.300, -81.520

Thunderstorm Wind, Cleveland

When: July 16, 3:10 PM EST
Where: Cleveland County, Grover
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Coordinates: 35.170, -81.450

Hail, Madison

When: July 16, 3:30 PM EST
Where: Madison County, 6 mi N of Mars Hill
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 35.920, -82.530

Thunderstorm Wind, Gaston

When: July 16, 3:40 PM EST
Where: Gaston County, 6 mi S of Gastonia
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Coordinates: 35.180, -81.180

Lightning, Rutherford

When: July 16, 4:00 PM EST
Where: Rutherford County, Union Mills
Coordinates: 35.402, -81.920 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lightning, Rutherford

When: July 16, 4:15 PM EST
Where: Rutherford County, Ellenboro
Coordinates: 35.402, -81.920 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A mobile home was destroyed by lightning in Union Mills and a home severely damaged by lightning in Ellenboro. Damage estimates are unknown.

Thunderstorm Wind, Union

When: July 16, 4:39 PM EST
Where: Union County, 3 mi N of Indian Trail
Measured: 75 kt (86 mph)
Property damage: $35,000
Coordinates: 35.130, -80.680

Hail, Union

When: July 16, 4:39 PM EST
Where: Union County, 3 mi N of Indian Trail
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 35.130, -80.680

What these are

Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Lightning: A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.
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.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in North Carolina in 1997 Every state in 1997 This day in weather history Warnings 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: 5609123, 5609223, 5609124, 5609125, 5609126, 5609127, 5609224, 5609215, 5609216, 5609217, 5609218, 5609219, 5609220, 5609128, 5609129, 5609221, 5609222.