Thunderstorm Wind, Transylvania
- When
- June 2, 4:00 AM EST to 4:15 AM EST
- Where
- Transylvania County, Connestee to Cedar Mtn
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph)
- Coordinates
- 35.180, -82.750
Hail and Damaging Winds in North Carolina, June 2, 1997
Severe thunderstorms moved in from Upstate South Carolina during the early morning hours becoming more widespread across portions of western North Carolina. Large and damaging hail occurred in many locations, and a number of places were affected by two or three different storms.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 2 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
- $2.1 million
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 21
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 moved in from Upstate South Carolina during the early morning hours becoming more widespread across portions of western North Carolina. Large and damaging hail occurred in many locations, and a number of places were affected by two or three different storms. The hail caused extensive damage and the dollar total will no doubt end up in the millions for both property and crop damage. The counties which were hit hardest were McDowell and Rutherford. At one car dealership in Marion the damage reached $500 thousand quickly. At least one insurance company set up a disaster center to process claims involving many cars and roofs which were hail damaged. Only one downburst was known to have occurred and resulted in trees downed across Highway 221 north of Rutherfordton. At Tryon, an historic house and contents including some antiques, burned to the ground. Lightning at Newton struck several residences, causing fire damage.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
17 hail, 2 thunderstorm wind, 2 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Hail, Polk
- When
- June 2, 4:30 AM EST to 4:40 AM EST
- Where
- Polk County, Columbus
- Measured
- 0.75 in hail
- Coordinates
- 35.250, -82.200
Hail, McDowell
- When
- June 2, 5:02 AM EST to 5:12 AM EST
- Where
- McDowell County, 2 mi S of Marion
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Coordinates
- 35.650, -82.020
Hail, McDowell
- When
- June 2, 5:23 AM EST to 5:33 AM EST
- Where
- McDowell County, Marion
- Measured
- 2 in hail
- Property damage
- $2.0 million
- Coordinates
- 35.680, -82.020
Hail, Rutherford
- When
- June 2, 5:30 AM EST to 5:45 AM EST
- Where
- Rutherford County, Rutherfordton to 5 mi SE of Rutherfordton
- Measured
- 2 in hail
- Coordinates
- 35.300, -81.970
Hail, Rutherford
- When
- June 2, 5:45 AM EST to 5:55 AM EST
- Where
- Rutherford County, Forest City
- Measured
- 2 in hail
- Coordinates
- 35.330, -81.880
Thunderstorm Wind, Rutherford
- When
- June 2, 6:00 AM EST
- Where
- Rutherford County, Union Mills
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph)
- Coordinates
- 35.480, -81.970
Lightning, Polk
- When
- June 2, 6:00 AM EST
- Where
- Polk County, Tryon
- Property damage
- $100,000
- Coordinates
- 35.279, -82.170 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Hail, Rutherford
- When
- June 2, 6:10 AM EST to 6:20 AM EST
- Where
- Rutherford County, Forest City
- Measured
- 0.75 in hail
- Coordinates
- 35.330, -81.880
Hail, Burke
- When
- June 2, 6:14 AM EST to 6:24 AM EST
- Where
- Burke County, Morganton
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Coordinates
- 35.750, -81.700
Hail, Burke
- When
- June 2, 6:35 AM EST to 6:45 AM EST
- Where
- Burke County, Morganton
- Measured
- 0.88 in hail
- Coordinates
- 35.750, -81.700
Hail, Caldwell
- When
- June 2, 6:45 AM EST to 6:55 AM EST
- Where
- Caldwell County, Baton
- Measured
- 0.75 in hail
- Coordinates
- 35.820, -81.530
Hail, Burke
- When
- June 2, 6:52 AM EST to 7:02 AM EST
- Where
- Burke County, 10 mi NW of Morganton
- Measured
- 1.75 in hail
- Coordinates
- 35.850, -81.830
Hail, Avery
- When
- June 2, 7:00 AM EST to 7:10 AM EST
- Where
- Avery County, Hughes
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Coordinates
- 36.070, -81.970
Hail, Caldwell
- When
- June 2, 7:00 AM EST to 7:10 AM EST
- Where
- Caldwell County, Lenoir
- Measured
- 0.75 in hail
- Coordinates
- 35.920, -81.550
Hail, Burke
- When
- June 2, 7:15 AM EST to 7:25 AM EST
- Where
- Burke County, 5 mi W of Morganton
- Measured
- 0.75 in hail
- Coordinates
- 35.750, -81.780
Hail, Cleveland
- When
- June 2, 7:15 AM EST to 7:25 AM EST
- Where
- Cleveland County, Casar
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Coordinates
- 35.520, -81.630
Hail, Catawba
- When
- June 2, 8:20 AM EST to 8:30 AM EST
- Where
- Catawba County, Hickory
- Measured
- 0.88 in hail
- Coordinates
- 35.730, -81.320
Hail, Caldwell
- When
- June 2, 8:24 AM EST to 8:34 AM EST
- Where
- Caldwell County, Lenoir
- Measured
- 0.75 in hail
- Coordinates
- 35.920, -81.550
Hail, Catawba
- When
- June 2, 9:00 AM EST to 9:10 AM EST
- Where
- Catawba County, Hickory
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Coordinates
- 35.730, -81.320
Lightning, Catawba
- When
- June 2, 9:00 AM EST
- Where
- Catawba County, Newton
- Property damage
- $15,000
- Coordinates
- 35.663, -81.214 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
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.
- Lightning
- A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Flash Flooding and Hail in Nebraska, June 2 to 4, 1997
- Flash Flood and Flood in South Dakota, June 2, 1997
- Flash Flooding and Hail in West Virginia, June 2, 1997
- Flood in Ohio, June 2 to 4, 1997
- Flash Flood in Pennsylvania, June 2, 1997
- Flood in Ohio, June 2 to 3, 1997
- Flash Flooding and Hail in Virginia, June 2, 1997
- Flash Flooding and Hail in Ohio, June 2, 1997
- Flood and Hail in Colorado, June 2 to 6, 1997
- Flood in Ohio, June 2 to 4, 1997
- Hail and Lightning Strike in North Carolina, June 2, 1997
- Hail and Damaging Winds in South Carolina, June 2, 1997
More
Every storm in North Carolina in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in North Carolina, June 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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5603179, 5603180, 5603181, 5603182, 5603183, 5603184, 5603185, 5603186, 5603187, 5603188, 5603189, 5603190, 5603191, 5603192, 5603193, 5603194, 5603195, 5603196, 5603197, 5603301, 5603302.