North Carolina, 1997

Hail and Lightning Strike in North Carolina, June 2, 1997

June 2, 1997 · NWS GSP · 8 events in 5 counties and zones

Severe weather carried over from the morning in the foothills and into the piedmont, and developed in the mountains. Large hail caused much (although unknown dollar amounts) damage.

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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
1
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
8

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 weather carried over from the morning in the foothills and into the piedmont, and developed in the mountains. Large hail caused much (although unknown dollar amounts) damage. The storms were quite slow moving, especially around Asheville and near Hendersonville, and caused hail for some time. In the city of Shelby, a man was struck and injured by lightning while mowing.

The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 84 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 17:00 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

7 hail, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Buncombe

When
June 2, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Buncombe County, Candler
Measured
1 in hail
Coordinates
35.530, -82.700

Hail, Mecklenburg

When
June 2, 12:20 PM EST to 12:30 PM EST
Where
Mecklenburg County, 5 mi SE of Charlotte
Measured
0.88 in hail
Coordinates
35.180, -80.780

Hail, Mecklenburg

When
June 2, 12:25 PM EST to 12:35 PM EST
Where
Mecklenburg County, Charlotte
Measured
1.75 in hail
Coordinates
35.230, -80.850

Hail, Buncombe

When
June 2, 1:28 PM EST to 1:38 PM EST
Where
Buncombe County, 7 mi S of Asheville
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
35.500, -82.570

Hail, Rutherford

When
June 2, 1:30 PM EST to 1:40 PM EST
Where
Rutherford County, Sunshine
Measured
0.75 in hail
Coordinates
35.450, -81.820

Hail, Buncombe

When
June 2, 1:51 PM EST to 2:01 PM EST
Where
Buncombe County, 7 mi S of Asheville
Measured
0.88 in hail
Coordinates
35.500, -82.570

Lightning, Cleveland

When
June 2, 3:00 PM EST
Where
Cleveland County, Shelby
Injuries
1 direct, 0 indirect
Coordinates
35.334, -81.556 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hail, Henderson

When
June 2, 3:15 PM EST to 3:25 PM EST
Where
Henderson County, 2 mi W of Fletcher
Measured
1 in hail
Coordinates
35.430, -82.550

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.

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

The same day elsewhere

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: 5603303, 5603304, 5603305, 5603306, 5603307, 5603308, 5603309, 5603310.