North Carolina, 1999

Flood and Hail in North Carolina, August 20, 1999

August 20, 1999 · NWS RNK · 9 events in 4 counties and zones

Thunderstorm winds downed trees onto Route 88 in both Creston and Wagoner, and onto the Pleasant Home Road in Sparta. Heavy thunderstorm rain produced minor street flooding in West Jefferson.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 3 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
0
Property damage
$25,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
9

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 RNK wrote it up.

Thunderstorms during the early morning of the 20th produced urban flooding, damaging winds, damaging lightning, and hail up to dime size.Thunderstorm winds downed trees onto Route 88 in both Creston and Wagoner, and onto the Pleasant Home Road in Sparta. Trees were also downed in McGrady.Dime size hail completely covered the ground in Laurel Springs.Heavy thunderstorm rain produced minor street flooding in West Jefferson. Lightning struck a house in Jonesboro, starting a fire that destroyed an attic containing antiques, as well destroying a bedroom. Lightning also struck a woodshop in Booneville, starting a fire that destroyed the woodshop.

The radar

The Roanoke radar (KFCX), 127 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 05:23 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

4 thunderstorm wind, 2 hail, 2 lightning, 1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Ashe

When
August 20, 12:23 AM EST
Where
Ashe County, Jefferson
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
36.420, -81.480

Flood, Ashe

When
August 20, 12:25 AM EST to 1:00 AM EST
Where
Ashe County, West Jefferson
Reported by
UNKNOWN
Coordinates
36.434, -81.500 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Hail, Alleghany

When
August 20, 1:10 AM EST
Where
Alleghany County, Laurel Spgs
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
36.420, -81.270

Thunderstorm Wind, Alleghany

When
August 20, 1:15 AM EST
Where
Alleghany County, Sparta
Reported by
UNKNOWN
Coordinates
36.500, -81.130

Thunderstorm Wind, Ashe

When
August 20, 1:23 AM EST
Where
Ashe County, Creston
Reported by
UNKNOWN
Coordinates
36.430, -81.620

Thunderstorm Wind, Wilkes

When
August 20, 1:30 AM EST
Where
Wilkes County, McGrady
Reported by
DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
Coordinates
36.330, -81.230

Thunderstorm Wind, Ashe

When
August 20, 2:10 AM EST
Where
Ashe County, Wagoner
Reported by
UNKNOWN
Coordinates
36.400, -81.400

Lightning, Yadkin

When
August 20, 3:45 AM EST
Where
Yadkin County, Jonesville
Property damage
$20,000
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
36.161, -80.665 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lightning, Yadkin

When
August 20, 4:00 AM EST
Where
Yadkin County, Boonville
Property damage
$5,000
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
36.161, -80.665 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Flood
Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.
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.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in North Carolina in 1999Every state in 1999This day in weather historyWarnings in North Carolina, August 1999

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: 5713636, 5713637, 5713728, 5713729, 5713638, 5713730, 5713727, 5713731, 5713732.