North Carolina, 1999

Hail and Damaging Winds in North Carolina, May 7, 1999

May 7, 1999 · NWS GSP · 11 events in 7 counties and zones

Strong to severe thunderstorms developed for the second day in a row across the mountains and produced more wind damage and large hail. Dime to half dollar size hail was reported.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. 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
$10,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
11

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.

Strong to severe thunderstorms developed for the second day in a row across the mountains and produced more wind damage and large hail. Dime to half dollar size hail was reported. Winds between 58 and 69 mph downed many trees, some across roads. A particularly violent wind gust in Roaring Creek smashed patio furniture, damaged the roof of a home, blew out vents from underpinning, and cracked blocks on the corner of a building. In addition, a mudslide occurred on old US Highway 64, six miles west of Franklin in Macon county.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 hail, 5 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Graham

When
May 7, 2:36 PM EST
Where
Graham County, Robbinsville
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
35.330, -83.820

Thunderstorm Wind, Swain

When
May 7, 3:05 PM EST
Where
Swain County, 1 mi SE of Wesser
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
35.330, -83.580

Hail, Swain

When
May 7, 3:09 PM EST
Where
Swain County, 1 mi W of Bryson City
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
35.430, -83.470

Thunderstorm Wind, Buncombe

When
May 7, 4:40 PM EST
Where
Buncombe County, 2 mi E of Leicester
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
35.650, -82.670

Thunderstorm Wind, Jackson

When
May 7, 4:50 PM EST
Where
Jackson County, Balsam
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by
DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
Coordinates
35.430, -83.100

Hail, Buncombe

When
May 7, 6:22 PM EST
Where
Buncombe County, Asheville
Measured
0.88 in hail
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
35.600, -82.570

Hail, Buncombe

When
May 7, 6:26 PM EST
Where
Buncombe County, Asheville
Measured
1.25 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
35.600, -82.570

Hail, Buncombe

When
May 7, 6:29 PM EST
Where
Buncombe County, 5 mi E of Asheville
Measured
1.25 in hail
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
35.600, -82.480

Thunderstorm Wind, Caldwell

When
May 7, 7:10 PM EST
Where
Caldwell County, 10 mi NE of Patterson
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
36.100, -81.430

Thunderstorm Wind, Avery

When
May 7, 7:30 PM EST
Where
Avery County, Roaring Creek
Measured
60 kt (69 mph)
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
36.070, -82.020

Hail, Macon

When
May 7, 7:34 PM EST
Where
Macon County, Otto
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
35.070, -83.380

What these are

Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
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

More

Every storm in North Carolina in 1999Every state in 1999This day in weather historyWarnings in North Carolina, May 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: 5697801, 5697802, 5697803, 5697804, 5697805, 5697810, 5697811, 5697806, 5697807, 5697808, 5697809.