North Carolina, 2000

Hail and Damaging Winds in North Carolina, April 17, 2000

April 17, 2000 · NWS GSP · 11 events in 5 counties and zones

Thunderstorms erupted in the afternoon and evening across western North Carolina. Several clusters of storms became severe and produced hail ranging in size from dimes to golf balls.

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
None recorded
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.

Thunderstorms erupted in the afternoon and evening across western North Carolina. Several clusters of storms became severe and produced hail ranging in size from dimes to golf balls. The general public in Linville was quoted as saying the hailstorm was the worst ever seen due to the amount that covered the ground. Golf ball size hail dimpled cars in Waxhaw. Some damaging straight-line winds occurred as well with one tree falling on a car in Mecklenburg county and several trees downed in Waxhaw.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

9 hail, 2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, McDowell

When
April 17, 2:23 PM EST
Where
McDowell County, Nebo
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
35.717, -81.933

Hail, McDowell

When
April 17, 2:36 PM EST
Where
McDowell County, Marion
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
35.683, -82.017

Hail, Avery

When
April 17, 3:55 PM EST to 4:05 PM EST
Where
Avery County, Linville
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
36.083, -81.867

Thunderstorm Wind, Mecklenburg

When
April 17, 4:30 PM EST
Where
Mecklenburg County, Countywide
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
35.267, -80.783

Hail, Union

When
April 17, 6:32 PM EST
Where
Union County, 6 mi E of Mineral Spg
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
34.933, -80.567

Hail, Union

When
April 17, 6:58 PM EST
Where
Union County, 10 mi NW of Monroe
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
35.083, -80.700

Hail, Rowan

When
April 17, 7:16 PM EST
Where
Rowan County, 7 mi W of Salisbury
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
35.667, -80.617

Hail, Union

When
April 17, 7:55 PM EST to 7:57 PM EST
Where
Union County, Waxhaw
Measured
0.88 in hail
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
34.917, -80.750

Hail, Union

When
April 17, 8:06 PM EST
Where
Union County, Waxhaw
Measured
1.75 in hail
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
34.917, -80.750

Thunderstorm Wind, Union

When
April 17, 8:08 PM EST
Where
Union County, Waxhaw
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
34.917, -80.750

Hail, Mecklenburg

When
April 17, 8:09 PM EST
Where
Mecklenburg County, Pineville
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
35.083, -80.900

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 2000Every state in 2000This day in weather historyWarnings in North Carolina, April 2000

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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5141725, 5141726, 5141727, 5141728, 5141729, 5141730, 5141731, 5141732, 5141733, 5141818, 5141819.