North Carolina, 2010

Damaging Winds in North Carolina, July 20, 2010

July 20, 2010 · NWS RNK · 7 events in 2 counties and zones

Warm and moist air ahead of a cold front in the Ohio Valley combined with an upper level low pressure system to spark scattered severe thunderstorms across|northwest North Carolina.

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
$14,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
7

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.

Warm and moist air ahead of a cold front in the Ohio Valley combined with an upper level low pressure system to spark scattered severe thunderstorms across|northwest North Carolina.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Blacksburg, VA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 20, 1:56 PM EST, 1 hour 39 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 20, 1:56 PM EST, 1 hour 39 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 20, 1:03 PM EST, 2 hours 32 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
203 PM EDT TUE JUL 20 2010

NCZ001>003-018-019-VAZ007-009>020-022>024-032>035-WVZ042>045-211815-
ASHE-ALLEGHANY NC-SURRY-WATAUGA-WILKES-TAZEWELL-SMYTH-BLAND-GILES-
WYTHE-PULASKI-MONTGOMERY-GRAYSON-CARROLL-FLOYD-CRAIG-ALLEGHANY VA-
BATH-ROANOKE-BOTETOURT-ROCKBRIDGE-PATRICK-FRANKLIN-BEDFORD-AMHERST-
MERCER-SUMMERS-MONROE-GREENBRIER-
203 PM EDT TUE JUL 20 2010

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 502 IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS
EVENING...

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH CENTRAL NORTH
CAROLINA...NORTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA...CENTRAL VIRGINIA...SOUTH
CENTRAL VIRGINIA...SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA...WEST CENTRAL VIRGINIA AND
SOUTHEAST WEST VIRGINIA.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE
INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS.

   SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH.

THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND
EVENING. THE PRIMARY THREAT FROM ANY SEVERE STORMS IS DAMAGING
WINDS. VERY HEAVY RAIN IS ALSO LIKELY WITH ANY OF THE STORMS
TODAY.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY.

THUNDERSTORMS COULD BE SEVERE AND MAY PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND GUSTS
WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. NUMEROUS STORMS MOVING OVER THE SAME AREA
MAY LEAD TO FLASH FLOODING.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER
CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.

NCZ004>006-020-VAZ043>047-058-059-211815-
STOKES-ROCKINGHAM-CASWELL-YADKIN-HENRY-PITTSYLVANIA-CAMPBELL-
APPOMATTOX-BUCKINGHAM-HALIFAX-CHARLOTTE-
203 PM EDT TUE JUL 20 2010

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 502 IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS
EVENING...

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH CENTRAL NORTH
CAROLINA...NORTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA...CENTRAL VIRGINIA AND SOUTH
CENTRAL VIRGINIA.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE
INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS.

   SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH.

THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND
EVENING. THE PRIMARY THREAT FROM ANY SEVERE STORMS IS DAMAGING
WINDS. VERY HEAVY RAIN IS ALSO LIKELY WITH ANY OF THE STORMS
TODAY.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY.

THUNDERSTORMS COULD BE SEVERE AND MAY PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND GUSTS
WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. NUMEROUS STORMS MOVING OVER THE SAME AREA
MAY LEAD TO FLASH FLOODING.

ON SATURDAY...THE COMBINATION OF THE TEMPERATURE AND HUMIDITY MAY CAUSE
THE HEAT INDEX TO BE BETWEEN 105 AND 108 DEGREES FOR A FEW HOURS
LATE IN THE AFTERNOON.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER
CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 20, 2:06 PM EST, 1 hour 29 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Jul 20, 2:12 PM EST, 1 hour 23 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Jul 20, 2:25 PM EST, 1 hour 10 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Jul 20, 2:32 PM EST, 1 hour 3 minutes before
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Local storm report, Jul 20, 2:54 PM EST, 41 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Jul 20, 3:20 PM EST, 15 minutes before
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The radar

The Roanoke radar (KFCX), 83 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:34 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

7 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Rockingham

When
July 20, 3:35 PM EST
Where
Rockingham County, 1.31 mi ENE of Wentworth
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$700
Reported by
Law Enforcement
Coordinates
36.410, -79.750

Thunderstorm winds blew a tree down on Route 87.

Thunderstorm Wind, Rockingham

When
July 20, 3:58 PM EST
Where
Rockingham County, 0.69 mi N of Pennrington
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$700
Reported by
Law Enforcement
Coordinates
36.410, -79.630

One Tree was blown down by thunderstorm winds on Oregon Hill Road.

Thunderstorm Wind, Rockingham

When
July 20, 4:00 PM EST
Where
Rockingham County, 1.67 mi W of Lawsonville
Measured
65 kt (75 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
36.400, -79.600

A microburst with winds estimated to be over 70 MPH, blew down 29 trees|around the Narrow Gauge Road exit of Route 29.

Thunderstorm Wind, Caswell

When
July 20, 4:20 PM EST
Where
Caswell County, 0.89 mi NE of Park Spg
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$700
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
36.490, -79.390

One tree was blown down by thunderstorm winds on Park Springs Road.

Thunderstorm Wind, Caswell

When
July 20, 4:23 PM EST
Where
Caswell County, 1.38 mi N of Topnot
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$700
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
36.390, -79.270

One tree was blown down on Wilbur Webster Road.

Thunderstorm Wind, Caswell

When
July 20, 4:25 PM EST
Where
Caswell County, 0.89 mi SW of Anderson
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$700
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
36.260, -79.360

One tree was blown down on Kerrs Chapel Road.

Thunderstorm Wind, Caswell

When
July 20, 4:30 PM EST
Where
Caswell County, 2.33 mi ESE of Fitch
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$700
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
36.320, -79.290

One tree was blown down by thunderstorm winds on Burton Chapel Road.

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.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in North Carolina in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in North Carolina, July 2010

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: 243141, 243142, 243143, 243145, 243146, 243147, 243148.