North Carolina, 2010

Damaging Wind and Lightning Strike in North Carolina, July 27, 2010

July 27, 2010 · NWS RNK · 2 events in 1 county or zone

A weak front stalled across the southern Appalachians and the Carolinas which provided a focus for showers and thunderstorms. One storm reached severe levels causing trees to be blown down.

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
2

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.

A weak front stalled across the southern Appalachians and the Carolinas which provided a focus for showers and thunderstorms. One storm reached severe levels causing trees to be blown down.

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 27, 6:07 PM EST, 2 hours 53 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 27, 6:07 PM EST, 2 hours 53 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 27, 6:17 PM EST, 2 hours 43 minutes before
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In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 27, 4:25 PM EST, 4 hours 35 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Jul 27, 5:36 PM EST, 3 hours 24 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Jul 27, 6:07 PM EST, 2 hours 53 minutes before
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The radar

The Roanoke radar (KFCX), 119 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 01:59 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 thunderstorm wind, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Wilkes

When
July 27, 9:00 PM EST
Where
Wilkes County, 0.54 mi W of Windy Gap
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$2,000
Reported by
Newspaper
Coordinates
36.118, -80.990

Thunderstorm winds blew down several trees on North Carolina Highway 16th South, Windy Gap Road, Old 60 East Highway, and North Carolina Highway 16 North.

Lightning, Wilkes

When
July 27, 9:00 PM EST
Where
Wilkes County, 0.59 mi ESE of Wilkesboro
Property damage
$8,000
Reported by
Newspaper
Coordinates
36.146, -81.161

Lightning struck a one-story home on Country Club Road, causing damage to insulation, wiring, and some trusses.

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.
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 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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 244850, 244854.