North Carolina, 2010

Hail and Damaging Winds in North Carolina, May 27, 2010

May 27, 2010 · NWS RAH · 12 events in 4 counties and zones

Pulse severe storms developed across the northeast coastal plain during the late afternoon hours as an upper level disturbance moved over the region. The pulse storms produced widespread wind damage across Halifax and Warren counties, with several of the trees landing on homes.

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
$28,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
12

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 RAH wrote it up.

Pulse severe storms developed across the northeast coastal plain during the late afternoon hours as an upper level disturbance moved over the region. The pulse storms produced widespread wind damage across Halifax and Warren counties, with several of the trees landing on homes.

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 Raleigh, NC wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 27, 4:55 PM EST, 13 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 27, 4:55 PM EST, 13 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, May 27, 2:10 PM EST, 2 hours 58 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC
310 PM EDT THU MAY 27 2010

NCZ007>011-021>028-038>043-073>078-083>086-088-089-281130-
PERSON-GRANVILLE-VANCE-WARREN-HALIFAX-FORSYTH-GUILFORD-ALAMANCE-
ORANGE-DURHAM-FRANKLIN-NASH-EDGECOMBE-DAVIDSON-RANDOLPH-CHATHAM-WAKE-
JOHNSTON-WILSON-STANLY-MONTGOMERY-MOORE-LEE-HARNETT-WAYNE-ANSON-
RICHMOND-SCOTLAND-HOKE-CUMBERLAND-SAMPSON-
310 PM EDT THU MAY 27 2010

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY.

SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS... SOME STRONG TO SEVERE... ARE
EXPECTED TO BECOME NUMEROUS FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING... AS
AS A COLD FRONT DRIFTS SOUTHWESTWARD ACROSS THE AREA. THE MAIN
SEVERE WEATHER HAZARDS WILL BE DAMAGING DOWNBURST WINDS AND
LARGE HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF QUARTERS. IN ADDITION... THE EXPECTED
SLOW MOVEMENT OF THE SHOWERS AND STORMS WILL RESULT IN LOCALIZED EXCESSIVE
RAINFALL AND AN ASSOCIATED RISK OF FLOODING. THE THREAT OF SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE GREATEST BETWEEN 2 PM AND 10 PM... BUT THE
THREAT OF LOCALIZED FLOODING WILL CONTINUE THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED... PARTICULARLY BETWEEN 2 PM
AND 10 PM FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

MWS

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 27, 4:02 PM EST, 1 hour 6 minutes before
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Special weather statement, May 27, 4:19 PM EST, 49 minutes before
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Local storm report, May 27, 4:22 PM EST, 46 minutes before
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Special weather statement, May 27, 5:05 PM EST, 3 minutes before
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The radar

The Norfolk radar (KAKQ), 92 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:07 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

8 thunderstorm wind, 4 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Halifax

When
May 27, 5:08 PM EST
Where
Halifax County, 0.89 mi NW of Summit
Measured
52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Law Enforcement
Coordinates
36.480, -77.830

Sheriff reported wind gusts to 60 mph or greater.

Thunderstorm Wind, Halifax

When
May 27, 5:12 PM EST to 5:20 PM EST
Where
Halifax County, 1.13 mi E of Thelma to 1.39 mi S of Summit
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$3,000
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
36.469, -77.760

Numerous trees and power-lines were blown down along the swath. A roof was blown off of a mobile home at 85 Pughs Home Park.

Thunderstorm Wind, Halifax

When
May 27, 5:20 PM EST
Where
Halifax County, 6.81 mi WNW of Summit
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$15,000
Reported by
Newspaper
Coordinates
36.507, -77.934

A house at Lake Gaston was reported damaged when a tree fell on it.

Thunderstorm Wind, Halifax

When
May 27, 5:20 PM EST
Where
Halifax County, 0.21 mi N of Weldon
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
Newspaper
Coordinates
36.423, -77.601

Part of a tree broke off and fell onto a house in Weldon.

Hail, Halifax

When
May 27, 5:25 PM EST
Where
Halifax County, 0.16 mi N of Thelma
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
Law Enforcement
Coordinates
36.472, -77.780

Quarter-size hail was reported. Also numerous trees and power-lines were blown down along a three mile stretch of Thelma Road.

Thunderstorm Wind, Halifax

When
May 27, 5:28 PM EST
Where
Halifax County, 1.1 mi NW of Summit
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Law Enforcement
Coordinates
36.480, -77.835

Trees and power-lines were blown down at Highway 158 and Myrick Estates Road.

Thunderstorm Wind, Warren

When
May 27, 5:35 PM EST to 6:00 PM EST
Where
Warren County, 1.23 mi ESE of Warrenton to 1.49 mi SSE of Odell
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Law Enforcement
Coordinates
36.396, -78.148

Numerous trees were blown down throughout the county.

Hail, Granville

When
May 27, 6:45 PM EST
Where
Granville County, 0.97 mi NNE of Stovall
Measured
1.75 in hail
Reported by
Law Enforcement
Coordinates
36.462, -78.562

Quarter to Golf ball size hail was reported at the Bullock Fire Department.

Thunderstorm Wind, Granville

When
May 27, 6:45 PM EST to 6:50 PM EST
Where
Granville County, 3.43 mi NNE of Bullock to 0.94 mi SSW of Stovall
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Law Enforcement
Coordinates
36.528, -78.535

Numerous trees and power-lines down along this swatch, including one tree down across Highway 15 near Townsville Road.

Hail, Person

When
May 27, 7:25 PM EST
Where
Person County, 1.92 mi NW of Cavel
Measured
0.88 in hail
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
36.448, -78.996

Hail, Person

When
May 27, 7:39 PM EST
Where
Person County, 1.11 mi W of Mc Gehees Mill
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
36.520, -79.050

Thunderstorm Wind, Person

When
May 27, 7:39 PM EST
Where
Person County, 1.77 mi SE of Cunningham
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
36.510, -79.060

Several trees down across near Hyco Lake.

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

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, May 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: 234740, 234710, 234744, 234747, 234691, 234711, 234718, 234695, 234738, 234698, 234699, 234739.