The atmosphere quickly became unstable during the afternoon of May 26th resulting in the development of severe thunderstorms in northwest North Carolina. The first storms were primarily hail producers, but in the evening, a line of storms started forming in Western NC.
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS RNK wrote it up.
The atmosphere quickly became unstable during the afternoon of May 26th resulting in the development of severe thunderstorms in northwest North Carolina. The first storms were primarily hail producers, but in the evening, a line of storms started forming in Western NC. From this point on, the main threat became damaging straight line winds. In addition, training of cells over the mountains lead to isolated flash flooding. The storms finally moved east of the Blue Ridge in the late evening, where a bow echo type squall line developed and raced across Stokes County producing a wide swath of wind damage.
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 May 26, 2:33 PM EST, 3 hours 14 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 333 PM EDT THU MAY 26 2011 .SYNOPSIS... A WEAKENING COOL FRONT APPROACHING FROM THE WEST WILL BRING AN INCREASED THREAT OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO PORTIONS OF THE MID APPALACHIAN AND MID ATLANTIC REGION TONIGHT INTO FRIDAY. AN UPPER LEVEL HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL BUILD OVER THE AREA THIS WEEKEND INTO NEXT WEEK...REDUCING THE THREAT OF RAIN...BUT BRINGING A STRETCH OF VERY WARM AND HUMID WEATHER THAT WILL LIKELY LAST WELL INTO NEXT WEEK. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH FRIDAY/... PROXIMITY OF TROF OF LOW PRESSURE PUSHING EAST INTO THE OHIO VALLEY WILL ALLOW MID LEVEL LAPSES TO STEEPEN SUFFICIENTLY OVER THE WESTERN PART OF THE BLACKSBURG FORECAST AREA TO SUPPORT WIDELY SCATTERED SEVERE CONVECTION THIS AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING...AND AN APPROPRIATE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH HAS BEEN POSTED FOR THIS AREA. HOWEVER...NEXT STRONG UPPER TROF SLAMMING INTO THE NORTHWESTERN PORTION OF THE NATION WILL SUPPORT DOWNSTREAM RIDGING SUCH THAT THE OHIO VALLEY TROF WILL BEGIN TO FILL/LIFT LATER TONIGHT INTO FRIDAY. WHILE THIS WILL DIMINISH THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT WITH TIME...ESPECIALLY AS THERMODYNAMIC SUPPORT IS LOST THIS EVENING...PROGRESSION OF THETA-E RIDGE AND REMNANT OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES FROM LINE OF CONVECTION RACING OUT EAST AHEAD OF DISSIPATING COOL FRONT WILL LIKELY LINE UP OVER OR NEAR THE BLACKSBURG FORECAST AREA LATER TONIGHT INTO FRIDAY. THIS WILL RESULT IN ABUNDANT CLOUD COVER AND A GOOD THREAT OF PRECIPITATION IN MOST AREAS ALONG AND WEST OF THE BLUE RIDGE TONIGHT...AND ACROSS MOST AREAS ON FRIDAY. DIMINISHING SHEAR AND SUPPRESSED INSOLATION DUE TO CLOUD COVER SHOULD SUPPRESS SEVERE WEATHER THREAT TOMORROW. AT THE PRESENT TIME...INSUFFICIENT PERSISTENT FORCING APPEARS TO EXIST TO WARRANT A SIGNIFICANT FLASH FLOOD THREAT...ALTHOUGH WITH RELATIVELY HIGH AND INCREASING PRECIPITABLE WATER AND WEAKENING SHEAR WITH TIME...SOME TRAINING OF STORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN MAY BE SUFFICIENT TO WARRANT ONE OR TWO FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS DURING THE NEXT 12-24 HOURS...ESPECIALLY WEST OF THE BLUE RIDGE. AS WOULD BE EXPECTED WITH AN INCREASING THREAT OF RAIN AND CLOUDS...EXPECT TO SEE A MODERATED DIURNAL TEMPERATURE CURVE THROUGH THE NEAR TERM PERIOD...AND TOOK A MODEL BLEND CONSISTENT WITH EXISTING SET OF GRIDDED FIELDS THROUGH FRIDAY. && .SHORT TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY/... THE UPPER LEVEL LOW CURRENTLY TRACKING ACROSS THE OHIO VALLEY WEAKENS AND LIFTS NORTHEAST...WITH A TRAILING UPPER LEVEL TROF AXIS CROSSING THE FORECAST AREA FRIDAY NIGHT...KEEPING MOST OF REGION UNDER AN AREA OF UPPER DIVERGENCE WHICH SHOULD HELP KEEP A FAIRLY LARGE AREA OF SHOWERS AND STORMS GOING PAST SUNSET FRIDAY. AS A RESULT...KEPT LIKELY POPS FOR MUCH OF THE AREA FRIDAY NIGHT. BY SATURDAY...THE AXIS OF THE UPPER LEVEL TROF WILL HAVE SHIFTED EAST OF THE FORECAST AREA...TAKING THE DEEP MOISTURE WITH IT. HOWEVER...LINGERING INSTABILITY AND WEAK LOW LEVEL SOUTHEAST FLOW WILL GENERATE WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS AND STORMS...ESPECIALLY ALONG AND EAST OF THE BLUE RIDGE. LEANED TOWARD THE WARMER GFS MOS VALUES FOR HIGHS SATURDAY WITH CLOUDS ERODING BEHIND DEPARTING SHORTWAVE. ANY PRECIPITATION SATURDAY WILL BE DIURNALLY DRIVEN AND DISSIPATE AROUND SUNSET. A WEAK SOUTHERLY LOW LEVEL FLOW WILL KEEP A MOIST AIR MASS IN PLACE...WITH DEW POINTS REMAINING IN THE 60S. THEREFORE...USED THE WARMER GFS MOS VALUES FOR LOWS SATURDAY NIGHT. ON SUNDAY...THE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE BEGINS TO BUILD IN FROM THE WEST WITH INCREASING HEIGHTS AND 1000-850MB THICKNESSES PUSHING HIGHS SEVERAL DEGREES WARMER THAN SATURDAY'S EXPECTED VALUES. WENT A COUPLE OF DEGREES WARMER THAN GUIDANCE FOR HIGHS SUNDAY. AS MID LEVEL TEMPS WARM...CHANCES FOR SHOWERS AND STORMS WILL DIMINISH...ALTHOUGH A STRAY STORM IN THE SOUTHERN BLUE RIDGE IS NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION FOR SUNDAY. && .LONG TERM /SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY/... MEDIUM RANGE MODELS ARE IN GOOD AGREEMENT BUILDING AN UPPER RIDGE OVER THE AREA EARLY IN THE LONG TERM PERIOD...BEFORE AN UPPER LEVEL SHORTWAVE MOVING ALONG THE U.S./CANADA BORDER FLATTENS THE RIDGE WEDNESDAY INTO THURSDAY. THE BIG WEATHER STORY EARLY IN THE WORK WEEK WILL BE THE NEAR RECORD TEMPERATURES...AS GEFS ENSEMBLES SHOW 850MB TEMPS 2-3 STANDARD DEVIATIONS ABOVE NORMAL. AS A RESULT...WENT A COUPLE OF DEGREES ABOVE FORECAST GUIDANCE. WHILE MOST AREAS WILL REMAIN DRY...KEPT A SMALL CHANCE FOR MOUNTAIN THUNDERSTORMS TUESDAY/WEDNESDAY WITH INSTABILITY...WEAK LIFT GENERATED BY THE INFLUENCE OF TERRAIN...AND THETA-E AXIS IN PLACE. LOW LEVEL NORTHEAST/EASTERLY FLOW ARRIVES WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY BRINGING COOLER AND MAINLY DRIER AIR...BUT WEAK UPSLOPE FLOW MAY GENERATED WIDELY SCATTERED MOUNTAIN SHOWERS/STORMS. && .AVIATION /19Z THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM AND ASSOCIATED MVFR FLIGHT RESTRICTIONS WILL APPROACH THE AREA LATE AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING...LIKELY IMPACTING THE SOUTHEASTERN WEST VIRGINIA TERMINAL FORECAST POINTS IN 20-24Z/4PM-8PM TIME FRAME. AS UPPER FLOW ALOFT BACKS IN ADVANCE OF THE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM... PROGRESSION OF LINE OF SHOWERS/STORMS WILL BE ARRESTED...SUCH THAT THREAT OF MVFR FLIGHT RESTRICTIONS SHOULD NOT IMPACT KBCB OR KROA UNTIL LATE THIS EVENING OR DURING THE EARLY MORNING HOURS ON FRIDAY...AND WILL PROBABLY BE DELAYED UNTIL LATE MORNING OR EARLY AFTERNOON AT KLYH AND KDAN. ONCE THEY ARRIVE...LINE OF SHOWERS/STORMS WILL BE SLOW TO EXIT THE AREA TO THE EAST...SO AT LEAST AREAS OF MVFR FLIGHT RESTRICTIONS...WITH MORE LOCALIZED IFR RESTRICTIONS ALONG/NEAR THE HIGHER RIDGES WHERE SOME RIDGE TOP OBSCURATIONS ARE POSSIBLE...WILL LIKELY CONTINUE THOUGH MUCH OF FRIDAY...AND PERHAPS WELL INTO SATURDAY/SATURDAY NIGHT. RELATIVELY STAGNANT AIR MASS WILL THEN LINGER OVER THE TERMINAL FORECAST AREA SUNDAY INTO TUESDAY AS AN UPPER RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS OVER THE AREA. TYPICALLY...THIS RESULTS IN BUILDING HEAT AND HUMIDITY...CHARACTERIZED BY AT LEAST LATE NIGHT TO MID MORNING MVFR TO IFR FLIGHT RESTRICTIONS...GIVING WAY TO VFR WEATHER BY LATE MORNING/EARLY AFTERNOON AS ATMOSPHERE BECOMES HEATED AND BETTER MIXED. HOWEVER...THE THREAT OF ISOLATED FLIGHT RESTRICTIONS BACK INTO THE MVFR RANGE IN THE VICINITY OF AFTERNOON/EVENING SHOWERS/THUNDERSTORMS CAN NOT BE RULED OUT ENTIRELY...ESPECIALLY ALONG/NEAR SOME OF THE HIGHER RIDGES. && .CLIMATE... SUMMER-LIKE WEATHER WILL PERSIST OVER THE AREA FOR THE REST OF TODAY...PUSHING TEMPERATURES UP CLOSE TO...BUT PROBABLY NOT REACHING RECORD LEVELS IN SEVERAL LOCATIONS. THE RECORD HIGH FOR MAY 26TH FOR ALL CLIMATE SITES: STATION RECORD HIGH/YEAR SET ROANOKE 94/1933 LYNCHBURG 93/1933 DANVILLE 96/1953 BLACKSBURG 88/1953 BLUEFIELD 86/1991 HOWEVER...RECORD WARM MINIMUM TEMPERATURES MAY BE TIED TODAY AT ROANOKE...AND EXCEEDED AT BLUEFIELD. && .RNK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... VA...NONE. NC...NONE. WV...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...WERT NEAR TERM...WERT SHORT TERM...PH LONG TERM...PH AVIATION...WERT CLIMATE...WERT
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA 203 PM EDT THU MAY 26 2011 NCZ003-004-019-020-VAZ016-017-022>024-032>035-043-271815- SURRY-STOKES-WILKES-YADKIN-CARROLL-FLOYD-ROANOKE-BOTETOURT- ROCKBRIDGE-PATRICK-FRANKLIN-BEDFORD-AMHERST-HENRY- 203 PM EDT THU MAY 26 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA...NORTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA...CENTRAL VIRGINIA...SOUTH CENTRAL VIRGINIA...SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA AND WEST CENTRAL VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FROM LATE THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT. THE PRIMARY THREAT FROM ANY STORMS THAT BECOME SEVERE IS DAMAGING WINDS. HEAVY RAIN IS ALSO POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED. VAZ014-271815- MONTGOMERY- 203 PM EDT THU MAY 26 2011 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 381 IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM EDT THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHWEST 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 FROM LATE THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT. THE PRIMARY THREAT FROM ANY STORMS THAT BECOME SEVERE IS DAMAGING WINDS. HEAVY RAIN IS ALSO POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED. NCZ001-002-018-VAZ007-009>013-015-018>020-WVZ042>045-271815- ASHE-ALLEGHANY NC-WATAUGA-TAZEWELL-SMYTH-BLAND-GILES-WYTHE-PULASKI- GRAYSON-CRAIG-ALLEGHANY VA-BATH-MERCER-SUMMERS-MONROE-GREENBRIER- 203 PM EDT THU MAY 26 2011 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 381 IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM EDT THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA...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 FROM THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT. THE PRIMARY THREAT FROM ANY STORMS THAT BECOME SEVERE IS DAMAGING WINDS. HEAVY RAIN IS ALSO POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN ARE EXPECTED ON FRIDAY...RESULTING IN A THREAT FOR FLASH FLOODING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED. NCZ005-006-VAZ044>047-058-059-271815- ROCKINGHAM-CASWELL-PITTSYLVANIA-CAMPBELL-APPOMATTOX-BUCKINGHAM- HALIFAX-CHARLOTTE- 203 PM EDT THU MAY 26 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA...CENTRAL VIRGINIA AND SOUTH CENTRAL VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. WERT
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
520 PM EDT THU MAY 26 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0426 PM HAIL 3 SSE CAMP CREEK 37.44N 81.07W
05/26/2011 E1.00 INCH MERCER WV PUBLIC
NICKEL TO QUARTER SIZE HAIL ALONG JASON AVE.
&&
CHENARDPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
528 PM EDT THU MAY 26 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0346 PM TSTM WND DMG 1 ENE ATHENS 37.43N 81.00W
05/26/2011 MERCER WV 911 CALL CENTER
TREES DOWN ON RED SULPHUR TURNPIKE NEAR CONCORD
UNIVERSITY.
&&
JHUDGINSPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
537 PM EDT THU MAY 26 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0456 PM HAIL 3 E HINTON 37.66N 80.84W
05/26/2011 E1.00 INCH SUMMERS WV TRAINED SPOTTER
FELL AT 108 BRUCE ALLEN ROAD
&&
WERTSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
548 PM EDT THU MAY 26 2011
VAZ007-010-WVZ042-262245-
BLAND VA-MERCER WV-TAZEWELL VA-
548 PM EDT THU MAY 26 2011
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT BLAND...MERCER AND TAZEWELL
COUNTIES...
AT 543 PM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 9 MILES SOUTHWEST
OF RICHLANDS...MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH.
WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH AND HAIL UP TO DIME SIZE ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS
STORM.
THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR RICHLANDS...AND GLEN BURKE AROUND 555 PM...
CEDAR BLUFF...AND CLAYPOOL HILL AROUND 600 PM...CLIFFIELD...AND BANDY
AROUND 605 PM...AMONATE AROUND 610 PM...TAZEWELL AROUND 620
PM...TIPTOP AND GRATTON AROUND 630 PM.
THE PUBLIC IS ENCOURAGED TO RELAY REPORTS OF STRONG WINDS...HAIL OR
FLOODING TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BLACKSBURG BY CALLING
1...8 6 6...2 1 5...4 3 2 4...WHEN YOU CAN DO SO SAFELY.
LAT...LON 3722 8169 3721 8156 3723 8152 3726 8150
3728 8142 3730 8141 3739 8111 3714 8100
3697 8179 3705 8183 3710 8189 3715 8191
WPPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
611 PM EDT THU MAY 26 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0506 PM HAIL 4 W NEOLA 37.96N 80.21W
05/26/2011 E1.25 INCH GREENBRIER WV PUBLIC
UP TO HALF DOLLAR SIZE HAIL ON LITTLE CREEK ROAD.
&&
CHENARDPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
623 PM EDT THU MAY 26 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0435 PM HAIL S LEWISBURG 37.79N 80.45W
05/26/2011 M1.75 INCH GREENBRIER WV TRAINED SPOTTER
1 7/8THS INCH HAIL MEASURED ON FRAZIER STREET.
&&
HYSELLThe Greer radar (KGSP), 147 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:45 UTC.
5 thunderstorm wind, 4 hail, 1 flash flood, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Hail up to golf-ball size was reported from Blowing Rock northeast toward Aho.
Piney Creek Fire Department reported the hail.
Silas Creek was reported out of its banks due to the 1 to 3 inches of rain in a few hours.
Lightning struck a barn and caused a large fire.
Trees were reported down in numerous locations across Wilkes County as a line of very strong storms moved through the central part of the county from around 930 PM to 1000 PM Among the locations reporting a tree or multiple trees down were Boone Trail near Highway 421, along Congo Road and Grandview Drive in the Millers Creek area, on Elledge Mill Road, Charity Church Road near Shingle Gap Road, along Highway 16/18 near Route 421 and in the Traphill area.
A tree was blown down near I-77.
A rood was blown off a structure on Brawley Road. Additonal damage was reported on Wyo Road.
Thunderstorm winds blew trees and power lines down. One tree fell on a house.
A squall line crossed Stokes County from southwest to northeast in about 30 minutes causing widespread tree damage. There were over 25 separate reports of a tree or multiple trees brought down. Amazingly, no structural damage to buildings was reported and only one location had power lines damaged, in the Walnut Cove area.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in North Carolina in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in North Carolina, May 2011
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: 313333, 313336, 313337, 313330, 314998, 315008, 315025, 313341, 313343, 313344, 315028.