North Carolina, 2015

Hail and Damaging Winds in North Carolina, July 21, 2015

July 21, 2015 · NWS GSP · 8 events in 6 counties and zones

Scattered thunderstorms developed across the foothills and Piedmont during the afternoon and evening. A few of the storms produced brief damaging wind gusts.

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
$50,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
8

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.

Scattered thunderstorms developed across the foothills and Piedmont during the afternoon and evening. A few of the storms produced brief damaging wind gusts.

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 Greenville-Spartanburg, SC wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 21, 2:04 PM EST, 10 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 21, 2:04 PM EST, 10 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 21, 4:29 AM EST, 9 hours 45 minutes before
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In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 21, 1:14 PM EST, 1 hour before
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Special weather statement, Jul 21, 1:21 PM EST, 53 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Jul 21, 1:58 PM EST, 16 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Jul 21, 2:05 PM EST, 9 minutes before
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The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 44 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:16 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

7 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Polk

When
July 21, 2:14 PM EST
Where
Polk County, 1.49 mi SSE of Mill Spg to 1.49 mi NNW of Sandy Plains
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
911 Call Center
Coordinates
35.280, -82.160

County comms reported a tree blown down just south of Mill Spring and another tree down on Medford Rd.

Thunderstorm Wind, Rutherford

When
July 21, 2:25 PM EST to 2:51 PM EST
Where
Rutherford County, 2.18 mi SW of Alexander Mills to 2.76 mi S of Cliffside
Measured
55 kt (63 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
911 Call Center
Coordinates
35.300, -81.900

County comms reported numerous trees and power lines blown down in the southern part of Rutherford County.

Thunderstorm Wind, Polk

When
July 21, 2:33 PM EST
Where
Polk County, 1.83 mi ESE of Tryon to 3.57 mi SE of Columbus
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
911 Call Center
Coordinates
35.210, -82.200

County comms reported a tree blown down on S River Rd and another tree down on Carriage Way.

Thunderstorm Wind, Cleveland

When
July 21, 2:52 PM EST to 2:57 PM EST
Where
Cleveland County, 5.29 mi WSW of Boiling Spgs to 4.97 mi SSW of Boiling Spgs
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$50,000
Reported by
Broadcast Media
Coordinates
35.210, -81.760

County comms reported multiple trees blown down in southwest Cleveland County. Media reported one tree fell on and destroyed a mobile home on Camp Creek Rd.

Thunderstorm Wind, Iredell

When
July 21, 3:08 PM EST
Where
Iredell County, 0.56 mi E of Troutman
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
35.700, -80.890

Spotter reported at least one tree and power lines blown down in the Troutman area.

Thunderstorm Wind, Rowan

When
July 21, 3:45 PM EST
Where
Rowan County, 1.12 mi E of China Grove
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
911 Call Center
Coordinates
35.570, -80.580

County comms reported at least two trees blown down in the China Grove area.

Thunderstorm Wind, Catawba

When
July 21, 3:50 PM EST
Where
Catawba County, 4.15 mi N of Claremont to 0.56 mi W of Claremont
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Broadcast Media
Coordinates
35.780, -81.150

Media reported trees blown down on Riverbend Rd blocking both lanes, and another tree down on Lawrence Dr.

Hail, Catawba

When
July 21, 3:59 PM EST to 4:04 PM EST
Where
Catawba County, 1.38 mi S of Catawba to 2.81 mi W of Longisland
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
Broadcast Media
Coordinates
35.700, -81.080

Media reported nickel to quarter size hail on Rosenwald School Rd and quarter size hail on Bolton Rd.

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 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in North Carolina, July 2015

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 597323, 597325, 597324, 597326, 597327, 597328, 597329, 597330.