Thunderstorms were initially focused along a surface trough across the western Piedmont of North Carolina, when two clusters of thunderstorms developed across Central NC and moved east during the afternoon to early evening hours. The storms produced mainly wind damage, with the most extensive damage in Durham city where fallen trees damaged a couple of homes and injured one motorist.
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 RAH wrote it up.
Thunderstorms were initially focused along a surface trough across the western Piedmont of North Carolina, when two clusters of thunderstorms developed across Central NC and moved east during the afternoon to early evening hours. The storms produced mainly wind damage, with the most extensive damage in Durham city where fallen trees damaged a couple of homes and injured one motorist.
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 Jul 15, 10:45 AM EST, 1 hour 45 minutes earlier.
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</html>SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC
113 PM EDT FRI JUL 15 2016
NCZ083-151815-
ANSON NC-
113 PM EDT FRI JUL 15 2016
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT PORTIONS OF ANSON COUNTY UNTIL
215 PM EDT...
AT 112 PM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM
NEAR PAGELAND...OR 16 MILES SOUTHWEST OF WADESBORO...MOVING
NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.
PEA SIZE HAIL AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS
STORM.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
WADESBORO...ANSONVILLE...POLKTON...LILESVILLE...MORVEN...PEACHLAND...
MCFARLAN...WHITE STORE AND BLEWETT FALLS LAKE.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
SEEK SHELTER IN A NEARBY BUILDING OR VEHICLE. WIND GUSTS AS HIGH AS
40 MPH ARE CAPABLE OF KNOCKING DOWN TREE LIMBS AND BLOWING AROUND
TRASH CANS...POTTED PLANTS...LAWN FURNITURE AND OTHER LIGHT OUTDOOR
OBJECTS.
LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN WILL QUICKLY REDUCE VISIBILITY AND RESULT IN
PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS. DRIVERS ARE URGED TO SLOW DOWN AND USE
EXTRA CAUTION TO AVOID HYDROPLANING.
FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM.
LIGHTNING CAN STRIKE 10 MILES AWAY FROM A THUNDERSTORM. SEEK A SAFE
SHELTER INSIDE A BUILDING OR VEHICLE.
&&
LAT...LON 3506 8029 3517 8010 3511 8007 3508 8000
3512 7995 3512 7992 3507 7991 3504 7988
3501 7990 3498 7987 3495 7987 3492 7985
3490 7985 3486 7990 3481 7992 3481 8032
TIME...MOT...LOC 1712Z 240DEG 19KT 3482 8030
10The Columbia radar (KCAE), 146 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 17:29 UTC.
9 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Multiple trees and power-lines were blown down across the city of Wadesboro. Damages were estimated.
Two trees were blown down, one of which knocked power-lines down on NC 690. Large tree limbs were also reported down at Woodlake Country Club.
A 53 knot thunderstorm wind gust was measured at KPOB AWOS.
One tree was blown down at the 300 block of Benson highway.
One tree was blown down at the 6400 block of NC Highway 82.
Numerous trees were blown down along the wind swath, including a few uprooted trees that fell onto homes. One person was injured when a tree feel onto a U-Haul vehicle. Firefighters had to cut tree limbs to reach the driver, who sustained head and back injuries. The victim was taken to a hospital. Damages where estimated.
Numerous trees were blown down across western portions of Nash County.
Multiple trees and power-lines were blown down across the city of Burlington. Damages were estimated.
Two trees were blown down near NC Highway 481 and Sorietown Road.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in North Carolina in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in North Carolina, July 2016
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: 647925, 647926, 647932, 647924, 647927, 647928, 647929, 647933, 647931, 647930.