A bowing line segment moved eastward across southern portions of central North Carolina during the late afternoon into the evening. These storms produced widespread wind damage, including trees on homes and damage to structures.
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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.
A bowing line segment moved eastward across southern portions of central North Carolina during the late afternoon into the evening. These storms produced widespread wind damage, including trees on homes and damage to structures.
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 22, 2:25 PM EST, 1 hour 18 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION National Weather Service Raleigh NC 325 PM EDT Fri May 22 2020 .SYNOPSIS... Deep low pressure over southern Ohio will track eastward to Maryland through this evening, as an upper level disturbance crosses the Carolinas. The low pressure area will continue pushing eastward, moving off the Mid Atlantic coast Saturday morning. An upper level high pressure ridge will build over North Carolina this weekend through early next week, bringing drier conditions and warmer temperatures. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... As of 325 PM Friday... The primary concerns over the next ~15 hours are the convective complex crossing the area through mid evening and the risk of fog/stratus tonight. The column continues to destabilize over central NC with heating, although this process has been hindered by residual CINH, mainly across the northern half. We should continue to see MLCAPE rise over the next few hours, especially S of Hwy 64, as 35-40 kts of effective shear overspreads the area from the W with steepening low and mid level lapse rates. The wind profile remains favorable for strong to severe storms, long and a bit curved due to the backing of near-surface winds ahead of the convection. This line should maintain strength as it tracks E along the CAPE gradient within positive theta-e advection, although we'll need to monitor the outflow as it is currently starting to outrun the band of peak reflectivity. Will continue to mention the potential for strong wind gusts and hail across the S from late afternoon through mid evening, based on the downstream environment. Scattered showers will trail behind this line for several more hours, however there will be a decreasing trend in pops for the overnight. Dewpoints will stay well in the 60s, so with loss of heating and decrease in clouds overnight to foster radiational cooling amidst light winds, we should see stratus and fog develop once again. Expect lows in the 60s. -GIH && .SHORT TERM /SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT/... As of 255 PM Friday... While the surface low associated with this week's upper level low will move off the New Jersey coast Saturday, the cold front will extend southwest back across North Carolina. This should allow for another round of showers and storms during the afternoon hours. While instability values will be modest, a relative lack of wind shear should prevent storms from becoming too strong. Precipitation coverage will rapidly decrease with the loss of daytime heating, and after midnight any showers should generally be contained to the Fayetteville region. With upper ridging building into the region, high temperatures will rise a couple degrees from today's values. && .LONG TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... As of 255 PM Friday... An upper level high will develop across the southeastern United States, reaching its peak in magnitude late Tuesday into early Wednesday. While most of the forecast area will have a chance of thunderstorms Sunday, the ridge axis should slide west for Monday and Tuesday, keeping just a slight chance of thunderstorms in westernmost counties. The upper level ridge will move off the New England coast Wednesday and Thursday, and what is expected to sneak in behind the upper level ridge? This week's upper level low, after having moved out to sea, moving over Bermuda, and rotating clockwise around the upper level high! While not nearly as strong as it has been this week, the circulation will cycle back towards the Atlantic coastline, returning scattered showers and thunderstorms to the forecast for Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. However, the impacts are not expected to be nothing like how this previous week has been. Skies should remain partly cloudy and highs will be in the lower 80s. && .AVIATION /18Z FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... As of 205 PM Friday... VFR conditions across central NC will hold through early evening, although a cluster of showers and strong storms will cross the area between 4 pm and 9 pm, bringing a period of MVFR to IFR cigs/vsbys, heavy downpours, strong/shifting winds with heights, and potentially damaging surface wind gusts. Behind these showers/storms, starting mid to late evening, there is a good chance for IFR to LIFR conditions to develop at all terminals, given the combination of high humidity and light winds. These sub-VFR conditions will dominate until around 14-15z Sat morning, when an improvement to VFR is expected with heating. Looking beyond 18z Sat, another round of late-day storms is expected, most likely impacting areas from INT/GSO southeast to FAY from late afternoon through mid evening. Sub-VFR conditions will once again be possible after midnight, lasting for a couple of hours past sunrise Sunday, at all sites. Following this, we'll see a general trend to drier weather through the middle of next week, although patchy early-morning sub-VFR conditions remain possible, along with a risk of isolated late-day storms near INT/GSO. -GIH && .RAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && SYNOPSIS...Hartfield NEAR TERM...Hartfield SHORT TERM...Green LONG TERM...Green AVIATION...Hartfield
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Raleigh NC 413 AM EDT Fri May 22 2020 NCZ021-022-038-039-073-074-083-084-230815- Forsyth-Guilford-Davidson-Randolph-Stanly-Montgomery-Anson-Richmond- 413 AM EDT Fri May 22 2020 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central North Carolina. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight. Area creeks continue to run high and in some cases out of their banks from the recent heavy rainfall over the past few days, When encountering any flooded roadways, motorists are advised to turn around, don't drown. Scattered thunderstorms are expected to move into the area late this afternoon and evening. The strongest storms will be capable of producing isolated thunderstorm wind damage and hail. Additionally, a quick half inch downpour could exacerbate the already saturated soils across the western Piedmont, and could result in some isolated flooding. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday. No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected at this time. NCZ007>011-023>028-040>043-075>078-085-086-088-089-230815- Person-Granville-Vance-Warren-Halifax-Alamance-Orange-Durham- Franklin-Nash-Edgecombe-Chatham-Wake-Johnston-Wilson-Moore-Lee- Harnett-Wayne-Scotland-Hoke-Cumberland-Sampson- 413 AM EDT Fri May 22 2020 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central North Carolina. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight. Scattered thunderstorms are expected to move into the area late this afternoon and evening. The strongest storms will be capable of producing isolated thunderstorm wind damage and hail. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday. No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected at this time.
The Columbia radar (KCAE), 158 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:42 UTC.
16 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Multiple trees were reported down on Griffin Green Boulevard.
Numerous trees, power lines, and power poles were reported down across the county.
One tree was reported down on Stand Drive.
One tree was reported down on Emerald Shores Road and Lillys Bridge Road.
One tree was reported down on Holiday Drive and River Road.
One tree was reported down on a house along Springs Mill Road.
Several trees were reported down on South Valley Road.
One tree was reported down on Interstate Highway 72.
One tree was reported down on a house on Midland Way.
One tree was reported down on Azure Court.
Several trees were reported down along Dowd Road.
One tree fell onto power lines.
One tree was reported down on a house on Lee’s Mill Road.
One tree was reported down on a house on Lee’s Mill Road.
A tin roof was peeled off a carport.
Thirteen trees were reported down across Sampson County, mainly between Clinton and Roseboro.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in North Carolina in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in North Carolina, May 2020
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: 892181, 892182, 892183, 892184, 892185, 892186, 892187, 892188, 892189, 892190, 892191, 892192, 892193, 892195, 892196, 892197.