Hail and Damaging Winds in North Carolina, May 21, 2022

Name: Hail and Damaging Winds in North Carolina, May 21, 2022
Start: 2022-05-21T13:17
End: 2022-05-21T17:09
Location: North Carolina

May 21, 2022 · NWS RNK · 6 events in 4 counties and zones

An upper level storm system pushing north into the foothills and Piedmont of North Carolina helped trigger a few severe thunderstorms.

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: $9,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 6

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 RNK wrote it up.

An upper level storm system pushing north into the foothills and Piedmont of North Carolina helped trigger a few severe thunderstorms.

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 Blacksburg, VA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 21, 11:25 AM EST, 1 hour 52 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 21, 11:25 AM EST, 1 hour 52 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, May 21, 3:05 AM EST, 10 hours 12 minutes before

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In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 21, 1:11 PM EST, 6 minutes before

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Special weather statement, May 21, 1:17 PM EST, 0 minutes before

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The radar

The Roanoke radar (KFCX), 148 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:14 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

4 thunderstorm wind, 2 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Watauga

When: May 21, 1:17 PM EST
Where: Watauga County, 0.75 mi N of Sands
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 36.261, -81.629

Hail, Ashe

When: May 21, 2:35 PM EST
Where: Ashe County, 1.19 mi E of Flatwood
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 36.551, -81.609

Penny to dime size hail fell near Flatwood, North Carolina.

Thunderstorm Wind, Surry

When: May 21, 4:30 PM EST to 4:40 PM EST
Where: Surry County, 0.8 mi NW of Mountain Park to 0.32 mi S of Mountain Park
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: 911 Call Center
Coordinates: 36.389, -80.858

Thunderstorm winds blew down several trees.

Thunderstorm Wind, Stokes

When: May 21, 5:00 PM EST to 5:06 PM EST
Where: Stokes County, 2.12 mi SE of Flat Shoals to 2.29 mi W of Danbury
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $2,000
Reported by: 911 Call Center
Coordinates: 36.350, -80.222

Thunderstorm winds blew one tree down at the intersection of of Chilton Road and Mountain Road. One tree was also blown down due to thunderstorm winds at the intersection of Flat Shoals Road and North Carolina Highway 8. Another tree was blown down at the intersection of Hall Road and C C Camp Road.

Thunderstorm Wind, Stokes

When: May 21, 5:00 PM EST to 5:09 PM EST
Where: Stokes County, 0.64 mi SW of Moores Spgs to 1.09 mi NNW of Vade Mecum
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $2,000
Reported by: 911 Call Center
Coordinates: 36.425, -80.359

Thunderstorm winds blew one tree down at the intersection Early Lane and North Carolina Highway 268. One tree was also blown down at the intersection of King Road and Brown Mountain Road. Another tree was blown down at the intersection of Lynchburg Road and Lucius Beasley Road.

Thunderstorm Wind, Stokes

When: May 21, 5:08 PM EST
Where: Stokes County, 0.48 mi ENE of Hartman
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $500
Reported by: 911 Call Center
Coordinates: 36.422, -80.172

Thunderstorm winds blew down one tree at the intersection of Sheppard Mill Road and Pitzer Road.

What these are

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

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in North Carolina in 2022 Every state in 2022 This day in weather history Warnings in North Carolina, May 2022

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: 1023148, 1023152, 1023157, 1023170, 1023181, 1023183.