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

Name: Hail and Damaging Winds in North Carolina, May 21, 2022
Start: 2022-05-21T13:10
End: 2022-05-21T21:23
Location: North Carolina

May 21, 2022 · NWS GSP · 5 events in 4 counties and zones

Scattered thunderstorms and storm clusters developed over western North Carolina during the afternoon and evening. A few of the storms produced large hail and 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: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 5

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 and storm clusters developed over western North Carolina during the afternoon and evening. A few of the storms produced large hail and 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 May 21, 12:06 PM EST, 1 hour 4 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 21, 12:06 PM EST, 1 hour 4 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, May 21, 4:14 AM EST, 8 hours 56 minutes before

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In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 21, 12:43 PM EST, 27 minutes before

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Special weather statement, May 21, 12:45 PM EST, 25 minutes before

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Special weather statement, May 21, 12:48 PM EST, 22 minutes before

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Special weather statement, May 21, 12:50 PM EST, 20 minutes before

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Special weather statement, May 21, 1:04 PM EST, 6 minutes before

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Special weather statement, May 21, 1:06 PM EST, 4 minutes before

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The radar

The Knoxville radar (KMRX), 87 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:09 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

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

Hail, Haywood

When: May 21, 1:10 PM EST
Where: Haywood County, 0.47 mi WSW of Canton
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 35.528, -82.838

Public reported (via Social Madia) up to quarter-size hail in Canton.

Hail, Cabarrus

When: May 21, 2:28 PM EST
Where: Cabarrus County, 0.69 mi S of Rocky River
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 35.310, -80.600

Public reported nickel size hail.

Hail, Rowan

When: May 21, 2:53 PM EST
Where: Rowan County, 1.12 mi E of China Grove
Measured: 1.25 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 35.570, -80.580

Public reported (via Social Media) half dollar size hail on I-85 near Highway 152, with one more social media report of quarter-sized hail in the China Grove area.

Thunderstorm Wind, Rowan

When: May 21, 2:58 PM EST
Where: Rowan County, 0.48 mi NE of China Grove
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: 911 Call Center
Coordinates: 35.574, -80.593

County comms reported several trees and power lines blown down along Patterson St and on Highway 152 in China Grove.

Thunderstorm Wind, McDowell

When: May 21, 9:18 PM EST to 9:23 PM EST
Where: McDowell County, 0.98 mi ESE of West Marion to 0.96 mi E of Marion
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: 911 Call Center
Coordinates: 35.647, -82.013

County comms reported trees blown down on Bond St and another tree down on Sinclair Ave.

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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1029909, 1029911, 1029913, 1029914, 1029915.