North Carolina, 2023

Hail and Damaging Winds in North Carolina, July 29, 2023

July 29, 2023 · NWS GSP · 12 events in 10 counties and zones

A line of strong-to-severe thunderstorms moved into western North Carolina from east Tennessee during the late afternoon and evening. Isolated embedded cells produced locally 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
12

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.

A line of strong-to-severe thunderstorms moved into western North Carolina from east Tennessee during the late afternoon and evening. Isolated embedded cells produced locally 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 29, 2:01 PM EST, 2 hours 39 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 29, 2:01 PM EST, 2 hours 39 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 29, 2:52 PM EST, 1 hour 48 minutes before
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In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 29, 3:37 PM EST, 1 hour 3 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Jul 29, 3:48 PM EST, 52 minutes before
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The radar

The Knoxville radar (KMRX), 51 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:40 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

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

Thunderstorm Wind, Haywood

When
July 29, 4:40 PM EST to 5:30 PM EST
Where
Haywood County, 1.98 mi WNW of Mt Sterling to 1.66 mi SE of Cruso
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
911 Call Center
Coordinates
35.760, -83.133

County comms reported multiple trees blown down throughout Haywood County.

Thunderstorm Wind, Avery

When
July 29, 5:08 PM EST
Where
Avery County, 0.56 mi E of Minneapolis to 0.74 mi W of Pineola
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
911 Call Center
Coordinates
36.100, -81.990

County comms reported a tree blown down in Minneapolis and another down on Linville Falls Highway.

Thunderstorm Wind, Henderson

When
July 29, 5:10 PM EST to 5:20 PM EST
Where
Henderson County, 0.48 mi NW of Valley Hill to 0.51 mi E of Flat Rock
Measured
55 kt (63 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
35.305, -82.486

Emergency manager and the public reported multiple trees blown down from Laurel Park to near Flat Rock, including on Hebron Rd, Crooked Creek Rd, Crail Farm Rd, and Princess Ann Dr.

Hail, Haywood

When
July 29, 5:14 PM EST
Where
Haywood County, 0.89 mi NE of Waynesville
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
35.510, -82.990

Spotter reported quarter size hail.

Thunderstorm Wind, McDowell

When
July 29, 5:35 PM EST to 5:55 PM EST
Where
McDowell County, 2.75 mi ESE of Sunny Vale to 2.36 mi S of Glenwood
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
35.722, -82.082

Multiple sources reported multiple trees blown down and blocking roads across McDowell County.

Thunderstorm Wind, Caldwell

When
July 29, 5:35 PM EST to 6:00 PM EST
Where
Caldwell County, 0.36 mi NNE of Collettsville to 2.55 mi W of Granite Falls
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Amateur Radio
Coordinates
35.925, -81.678

Ham radio operator reported several trees blown down across Caldwell County.

Thunderstorm Wind, Burke

When
July 29, 5:57 PM EST to 6:07 PM EST
Where
Burke County, 2.63 mi ESE of Chesterfield to 0.68 mi NW of Drexel
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
35.800, -81.630

Ham radio operator and spotter reported multiple trees and power lines blown down on roads in the Drexel area, including on Antioch Rd, at N Drexel Rd and Butler Rd, and on Settlemyre Rd.

Thunderstorm Wind, Catawba

When
July 29, 6:17 PM EST to 6:32 PM EST
Where
Catawba County, 1.33 mi NE of Longview to 1.2 mi E of Conover
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Amateur Radio
Coordinates
35.745, -81.355

Ham radio operators reported multiple trees blown down across the Hickory area, with multiple large trees down and blocking roads in Conover.

Thunderstorm Wind, Burke

When
July 29, 6:25 PM EST
Where
Burke County, 3.6 mi E of Pleasant Grove Brke
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
911 Call Center
Coordinates
35.640, -81.537

County comms reported trees blown down on Sugar Loaf Rd.

Thunderstorm Wind, Iredell

When
July 29, 6:42 PM EST
Where
Iredell County, 0.4 mi W of Turnersburg
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Fire Department/Rescue
Coordinates
35.899, -80.827

Fire dept reported multiple trees blown down on the road along Turnersburg Highway.

Thunderstorm Wind, Rowan

When
July 29, 7:20 PM EST
Where
Rowan County, 2.35 mi ENE of China Grove
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
35.580, -80.560

Spotter reported trees blown down on power lines and one tree down on a roadway on the north and east side of China Grove.

Thunderstorm Wind, Mecklenburg

When
July 29, 7:35 PM EST
Where
Mecklenburg County, 1.75 mi WSW of Shopton to 0.58 mi SSE of Douglas Muni Arpt
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
35.159, -80.998

Emergency manager reported power lines blown down on Rock Island Rd and on Eaton Cir.

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 2023Every state in 2023This day in weather historyWarnings in North Carolina, July 2023

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: 1125232, 1125233, 1125234, 1125243, 1125237, 1125239, 1125240, 1125241, 1125262, 1125242, 1125268, 1125278.