Damaging Winds and Lightning Strikes in North Carolina, July 9, 2023

Name: Damaging Winds and Lightning Strikes in North Carolina, July 9, 2023
Start: 2023-07-09T00:09
End: 2023-07-09T11:32
Location: North Carolina

July 9, 2023 · NWS RNK · 8 events in 4 counties and zones

A frontal passage spawned a few organized storm clusters that produced severe thunderstorm wind gusts within a marginal shear and very moist airmass.

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: $180,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 8

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.

A frontal passage spawned a few organized storm clusters that produced severe thunderstorm wind gusts within a marginal shear and very moist airmass.

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 Jul 8, 9:29 PM EST, 2 hours 40 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 8, 9:29 PM EST, 2 hours 40 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 8, 2:12 PM EST, 9 hours 57 minutes before

Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Blacksburg VA
312 PM EDT Sat Jul 8 2023

NCZ001-002-018-VAZ007-009>020-022>024-WVZ042>044-507-508-091915-
Ashe-Alleghany NC-Watauga-Tazewell-Smyth-Bland-Giles-Wythe-Pulaski-
Montgomery-Grayson-Carroll-Floyd-Craig-Alleghany VA-Bath-Roanoke-
Botetourt-Rockbridge-Mercer-Summers-Monroe-Eastern Greenbrier-
Western Greenbrier-
312 PM EDT Sat Jul 8 2023

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for northwest North Carolina,
southwest Virginia, west central Virginia and southeast West
Virginia.

.DAY ONE...This afternoon and tonight.

The probability for widespread hazardous weather is low.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday.

A strong cold front will cross the forecast area on Sunday. A few of
these storms could be strong to severe with damaging winds, large
hail, and localized flooding.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not expected at this time.

NCZ003>006-019-020-VAZ032>035-043>047-058-059-091915-
Surry-Stokes-Rockingham-Caswell-Wilkes-Yadkin-Patrick-Franklin-
Bedford-Amherst-Henry-Pittsylvania-Campbell-Appomattox-Buckingham-
Halifax-Charlotte-
312 PM EDT Sat Jul 8 2023

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for north central North Carolina,
northwest North Carolina, central Virginia, south central Virginia,
southwest Virginia and west central Virginia.

.DAY ONE...This afternoon and tonight.

Strong showers and thunderstorms could cause localized flooding due
to high rain rates in urban areas, low lying streams, or low water
crossings.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday.

A strong cold front will cross the forecast area on Sunday. Some of
these storms will be severe with damaging winds, large hail, and
localized flooding.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not expected at this time.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 8, 7:48 PM EST, 4 hours 21 minutes before

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Local storm report, Jul 8, 7:50 PM EST, 4 hours 19 minutes before

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Local storm report, Jul 8, 7:53 PM EST, 4 hours 16 minutes before

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Local storm report, Jul 8, 7:56 PM EST, 4 hours 13 minutes before

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Local storm report, Jul 8, 8:51 PM EST, 3 hours 18 minutes before

Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Blacksburg VA
951 PM EDT Sat Jul 8 2023

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0834 PM     Tstm Wnd Dmg     3 SSE Windy Gap         36.08N 80.95W
07/08/2023                   Wilkes             NC   911 Call Center

            A few trees snapped in half in the area of
            McCarter Rd/Hunting Creek Rd.

&&

WHP

Local storm report, Jul 8, 8:56 PM EST, 3 hours 13 minutes before

Preliminary Local Storm Report...Summary
National Weather Service Blacksburg VA
956 PM EDT Sat Jul 8 2023

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0759 PM     Tstm Wnd Dmg     3 SSE Wilkes County Air 36.18N 81.07W
07/08/2023                   Wilkes             NC   911 Call Center

            Tree down along Old 60 Hwy.

0759 PM     Tstm Wnd Dmg     3 SSE Wilkes County Air 36.18N 81.07W
07/08/2023                   Wilkes             NC   911 Call Center

            Tree down along Old 60 Hwy.

0819 PM     Tstm Wnd Dmg     3 SW Clingman           36.16N 80.97W
07/08/2023                   Wilkes             NC   911 Call Center

            Tree down at 2500 block of Wilkes Yadkin
            Road.

0826 PM     Tstm Wnd Dmg     3 S Clingman            36.14N 80.93W
07/08/2023                   Wilkes             NC   911 Call Center

            Tree and power lines down along Somers Road.

0834 PM     Tstm Wnd Dmg     3 SSE Windy Gap         36.08N 80.95W
07/08/2023                   Wilkes             NC   911 Call Center

            A few trees snapped in half in the area of
            McCarter Rd/Hunting Creek Rd.

0835 PM     Tstm Wnd Dmg     3 SSE Windy Gap         36.07N 80.95W
07/08/2023                   Wilkes             NC   911 Call Center

            Multiple trees down area of Hunting Creek
            Rd.

&&

RAB

The radar

The Roanoke radar (KFCX), 113 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 05:07 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 thunderstorm wind, 2 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.

Lightning, Wilkes

When: July 9, 12:09 AM EST
Where: Wilkes County, 1.49 mi SSW of Clingman
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 36.160, -80.940

A cloud to ground lightning strike caused a structure fire.

Lightning, Yadkin

When: July 9, 8:51 AM EST
Where: Yadkin County, 1.23 mi NNW of Buck Shoals
Property damage: $150,000
Reported by: Fire Department/Rescue
Coordinates: 36.117, -80.835

A lightning strike destroyed a home on Brown Road near Hamptonville.

Thunderstorm Wind, Yadkin

When: July 9, 9:03 AM EST
Where: Yadkin County, 1.3 mi W of East Bend
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $500
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 36.217, -80.543

One tree was blown down by thunderstorm winds on Indian Heaps Road near the intersection of Highway 67.

Thunderstorm Wind, Yadkin

When: July 9, 9:13 AM EST to 9:14 AM EST
Where: Yadkin County, 2.15 mi NNE of Flint Hill
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $2,000
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 36.210, -80.470

Powerlines were downed by thunderstorm winds on Butner Mill Road along with one on Hauser Road.

Thunderstorm Wind, Stokes

When: July 9, 9:58 AM EST
Where: Stokes County, 1.31 mi WNW of Pine Hall
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 36.330, -80.090

Thunderstorm winds broke power poles.

Thunderstorm Wind, Caswell

When: July 9, 11:03 AM EST to 11:32 AM EST
Where: Caswell County, 1.95 mi WNW of Yanceyville Arpt to Blanch
Measured: 60 kt (69 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $15,000
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 36.415, -79.430

Thunderstorm winds brought down numerous trees between Blanch and Milton. Several roads were blocked from the downed trees, including Blanch Road, Satterfield Road, Colbert Road and NC Highway 62.

Thunderstorm Wind, Caswell

When: July 9, 11:03 AM EST to 11:32 AM EST
Where: Caswell County, 1.01 mi WNW of Yanceyville Arpt to 0.43 mi NE of Branch
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 36.407, -79.416

Numerous trees were blown down by thunderstorm winds through the northeast portions of Caswell County.

Thunderstorm Wind, Caswell

When: July 9, 11:17 AM EST
Where: Caswell County, 1.94 mi SW of Fitch
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $500
Reported by: 911 Call Center
Coordinates: 36.312, -79.356

One tree was blown down by thunderstorm winds on Highway 62.

What these are

Lightning: A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.
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 2023 Every state in 2023 This day in weather history Warnings 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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1118220, 1118221, 1111711, 1111710, 1118219, 1123755, 1125397, 1111712.