Strong Thursday afternoon thunderstorms rolling across the Pilot Mountain area put Surry and Stokes counties on alert, as the National Weather Service warned of marble-sized hail, gusty outflow winds and heavy rain. Doppler radar picked up a storm core near Pilot Mountain moving northeast, and forecasters cautioned that heavy downpours could quickly cut visibility and cause ponding on low-lying roads. The warning was set to expire at 5 p.m., although officials urged anyone outdoors to head inside until the cells moved through. Drivers were told to slow down and watch for standing water and fallen limbs.
According to the Raleigh News & Observer, the National Weather Service office in Blacksburg issued an update at 4:32 p.m. Thursday that called out the potential for half-inch hail and wind gusts near 40 mph. The outlet reported that forecasters highlighted a storm cell tracking northeast at around 20 mph, with frequent cloud-to-ground lightning firing off as it moved. Local outdoor favorites, including Hanging Rock State Park, were singled out in the alert.
What the NWS flagged
The National Weather Service in Blacksburg warned that “gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects” and that “minor hail damage to vegetation is possible” as the storms passed through. The hail was described as marble-sized, roughly 0.5 inches across, with the storm core tracking over Pilot Mountain while moving northeast at about 20 mph. Forecasters stressed that the mix of hail, gusty winds and frequent lightning can turn a quick-hitting storm into a real hazard for people outside and for anyone on the road.
Where the warning applied
Communities from Pilot Mountain to Francisco, Sandy Ridge, Woodville, Pinnacle and Collinstown were listed under the warning, and Hanging Rock State Park in Stokes County was specifically mentioned in the alert, the Raleigh News & Observer noted. Because storms like these can be highly localized, one town can get pelted with hail and lightning while the next one over stays mostly dry. That hit-or-miss behavior is why short-fuse warnings and immediate sheltering advice are so important for hikers, park visitors and anyone traveling through the area.
Lightning risk and context
Lightning is a major concern with storms of this kind. NOAA and the National Weather Service estimate there are about 20 million to 25 million cloud-to-ground lightning flashes in the United States each year, leading to roughly two dozen deaths annually. Lightning can strike as far as 10 miles from a storm’s rain core, so officials urge people to shelter inside a building or a vehicle instead of riding it out under trees or in tents. Following the recommended 30-minute wait after the last clap of thunder helps lower the risk of being struck after the worst of the storm appears to be over.
How locals should respond
Forecasters advise heading indoors right away when storms approach, staying away from windows and avoiding corded phones and plumbing until the weather calms down. Drivers are urged to slow down, keep headlights on and avoid driving through any flooded stretches of road. The National Weather Service also encourages residents to report hail size, any wind damage and storm photos, which help verify what happened on the ground and improve future warnings. Anyone planning to be outside tonight is urged to keep an eye on short-range radar and county emergency alerts in case new storms fire up.
