Thursday night, June 11, the Sandhills got a late wake-up call when the National Weather Service office in Raleigh issued a severe thunderstorm warning that zeroed in on southwestern Cumberland County and southeastern Hoke County. Radar tracked a storm cell near Raeford that forecasters said was capable of producing damaging wind gusts and brief hail. Raeford, Hope Mills and Rockfish were among the communities named in the storm’s path, with the warning scheduled to last roughly 45 minutes.
Emergency reports put the alert’s start time at 8:30 p.m., with an expiration at 9:15 p.m., according to CBS17. The storm was reported to be moving southeast at about 15 mph and was strong enough to potentially kick up wind gusts to 60 mph, powerful enough to snap limbs and knock down power lines. People in the warned neighborhoods were urged to hunker down and stay sheltered until the line moved through.
Storm Path And Threat
Per the National Weather Service in Raleigh, severe thunderstorm warnings are issued when storms are capable of producing damaging winds or large hail. Their bulletins typically spell out basic safety moves such as getting indoors and staying away from windows. The agency’s local page showed the Sandhills area under a warning Thursday night and flagged the potential for downed trees and power outages. Officials also advised residents to keep an eye on local alerts and to report any significant storm damage to emergency management.
Heat Advisory And What’s Next
The thunderstorm threat rolled in on the heels of a daytime heat advisory that expired at 8 p.m. Thursday. Meteorologists said heat would ramp up again Friday across central North Carolina, boosting the risk of heat-related illness, as reported by ABC11.
If you are in the warned area, move indoors, avoid driving through heavy rain or wind-driven debris, and stay well away from any downed power lines. If you run into damage or outages, contact local emergency management or your utility provider and give crews space to do their work.
We will update this post as new information becomes available. Monitor local broadcasters and the National Weather Service for the latest warnings and safety guidance.
