Central North Carolina’s Piedmont got thrown under the weather spotlight Friday afternoon as a fierce line of severe thunderstorms rolled through, prompting a broad warning and some nervous glances at the sky. Small towns and key stretches of Interstate 85 and I-73 were squarely in the crosshairs as radar and spotters tracked a fast-moving system capable of quarter-size hail and damaging straight-line winds. Local officials urged people to head indoors and stay off slick or flooded roads until the worst of it moved on.
According to the National Weather Service in Raleigh, the severe thunderstorm warning was issued at 3:36 p.m. and remained in effect until 4:30 p.m. The alert covered Anson, Davidson, Montgomery, Moore, Randolph, Richmond and Stanly counties, with forecasters warning of wind gusts up to 70 mph and quarter-size hail. Meteorologists said radar showed a solid line of severe storms stretching from Granite Quarry through Kannapolis, Harrisburg, Mint Hill and Pineville, racing to the southeast at about 35 mph.
Where the warning landed
The advisory specifically called out a long list of communities in the storm’s path, including Albemarle, Wadesboro, Troy, Badin Lake, Biscoe, Ansonville, Plyler, Midland, Polkton and Locust. It also flagged trouble spots for drivers on major highways, including Interstate 85 near Mile Marker 83 and I-73 between Mile Markers 46 and 60, where sudden downpours and high winds can turn a routine drive into a white-knuckle run in seconds. The Raleigh News & Observer pulled together details from the NWS alert along with the safety tips officials urged residents to follow as the storms blew through.
How to stay safe
In its warning, the NWS told residents, “For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building,” and urged people to stay away from corded phones, plumbing and windows while storms are overhead. Safety guidance from the agency also reminds people to wait a full 30 minutes after the last rumble of thunder before heading back outside, a rule that can feel long when the sky looks clear but helps avoid that last stray strike of lightning. More details are available in the National Weather Service lightning safety guidance.
Travel and property impacts
Forecasters warned that quarter-size hail could easily dent vehicles, and that 70-mph gusts pack enough punch to snap limbs, take down whole trees, damage mobile homes and outbuildings, and knock power lines to the ground. Local coverage in the Raleigh News & Observer also highlighted common-sense driving advice for anyone caught on the road, including using headlights, favoring middle lanes and steering clear of standing water to cut down the risk of hydroplaning.
People in the warned counties are urged to keep an eye on updates from local emergency channels and NOAA Weather Radio until the line of storms has clearly passed. Anyone who encounters storm damage or downed power lines should keep a wide berth and report hazards to local authorities only when it is safe to do so.
