Thunderstorms muscled across central North Carolina on Sunday afternoon, packing enough punch to send lawn chairs skittering and branches snapping. The National Weather Service warned of wind gusts up to 40 mph that could break limbs and turn unsecured items into low-flying projectiles, with the roughest weather zeroing in on parts of Johnston, Wayne and Sampson counties and briefly slowing midday travel.
According to the Charlotte Observer, the National Weather Service in Raleigh issued a report at 2:06 p.m. saying the strong storm would hold together through about 2:45 p.m. Radar showed the thunderstorm near Benson sliding east at roughly 20 mph, and forecasters cautioned that gusty winds were strong enough to knock down limbs and toss around anything left loose outdoors.
Where the Alert Applies
The National Weather Service office in Raleigh included Johnston, Wayne and Sampson counties in its advisory and kept a broader Severe Thunderstorm Watch in place for central North Carolina into the evening. The NWS Raleigh team urged residents across the Piedmont to keep an eye on the sky and on updated forecasts, since additional storms could bubble up later in the day.
How to Stay Safe
The agency also reminded people that lightning is no minor side effect. The National Weather Service notes that each year in the United States, thunderstorms trigger about 20 to 25 million cloud-to-ground lightning flashes, a statistic that underlines how dangerous even a "routine" storm can be.
Guidance from the National Weather Service recommends heading into a sturdy building as soon as you hear thunder and waiting at least 30 minutes after the last rumble before going back outside. Drivers were also urged to slow down in heavy rain and steer clear of any flooded stretches of road.
The warning specifically called out Newton Grove, Grantham and Spivey's Corner, and it covered Interstate 40 between Mile Markers 331 and 342, per the Charlotte Observer. The outlet noted an update time of 2:31 p.m., and officials advised anyone traveling through the affected I-40 corridor to check local traffic alerts and keep tabs on the NWS Raleigh page for the latest information as storms developed.
