Phones lit up and skies turned mean yesterday afternoon as a severe thunderstorm warning clamped down on Alexander and Iredell counties, putting communities from Taylorsville and Hiddenite to Statesville and Stony Point on notice. Forecasters said the storm could pack wind gusts up to 60 mph, unleash frequent lightning and knock down trees or power lines. The warning ran until 3:45 p.m., with radar showing the storm line sliding southeast across the Piedmont.
According to the Raleigh News & Observer, the National Weather Service in Greenville-Spartanburg issued the alert and listed Statesville, Taylorsville, Troutman, Stony Point and Hiddenite in the storm’s projected path. The News & Observer reported that radar placed the severe thunderstorm about 4 miles north of Taylorsville and moving southeast at roughly 30 mph, prompting the warning and a reminder for residents to keep an ear on local emergency channels.
What the warning said
“For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building,” the National Weather Service in Greenville-Spartanburg advised. Forecasters cited radar-indicated wind gusts up to 60 mph and warned of possible damage to roofs, siding, trees and power lines. The office also flagged the risk of dangerous lightning and urged people to stay away from flooded roads and to secure or bring inside loose outdoor items.
How to stay safe
Hydroplaning (when a vehicle rides up on a thin layer of water between the tires and the road) is a particular concern on slick highways, the News & Observer notes, so drivers are urged to slow down and steer clear of standing water. The same update pointed out that the United States sees about 25 million lightning strikes a year and roughly 20 lightning fatalities annually, a sobering reminder to seek sturdy shelter and avoid corded phones or plumbing while storms are overhead.
The weather service is asking anyone who spots hail, damaging winds or flooding to report what they see using its toll-free number or social media, so crews can better track the storm’s impact. Utility teams typically respond to reports of downed lines and outages. For real-time updates, residents can follow the National Weather Service in Greenville-Spartanburg along with local coverage from WRAL.
