Thunderstorms barreled through Macon County on Tuesday evening, pelting the area with penny-size hail and whipping up wind gusts to 60 mph as a severe thunderstorm warning lit up parts of the western North Carolina county.
The warning remained in effect until 8:45 p.m., according to the Charlotte Observer. By 8:12 p.m., the storm was tracked about 4 miles south of Franklin and moving southeast at 30 mph.
Warning Covered Franklin, Highlands And Nearby Communities
The National Weather Service said the storm had the potential to damage trees and power lines, and the alert stretched across a wide swath of communities, including Franklin, Clayton, Highlands, Mountain City, Dillard, Sky Valley, Nantahala Lake, Black Rock Mountain State Park, Otto and Rainbow Springs.
Forecasters advise anyone caught in a severe thunderstorm to move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building. The National Weather Service notes that severe storms can deliver damaging winds, hail, lightning and flash flooding.
Tuesday’s storm activity in Macon County was part of a broader round of severe weather across the region, with damaging straight-line winds flagged as a primary threat. An updated report from the Charlotte Observer did not include any confirmed injury reports linked to the Macon County warning.
