A radar-indicated storm capable of producing a tornado had parts of western North Carolina on edge Tuesday evening, with quarter-size hail and dangerous debris in play as the cell tracked southeast. The tornado warning covered portions of Catawba, Iredell and Lincoln counties and was scheduled to remain in effect until 7 p.m.
At 6:28 p.m., the storm was near Newton or Claremont and moving southeast at 30 mph, according to the Raleigh News & Observer. The warned path included Conover, Claremont, Catawba and communities around Lake Norman, with the storm expected near the lake around 6:50 p.m. Residents along the track had only a short window to get indoors and stay there.
Storm Track Zeroed In on Lake Norman Communities
The alert also listed Sherrills Ford, Startown, Terrell, Oxford and Bandys as locations that could be affected. In this case, the warning described the storm as “capable of producing a tornado” and cited radar-indicated rotation, according to the Raleigh News & Observer. In other words, forecasters were not waiting around to see if a funnel cloud showed up before telling people to take cover.
The warning landed amid a broader severe-weather setup across the region. An outlook from the National Weather Service said strong to severe storms Tuesday could bring damaging winds, hail and isolated tornadoes across northwest North Carolina.
During the warning, weather officials advised residents to move to a basement or an interior room on the lowest floor, stay away from windows and seek a sturdy shelter if they were outside, in a mobile home or in a vehicle. The National Weather Service also urged people to report damaging winds, hail or flooding once it was safe to do so, turning anyone with a clear view of the aftermath into an extra set of eyes for forecasters.
