Central North Carolina spent part of Sunday afternoon on edge as a severe thunderstorm warning locked in over the region, with southwestern Wake County squarely in the crosshairs. The line of storms carried the kind of punch that can dent cars and peel shingles, with straight-line winds and hail prompting officials to tell residents from Fuquay‑Varina to Lillington to get inside and stay there. Meteorologists said the cells were tracking generally east across the Piedmont through the afternoon.
What the National Weather Service warned
According to the National Weather Service in Raleigh, the warning zone included northwestern Harnett, northeastern Lee, southwestern Wake and southeastern Chatham counties. Communities and landmarks specifically called out in the alert included Fuquay‑Varina, Lillington, Broadway, Raven Rock State Park and Shearon Harris Reservoir.
Forecasters flagged 60 mph wind gusts and nickel-size hail as the main threats and told residents to “expect damage to roofs, siding, and trees.” The agency urged anyone inside the warning polygon to move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building and to hunker down there until the storm moved on.
Where the storm was tracked
At one point in the afternoon, the storm cell was located about 9 miles east of Sanford and sliding east at roughly 10 to 15 mph, putting it on a track across the central Piedmont, as reported by the Raleigh News & Observer. Local outlets also kept close tabs on the warnings, with the Charlotte Observer and CBS17 noting the specific communities and time frames listed in each advisory. The timestamps on the National Weather Service text products shifted through the afternoon as forecasters updated the warning polygon and the line inched east.
How to stay safe
Officials stressed the basics: get into a solid building, move anything loose outside that could turn into airborne debris, and do not try to drive through standing water. The National Weather Service product text also reminds residents to stay away from windows and skip corded electronics until the storm passes, according to the National Weather Service.
If you come across downed power lines or trees, keep your distance and report the damage to local emergency services and your utility company. Drivers in the warning area were urged to slow down, flip on their headlights and give emergency crews plenty of space to work until the line of storms moves out.
