Possible tornado, quarter-size hail reported in Charlotte late Saturday
Radar indicated a possible tornado over part of northeast Charlotte late Saturday — from the Derita area toward Concord and Harrisburg in Cabarrus County — along with quarter-size hail, according to the National Weather Service.
A tornado warning was issued for that area until 10:30 p.m. A tornado warning means radar indicated a tornado had been spotted.
A second warning was soon extended to Matthews and Mint Hill until 10:45 p.m.
At 9:15 p.m., the NWS office in Greer, S.C., issued a tornado warning for Gastonia, Belmont and Mount Holly in Gaston County and Kings Mountain in Cleveland County, effective until 9:45 p.m.
The warnings were among nearly 30 issued over three hours, primarily for parts of Upstate South Carolina.
Numerous severe thunderstorm warnings also were issued.
On Friday, NWS meteorologists warned of the possible intense storms.
“A few of these storms will have the potential to produce locally severe weather, primarily in the form of damaging wind gusts and large hail,” according to an NWS alert Friday afternoon. “However, an isolated tornado cannot be ruled out.”
The storms were striking an area that has seen numerous destructive tornadoes over the decades.
In May 1989, a tornado that hit eastern Cleveland County and western Lincoln County killed five people, prompting then-Gov. Jim Martin to fly to the rural area by helicopter to meet with emergency workers and survivors.
This story was originally published April 24, 2020 at 4:55 PM.