Severe Thunderstorms Sweep Across North Carolina on June 22

A fast-moving line of severe thunderstorms swept from North Carolina’s mountains to the Triangle on June 22, triggering warnings in dozens of counties — including Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill — with 60 mph wind gusts.

James WhitfieldStaff Reporter

Published June 23, 2026, 12:57 AM GMT+2

Severe Thunderstorms Sweep Across North Carolina on June 22 - Wikimedia Commons

RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA — Severe thunderstorms moved across North Carolina from the mountains to the piedmont on the evening of June 22. The National Weather Service issued multiple warnings and watches as storm cells with 60 mph wind gusts posed threats to roofs, siding, and trees in many communities.

The National Weather Service in Raleigh issued Severe Thunderstorm Watch 379 at 6:22 p.m. EDT, covering 16 central North Carolina counties until 11 p.m. EDT. The watch included Alamance, Chatham, Davidson, Durham, Forsyth, Franklin, Granville, Guilford, Halifax, Nash, Orange, Person, Randolph, Vance, Wake, and Warren counties.

Cities under Watch 379 included Apex, Archdale, Asheboro, Burlington, Carrboro, Cary, Chapel Hill, Creedmoor, Durham, Enfield, Franklinton, Graham, Greensboro, Henderson, High Point, Hillsborough, Kittrell, Knightdale, Lexington, Louisburg, Mebane, Nashville, Norlina, Oxford, Pittsboro, Raleigh, Roanoke Rapids, Rocky Mount, Rougemont, Roxboro, Scotland Neck, Siler City, Spring Hope, Thomasville, Wake Forest, Warrenton, and Winston-Salem.

Storm Track: West to East Across the Piedmont

The storm activity began in the western piedmont. At 5:54 p.m., the National Weather Service in Raleigh issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for Forsyth County after radar detected a storm near East Bend moving east at 55 mph. The storm threatened Winston-Salem, Kernersville, Clemmons, Bermuda Run, Huntsville, Lewisville, Walkertown, Rural Hall, Pfafftown, and Belews Creek, along with Interstate 40 between mile markers 182 and 204 and Interstate 74 between mile markers 56 and 63.

By 6:25 p.m., Guilford County was under a Severe Thunderstorm Warning until 7:30 p.m. after a storm near Kernersville moved east at 45 mph. That warning covered Greensboro, High Point, McLeansville, Summerfield, Gibsonville, Stokesdale, Pleasant Garden, Jamestown, Haw River State Park, and Lake Guilford Mackintosh Marina. At 7:04 p.m., a separate storm over Greensboro produced a confirmed wind gust of 56 mph at PTI Airport at 6:48 p.m., according to the National Weather Service.

At 7:11 p.m., a warning was issued for Alamance County after a storm near Elon moved east at 55 mph. Affected communities included Burlington, Graham, Mebane, Elon, Gibsonville, Haw River, Swepsonville, Alamance, Snow Camp, and Lake Burlington, as well as Interstate 40 between mile markers 140 and 155.

Triangle and Central Counties Take the Brunt

The storm line reached the Triangle region shortly after 7:30 p.m. The National Weather Service in Raleigh issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning at 7:32 p.m. covering Person, Orange, and northwestern Durham counties until 8:15 p.m. Storms along a line from Yanceyville to Jericho to Pleasant Garden, moving east at 45 mph, threatened Chapel Hill, Roxboro, Hillsborough, Carrboro, Mebane, Rougemont, Concord, Carr, Efland, and Eno River State Park. The warning included Interstate 85 between mile markers 163 and 170, and Interstate 40 between mile markers 156 and 162, and between mile markers 259 and 269.

At 8:04 p.m., the NWS Raleigh office escalated to a warning covering Vance, Granville, north central Wake, and Durham counties until 8:45 p.m. The storm line stretched from near Roxboro to near Rougemont to near Mebane, moving east at 50 mph. Communities in its path included Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Henderson, Oxford, Creedmoor, Butner, Kittrell, Stem, and Stovall. The warning also applied to Interstate 85 between mile markers 172 and 222, Interstate 40 between mile markers 270 and 280, and Interstate 540 between mile markers 0 and 4.

Separately, NWS Blacksburg issued warnings covering parts of north-central North Carolina, including Rockingham County, Caswell County, and portions of Stokes County, as storms moved through Eden, Reidsville, Wentworth, Mayodan, Madison, and surrounding communities between roughly 6:24 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.

Mountain Storms and Northeast Watch

In southwestern North Carolina, the National Weather Service in Morristown, Tennessee, issued separate warnings beginning at 7:07 p.m. for Western Cherokee County. By 7:45 p.m., a warning extended to Cherokee and Clay counties, with storms near Murphy moving east at 55 mph threatening Andrews, Hayesville, Nantahala Lake, Tellico Plains, Tusquitee, Coker Creek, Violet, Hiawasse Dam, and Marble. An updated warning at 8:04 p.m. covered the same area until 8:30 p.m.

Earlier in the evening, the NWS Greenville-Spartanburg office issued a warning at 5:16 p.m. for northern Alexander County and central Caldwell County after a storm near Lenoir moved east at 40 mph, producing 60 mph wind gusts and quarter-size hail. Communities at risk included Cedar Rock, Vashti, Collettsville, Patterson, Kings Creek, and Lenoir. That warning expired at 5:45 p.m. after the storm weakened below severe limits, though forecasters noted gusty winds remained possible.

In far northwestern North Carolina, the NWS Blacksburg office issued warnings beginning at 5:08 p.m. covering Alleghany, Surry, Wilkes, and Yadkin counties, with storms threatening Mount Airy, North Wilkesboro, Elkin, Wilkesboro, Fairview, Flat Rock, and Yadkinville. Additional warnings followed through 6:15 p.m. as storms continued moving east through Pilot Mountain, Walnut Cove, Danbury, and East Bend.

Northampton County in northeastern North Carolina was also placed under Severe Thunderstorm Watch 379, issued by NWS Wakefield, Virginia, at 6:17 p.m. and valid until 11 p.m. EDT. The hazard for all warned areas throughout the evening was 60 mph wind gusts with expected damage to roofs, siding, and trees, according to National Weather Service alerts.