Severe Thunderstorm Warning Issued for Rutherford, Polk, and Cleveland Counties in North Carolina

Alert Details

The National Weather Service in Greenville-Spartanburg has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for portions of western North Carolina and the Piedmont region. The warning was triggered by radar-indicated severe thunderstorms moving through the area.

Affected Areas

The warning covers the following counties in North Carolina:

• Rutherford County
• Polk County
• Cleveland County

Specific locations impacted include Shelby, Forest City, Rutherfordton, Columbus, Spindale, Boiling Springs, Tryon, Belwood, Lake Lure, and Lawndale.

What You Should Do

For your protection, move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building immediately. Residents are encouraged to report damaging winds, hail, or flooding to the National Weather Service by calling toll-free at 1-800-267-8101, or by posting on Facebook or X using the hashtag #nwsgsp. Your message should describe the specific event and the location where it occurred.

Expected Conditions

The primary hazard associated with this storm line is wind gusts reaching up to 60 mph. Radar also indicates the possibility of hail up to 0.75 inches in size. These conditions are expected to cause damage to trees and power lines. At 7:42 AM EDT, the storms were located along a line extending from 17 miles east of Downtown Asheville to 10 miles southeast of Hendersonville, moving east at 45 mph.

Timeline

The Severe Thunderstorm Warning is effective immediately as of 7:42 AM EDT and is scheduled to expire at 8:45 AM EDT on Monday, March 16, 2026.