Public Information Statement
National Weather Service Greenville-Spartanburg SC
359 PM EDT Wed Jul 29 2026

...NWS Damage Survey for 7/28/26 Severe Weather Event...

.Catawba County Wind Event...

Rating:                 TSTM/Wind
Estimated Peak Wind:    75 mph
Path Length /statute/:  4.97 miles
Path Width /maximum/:   2900 yards
Fatalities:             0
Injuries:               0

Start Date:             07/28/2026
Start Time:             06:20 PM EDT
Start Location:         2 ENE St. Stephens / Catawba County / NC
Start Lat/Lon:          35.7678 / -81.2317

End Date:               07/28/2026
End Time:               06:32 PM EDT
End Location:           1 W Claremont / Catawba County / NC
End Lat/Lon:            35.7157 / -81.1707

Survey Summary:
A swath of damaging straight line winds impacted portions of
Catawba County on the afternoon of July 28th. This swath of wind
damage started along Rifle Range Rd and extended southeast across
Lee Cline Rd, NC Hwy 16 and Interstate 40. The intensity of the
winds subsided between Interstate 40 and US Hwy 70. Within this
swath of damaging winds, many trees were uprooted along with
large limbs snapped. The core of the damage occurred along Rifle
Range Rd  and Lee Cline Rd near the intersection with Stafford
St. Here, peak winds were estimated at 75 mph.

&& 

...NWS Damage Survey for 07/28/2026 Tornado Event...

.Madison County Tornado...

Rating: EF0
Estimated Peak Wind: 80 mph
Path Length /statute/: 1.1 miles
Path Width /maximum/: 75 yards
Fatalities: 0
Injuries: 0

Start Date:             7/28/2026
Start Time:             05:51 PM EDT
Start Location:         4 ENE Allenstand / Madison County / NC
Start Lat/Lon:          35.9933 / -82.6866

End Date:               7/28/2026
End Time:               05:53 PM EDT
End Location:           4 ENE Allenstand / Madison County / NC
End Lat/Lon:            35.9817 / -82.6731

An EF-0 tornado, with peak estimated winds of 80 mph, touched down
in the Allegheny area of Madison County. Initial tree damage,
consisting of broken large branches and a few uprooted or
partially snapped trees, was first observed along Rock Branch
Road. The tornado tracked southeastward across Highway 212,
producing the most concentrated area of damage along the
southward-facing slope of Shelton Laurel Creek, where numerous
trees were snapped and uprooted. The track continued southeastward
to Cutshall Town Road, where several pine trees were snapped.
Additional broken branches and possibly a few uprooted trees were
noted in a distant wooded area looking back toward the creek. All
observed tree damage was consistent with EF-0 intensity. Although
the damage was relatively minor and sporadic, it correlates well
with radar data showing a tornadic circulation moving through the
area. Due to the rugged, mountainous terrain, earlier portions of
the potential track were inaccessible by ground survey teams. The
National Weather Service will continue to evaluate the exact start
point in the coming weeks if high-resolution satellite imagery
becomes available.

&&

EF Scale: The Enhanced Fujita Scale classifies tornadoes into the
following categories:

EF0...Weak......65 to 85 mph
EF1...Weak......86 to 110 mph
EF2...Strong....111 to 135 mph
EF3...Strong....136 to 165 mph
EF4...Violent...166 to 200 mph
EF5...Violent...>200 mph

NOTE:
The information in this statement is preliminary and subject to
change pending final review of the event and publication in NWS
Storm Data.