096
NOUS42 KGSP 182010
PNSGSP
GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033-035>037-048>053-056>059-062>065-
068>072-082-501>510-SCZ008>014-019-101>109-190815-
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
410 PM EDT WED MAR 18 2026
...NWS DAMAGE SURVEY FOR 03/16/2026 TORNADO AND THUNDERSTORM WIND
EVENT UPDATE 1...
UPDATE
ADDED SURVEY INFORMATION FOR TWO ADDITIONAL TORNADOES
IN MADISON COUNTY, NC, AND COMBINED WITH PREVIOUS SURVEY RESULTS
FROM CHARLOTTE, NC, AND GAFFNEY, SC. ALL EVENTS HAVE BEEN PLACED
IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER.
OVERVIEW
A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MOVED THROUGH
NORTHEAST GEORGIA, WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA, AND THE SOUTH CAROLINA
UPSTATE ON THE MORNING OF MARCH 16, 2026, PRODUCING AREAS OF
STRAIGHT-LINE WIND DAMAGE AND MULTIPLE BRIEF TORNADOES.
MARS HILL, NORTH CAROLINA TORNADO
RATING: EF0
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 75 MPH
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 0.44 MILES
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: 50 YARDS
FATALITIES: 0
INJURIES: 0
START DATE: 03/16/2026
START TIME: 07:11 AM EDT
START LOCATION: 2 SSE MARS HILL / MADISON COUNTY / NC
START LAT/LON: 35.8062 / -82.5386
END DATE: 03/16/2026
END TIME: 07:12 AM EDT
END LOCATION: 2 SE MARS HILL / MADISON COUNTY / NC
END LAT/LON: 35.8091 / -82.5317
SURVEY SUMMARY:
A BRIEF, WEAK TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN JUST SOUTH OF MARS HILL ALONG
INTERSTATE 26. IT TRAVELED FOR ABOUT HALF A MILE, SNAPPING SEVERAL
BRANCHES AND UPROOTING A FEW TREES BEFORE LIFTING.
PAINT FORK, NORTH CAROLINA TORNADO
RATING: EF0
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 80 MPH
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 2.32 MILES
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: 50 YARDS
FATALITIES: 0
INJURIES: 0
START DATE: 03/16/2026
START TIME: 07:15 AM EDT
START LOCATION: 4 E MARS HILL / MADISON COUNTY / NC
START LAT/LON: 35.8260 / -82.4847
END DATE: 03/16/2026
END TIME: 07:18 AM EDT
END LOCATION: 5 N BARNARDSVILLE / MADISON COUNTY / NC
END LAT/LON: 35.8450 / -82.4527
SURVEY SUMMARY:
A SECOND WEAK TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN A COUPLE OF MILES EAST OF MARS
HILL, UPROOTING AND SNAPPING SEVERAL TREES ALONG ITS PATH. THE
PATH DISAPPEARED INTO THE TERRAIN APPROACHING CHESTNUT MOUNTAIN. A
FEW ADDITIONAL TREES WERE DOWNED AS PART OF THE INFLOW INTO THE
STORM.
GAFFNEY, SOUTH CAROLINA - STRAIGHT-LINE WIND DAMAGE
PEAK WIND /E/: 75 MPH
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 0.33 MILES
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: 100 YARDS
FATALITIES: 0
INJURIES: 0
START DATE: 03/16/2026
START TIME: 08:32 AM EDT
START LOCATION: GAFFNEY / CHEROKEE COUNTY / SC
START LAT/LON: 35.0801 / -81.6547
END DATE: 03/16/2026
END TIME: 08:33 AM EDT
END LOCATION: GAFFNEY / CHEROKEE COUNTY / SC
END LAT/LON: 35.0801 / -81.6489
SURVEY SUMMARY:
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONDUCTED A STORM DAMAGE SURVEY IN
GAFFNEY, SC. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT DAMAGE WAS CAUSED BY STRAIGHT-
LINE WINDS PEAKING AROUND 75 MPH. DAMAGE WAS FIRST OBSERVED WITHIN
THE CITY LIMITS, WHERE CORRUGATED METAL ROOF PANELS, WOODEN JOISTS,
AND FASCIA WERE RIPPED OFF THE FRONT OF A SMALL BUSINESS ALONG WEST
FREDERICK STREET (ROUTE 11). THE WIND ALSO SHIFTED THE EXTERIOR METAL
WALL OF A NEARBY AUTO PARTS STORE, CAUSING THE CORNER PANELS TO BUCKLE
AND SEPARATE. APPROXIMATELY ONE-THIRD MILE EAST, A LARGE TREE WAS
UPROOTED NEXT TO A HOUSE BETWEEN MARION AVENUE AND MILL STREET. BASED
ON RADAR ANALYSIS, AS WELL AS THE FACT THAT THE DAMAGE WAS SPORADIC
AND LACKED ANY SIGNS OF CIRCULATION, IT WAS DETERMINED THE DAMAGE WAS
CAUSED BY A LOCALIZED DOWNBURST OF STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS.
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA TORNADO
RATING: EF0
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 85 MPH
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 1.45 MILES
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: 25 YARDS
FATALITIES: 0
INJURIES: 0
START DATE: 03/16/2026
START TIME: 09:39 AM EDT
START LOCATION: 2 NNE CHARLOTTE / MECKLENBURG COUNTY / NC
START LAT/LON: 35.2522 / -80.8265
END DATE: 03/16/2026
END TIME: 09:42 AM EDT
END LOCATION: 1 SW HIDDEN VALLEY / MECKLENBURG COUNTY / NC
END LAT/LON: 35.2614 / -80.8042
SURVEY SUMMARY:
AN EF-0 TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN ALONG N GRAHAM ST NEAR THE
INTERSECTION OF MORETZ AVE WHERE SEVERAL SMALL TREES WERE
SNAPPED. THE TORNADO MOVED NORTHEAST INTO A RESIDENTIAL AREA
WHERE ADDITIONAL LARGE LIMBS WERE SNAPPED. THE TORNADO REACHED
PEAK INTENSITY OF 85 MPH AS IT CROSSED ATANDO AVE WHERE SHEET
METAL WAS PEELED BACK OFF A LARGE INDUSTRIAL BUILDING. ANOTHER
WAREHOUSE SUSTAINED MORE SIGNIFICANT ROOF DAMAGE WITH A LARGE
SECTION OF ROOFING REMOVED. SEVERAL LARGE PINE TREES WERE SNAPPED
BEHIND THE WAREHOUSE. THE TORNADO WEAKENED AND EVENTUALLY
DISSIPATED AS IT MOVED INTO ANOTHER RESIDENTIAL AREA ALONG DRURY
DR WHERE A FEW SMALL LIMBS WERE DOWNED.
EF SCALE: THE ENHANCED FUJITA SCALE CLASSIFIES TORNADOES INTO THE
FOLLOWING CATEGORIES:
EF0.....65 TO 85 MPH
EF1.....86 TO 110 MPH
EF2.....111 TO 135 MPH
EF3.....136 TO 165 MPH
EF4.....166 TO 200 MPH
EF5.....>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.
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