EF1 Tornado — Cherokee, North Carolina

2024-05-08 · near Peachtree, Cherokee, North Carolina

2.3 mi

Path length

40 yds

Path width

Event narrative

A survey found EF-1 tornado damage, with peak winds of 95 mph. Pockets of extensive tree damage were noted near and around the Peachtree community. The tornado likely developed near Greenlawn Cemetery Road and Memory Lane. It continued east across Upper Peachtree Road causing some tree damage on Lizzie Elliot Road. The tornado took a slight northeast jog and was non-continuous throughout its life cycle. It crossed Sky Trek Drive and Shadow Pond Road. The tornado lifted before crossing Upper Peachtree Road again. Numerous trees were either uprooted or snapped along the path, along with numerous large tree limbs.

Wider weather episode

A cutoff low over the North Plains, coupled with intense winds aloft and a cold front at the surface, helped spawn multiple rounds of severe thunderstorms that produced damaging winds and a tornado in southwest North Carolina.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (35.0917, -83.9532)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1178379. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.