EF2 Tornado — Yadkin, North Carolina

2017-05-24 · near Courtney, Yadkin, North Carolina

Event narrative

A thunderstorm dropped a tornado near the intersection of Highways 601 and 801 in Davie County (see Storm Data for North Carolina, Northwest, Northcentral, for more information on the beginning portion of this Tornado). It then progressed north and east into Yadkin County where it produced a continuous path of 4.1 miles where it produced an injury just southwest of Baity Road when a tree limb was blown into a mobile home that was occupied at the time. The tornado continued to move northeast at around 40 mph for the next 4.1 miles, lifting and dissipating just northeast of Watkins Road. Approximately 45 homes and other buildings were at least partially damaged along the tornado path. The tornado reached peak intensity and produced EF2 level damage, associated with winds of approximately 125 mph, as it moved over Courtney-Huntsville Road causing extensive damage to the local elementary school gymnasium.

Wider weather episode

A warm front extended east across the central Appalachians, allowing cool stable air to the north and warm unstable conditions to the south. The differential heating coupled with ample lift and low level shear provided an environment ripe for rotating thunderstorms. One supercell thunderstorm produced two EF-2 tornadoes that caused damage to hundreds of structures while downing thousands of trees across Stokes and Yadkin Counties. Other storms in the region produced damaging straight-line winds.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (36.0490, -80.6110)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 699427. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.