EF2 tornado in Cleveland County, North Carolina

NWS storm survey found an EF2 tornado damage path that began near the intersection of Battleground Rd and I-85. Trees were snapped and uprooted along the path as it moved east to near the intersection of Dixon School Rd and Bethlehem Rd. Here a couple of homes were damaged. Just east of there the strongest damage was found as a couple of high tension electrical transmission towers were blown down. The tornado weakened as it moved east snapping and uprooting trees as it crossed York Rd before moving into Gaston County.

Unusually high levels of moisture for early February combined with a slow-moving frontal system to produce an extended period of moderate to heavy rainfall across western North Carolina from the morning of the 5th until the early morning hours of the 7th. Intense rain rates associated with bands of heavy rain showers and embedded thunderstorms developing along the front during the morning and afternoon of the 7th resulted in rather widespread flash flooding. Isolated tornadoes also developed during this time across the Piedmont. Total rainfall of 3 to 6 inches resulted in flooding persisting along some main stem rivers and larger streams well into the 7th.