Severe Thunderstorm alert Aug. 2 in Asheville, power outages possible

Iris Seaton, Asheville Citizen Times
·1 min read

A severe thunderstorm warning has been issued for the Asheville area by the National Weather Service. The alert, which was issued at 1:16 p.m. Aug. 2, is active through 2:30 p.m. A severe thunderstorm was located 7 miles northwest of Hendersonville near Mills River moving northeast at 10 mph.

The alert advised residents of the area to move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building for protection.

Duke Energy outages Aug. 2

As of 2 p.m., the Duke Energy outage map shows fewer than 1,000 Western North Carolina customers without power. The NWS weather alert advises to expect potential damage to power lines during the storm.

Hail, heavy winds and thunderstorms

The NWS alert said radar shows the potential for wind gusts of up to 60 mph, as well as penny sized hail of up to 0.75 inches. This weather may cause damage to trees and power lines, and may affect the following areas:

  • Arden

  • Mills River

  • Fletcher

  • Asheville Airport

  • Skyland

  • Forge Mountain

  • Mountain Home

  • Horse Shoe

  • Etowah

Asheville weather this weekend

NWS weather map for Aug. 2
NWS weather map for Aug. 2

Thunderstorms are likely tonight before 1 a.m., followed by dense fog after 4 a.m. Saturday will see a high of 86 degrees with a slight chance of showers and potential for thunderstorms. Predictions are similar for Sunday, with a high of 85 degrees predicted, and more chances for showers and thunderstorms.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Severe thunderstorm alert for Asheville, Western NC: power outages.