For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. Brief damaging winds will blow down trees and power lines over small areas. A brief period of large hail is also possible. Seek shelter inside an interior room. Continuous cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm. Move indoors immediately. Lightning is one of nature`s leading killers. Remember, if you can hear thunder, you are close enough to be struck by lightning. Torrential rainfall is occurring with this storm, and may lead to flash flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways. Please report damaging winds, hail, or flooding to the National Weather Service by calling toll free, 1, 800, 2 6 7, 8 1 0 1, or by posting on our Facebook page, or Tweet it using hashtag nwsgsp. Your message should describe the event and the specific location where it occurred.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 730 PM EDT FOR CENTRAL MCDOWELL...SOUTHEASTERN MITCHELL AND SOUTHERN YANCEY COUNTIES... At 709 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm was located 10 miles southwest of Spruce Pine, or near B.R. Parkway-Little Switzerland To Linville, moving east at 30 mph. HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Minor hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage to trees and power lines. Locations impacted include... Marion, Spruce Pine, B.R. Parkway-Little Switzerland To Linville, Mount Mitchell State Park, B.R. Parkway-Craggy To Little Switzerland, Pleasant Gardens, Woodlawn, North Cove, Busick and Micaville. HAIL THREAT...OBSERVED MAX HAIL SIZE...1.00 IN WIND THREAT...RADAR INDICATED MAX WIND GUST...60 MPH