Coastal Brunswick County got an unwelcome jolt Monday afternoon when a severe thunderstorm warning snapped into place, threatening quarter-size hail, damaging straight-line winds and heavy rain that could trigger flash flooding. The alert covered beach communities from Sunset Beach down to North Myrtle Beach and was set to expire at 3:30 p.m. Forecasters warned that gusts up to 60 mph could bring down trees and snap power lines, with the potential for scattered outages and blocked roads.
Around 2:35 p.m., the National Weather Service office in Wilmington issued the warning after radar flagged a strong storm cell over Brooksville near Little River moving east at about 10 mph, according to Raleigh News & Observer. The NWS said minor hail damage to vehicles was possible and urged residents to be ready for wind damage to trees and power lines, the paper reported.
Storm track and hazards
The National Weather Service in Wilmington listed North Myrtle Beach, Sunset Beach, Little River, North Myrtle Beach Airport, Iredell, Carolina Shores and Calabash inside the warned zone, and cautioned that torrential rainfall could quickly lead to flash flooding, according to the National Weather Service in Wilmington. Officials also asked anyone who sees hail or wind damage to report it by calling the Wilmington office at 1-800-697-3901.
Safety steps and travel cautions…