Severe Thunderstorm Warning Issued for Wake County With Damaging Winds, Hail

A severe thunderstorm warning blanketed Wake County on Saturday, March 15, sending residents across Raleigh, Cary, Morrisville, and more than a dozen other communities scrambling for cover as the National Weather Service flagged damaging winds of 58 mph or greater and large hail at least one inch in diameter.

Meteorologist Weather Wes Hohenstein posted the alert to Facebook as the storms moved through, urging residents to act immediately. "A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING has been issued for Wake County," he wrote. "Seek shelter from potential hazards like damaging wind and large hail." A warning graphic attached to his post listed the threatened area as stretching from Wake Forest and Rolesville in the north to Holly Springs, Fuquay-Varina, and Garner in the south, with Apex, Zebulon, Knightdale, and Wendell among the communities also in the warning zone. The map graphic identified the hazards in blunt terms: "DAMAGING WINDS 58 MPH AND GREATER" and "LARGE HAIL 1 INCH OR LARGER."

Winds at that threshold are capable of snapping tree limbs, toppling shallow-rooted trees, and sending unsecured outdoor objects airborne. Straight-line winds and microbursts are the leading cause of residential storm damage in Raleigh, according to data compiled by the NOAA Storm Events Database. Saturday's storm was not an isolated occurrence in the county's weather history. Wake County recorded 69 severe weather events in 2025 alone, according to the NOAA Storm Events Database, spanning thunderstorm and wind events, winter storms, hail, flash floods, and more.

Hail of one inch or larger carries its own longer-term risk, particularly for homeowners whose roofs may absorb damage that is not visible from the ground. The Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety has studied the mechanics of hail strikes on residential roofing and found that "when shingles are impacted by hail, cracks, tears, or other damage to shingles may lead to water damage to the roof." That kind of latent vulnerability can allow water to reach structural decking and insulation well after a storm clears, causing interior damage to walls, ceilings, and belongings that only becomes apparent weeks later.

Severe weather activity across Raleigh follows no single season, with peak frequency occurring in late spring and late summer, but Saturday's mid-March event fits a pattern of year-round exposure that Wake County residents have come to expect. Homeowners in affected areas should inspect their roofs and property for storm damage, and anyone who experienced power outages, downed trees, or flooding should contact Wake County Emergency Management or their local utility provider.