Tornado Watch Issued

Wanted to share this weather update from WRAL with the A+ Tree & Crane Community.These storms can cause major damage to your home, car, and other valuable assets. Please take the proper precautions and stay safe everyone! 

Damage from Wake County's last wind storm. 

RALEIGH, N.C. — The National Weather Service has issued tornado watches for several counties, including Wake, Johnston, Lee and Moore, as severe thunderstorms capable of producing hail and strong winds are expected to move through the area Tuesday.                                   

The watches, which are in effect until 9 p.m. cover, 22 counties in central and eastern North Carolina. Edgecombe, Franklin, Halifax, Hoke, Nash, Wayne and Wilson counties are also affected.

The state is under an elevated risk for severe weather as a storm system that has killed more than 30 people in the Midwest and Southeast on Sunday and Monday moves into the area.

A flash flood watch is also in effect for much of central North Carolina in anticipation of 2 to 3 inches of rain in the next 24 to 36 hours. The watch begins at 6 p.m. Tuesday and runs through early Thursday.

Thunderstorm activity was expected to pick up later in the afternoon south and west of Raleigh and spread northward before moving out of the state later Tuesday night.

"There is a frontal boundary sitting over North Carolina, and the question is how far north does it slide today," WRAL meteorologist Elizabeth Gardner said. "The farther north it is, the bigger chance for storms across our entire viewing area. Our biggest threats today will be from straight-line winds and hail, but we can't rule out a tornado."

Gardner said that the areas most likely to experience strong to severe thunderstorms are still going to be those across Mississippi and Alabama.

Wednesday could bring to North Carolina a better chance of damaging winds and tornadoes.

"We could see storms ramp up quicker and earlier in the day, and our chance to see an isolated tornado goes up a bit," Gardner said.

Rain showers will linger in the eastern half of the area on Thursday, but no severe weather is expected.

Sunshine and cooler temperatures in the low 70s will return on Friday and linger through the weekend.

The weekend will be dry, and temperatures will climb back to low 80s by Monday.

The latest round of severe weather comes just days after eight confirmed tornadoes touched down in eastern North Carolina, killing an 11-month-old boy in Chowan County and damaging hundreds of homes and businesses.

More than 30 people from Oklahoma to Alabama were killed Sunday and Monday as the storm system hopscotched across pushed through Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee.

A half-mile-wide tornado carved an 80-mile path of destruction through the suburbs of Little Rock, Ark., killing at least 15. Tornadoes or severe storms also killed one person each in Oklahoma and Iowa on Sunday and at least seven in Kentucky.

Areas south of Raleigh experienced some severe weather Monday as parts of Moore, Hoke and Cumberland counties saw thunderstorms with quarter-sized hail and winds gusting up to 60 mph. http://www.wral.com/storms-could-bring-damaging-winds-hail-to-nc/13601833/