For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 203 IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 PM EDT THIS AFTERNOON FOR THE FOLLOWING AREAS IN NORTH CAROLINA THIS WATCH INCLUDES 22 COUNTIES IN PIEDMONT NORTH CAROLINA ALEXANDER CATAWBA CLEVELAND GASTON IREDELL LINCOLN MECKLENBURG IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AVERY BUNCOMBE BURKE CALDWELL HAYWOOD HENDERSON JACKSON MADISON MCDOWELL MITCHELL POLK RUTHERFORD SWAIN TRANSYLVANIA YANCEY IN SOUTH CAROLINA THIS WATCH INCLUDES 4 COUNTIES IN UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA CHEROKEE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG YORK THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF ALARKA, ALLENSTAND, ALMOND, ASHEVILLE, ASHFORD, BANNER ELK, BEREA, BETHLEHEM, BLACK MOUNTAIN, BREVARD, BRYSON CITY, BURNSVILLE, BUSICK, CANDLER, CANTON, CATAWBA, CEDAR MOUNTAIN, CELO, CHARLOTTE, COLUMBUS, COVE CREEK, CROUSE, CRUSO, CULLOWHEE, DANA, DYSARTSVILLE, EAST FLAT ROCK, ELLENDALE, ETOWAH, FAUST, FERO, FLETCHER, FOREST CITY, FORK SHOALS, GAFFNEY, GASTONIA, GLENWOOD, GRANITE FALLS, GREENVILLE, GREER, HENDERSONVILLE, HICKORY, HIDDENITE, HOT SPRINGS, HUNTERSVILLE, INGALLS, KINGS CREEK, KINGS MOUNTAIN, LENOIR, LINCOLNTON, LITTLE RIVER, LUADA, LUCK, MARION, MARS HILL, MARSHALL, MATTHEWS, MAULDIN, MICAVILLE, MILL SPRING, MILLERSVILLE, MOORESVILLE, MORGANTON, NEBO, NEWLAND, NEWTON, PATTERSON, PLEASANT GROVE, POPLAR, RAMSEYTOWN, ROCK HILL, RUTHERFORDTON, SALUDA, SAWMILLS, SHELBY, SIMPSONVILLE, SPARTANBURG, SPINDALE, SPRUCE PINE, ST. STEPHENS, STATESVILLE, STONY POINT, SUGAR HILL, SWISS, SYLVA, TAYLORS, TAYLORSVILLE, TRYON, TUCKASEGEE, TUXEDO, VALDESE, WALNUT, WATERVILLE, WAYNESVILLE, AND WESSER.