Alert archive / North Carolina / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2002

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 222, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

July 4, 2002Polk County, North Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 4, 2002, 7:51 PM EDT for Polk County, North Carolina. It was in force for 54 min. 1 report came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued: Jul 4, 2002, 7:51 PM EDT (23:51 UTC)
Expired: Jul 4, 2002, 8:45 PM EDT
In force: 54 min
Issued by: NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area: Whole counties

County Polk County, NC

The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 44 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:50 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

What was reported inside it

Time	Report	Where	Remark
Jul 4, 8:00 PM EDT	Thunderstorm Wind 50 E	Columbus, NC	A few trees and powerlines were blown down.

NCEI Storm Data entries that began inside the alert's area while it was in force. Before 2003 the local storm report archive is thin, so this is the record of what happened rather than what was phoned in.

The nearest sounding before it

Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA (KFFC), launched 12:00Z, 11.9 hours before the alert went out and 301 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.

Mixed-layer CAPE: 334 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -110 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1066 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 8 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 3 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 2 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

415 
WUUS52 KGSP 042351
SVRGSP
NCC149-050045-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
751 PM EDT THU JUL 4 2002

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  POLK COUNTY IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA

* UNTIL 845 PM EDT

* AT 751 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE
  THUNDERSTORM WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS 3 MILES SOUTH OF
  RUTHERFORDTON...OR ABOUT 11 MILES EAST OF MILL SPRING...MOVING
  SOUTHWEST AT 20 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
  MILL SPRING AT 805 PM EDT.
  COLUMBUS AT 815 PM EDT.

PEOPLE IN THE PATH OF THIS SEVERE THUNDERSTORM SHOULD BE ALERT FOR
LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND LOCALLY HEAVY
RAIN CAN OCCUR WITH ANY THUNDERSTORM.

$$
07

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Jul 4, 2:30 PM EDT, 5 hours 21 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 4, 2:30 PM EDT, 5 hours 21 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
230 PM EDT THU JUL 4 2002

DEEP RIDGE CONTINUES TO THE N OF THE CWFA. A NE-SW ORIENTED COLD
TROF...UNDER THE RIDGE...REMAINS SITUATED OVER THE CWFA. THE UPPER
TROF HAS MOVED JUST A LITTLE BIT FARTHER TO THE SOUTH. THIS HAS
PLACED THE AXIS OF THE BEST SURFACE CONVERGENCE...AND SFC MOISTURE
FLUX DIV...A LITTLE FARTHER S TDA AS WELL. WHILE FOR THE PAST THREE
DAYS THIS AXIS WAS CENTERED OVER THE MTNS...TDA IT RUNS FROM GSO TO
GLT TO GRD.

ATMOSPHERE CONTINUES TO BE VERY UNSTABLE. THE LATEST GOES SOUNDER
DATA SHOWS THAT LI/S ARE RUNNING -7 TO -8 OVER THE ERN HALF OF THE
CWA...W/MICROBURST POTENTIAL RUNNING BETWEEN 50 AND 60 KTS.

WOULD EXPECT THAT CONVECTION WOULD BE MOST NUMEROUS OVER THE ERN CWA
THIS EVENING. HOWEVER...WL MAKE FINAL POP DECISION SHORTLY BEFORE
ZONES GO OUT.

ETA INDICATES THAT H5 TEMPS WARM QUITE A BIT BY FRI AFTN. FOR MOST
OF THE DAY...THE BEST SFC CONVERGENCE WL BE EVEN FARTHER S THAN TDA.
HOWEVER...AFTER ABOUT 21Z...PRESSURES FALL OVER THE ERN CWA W/BEST
SFC CONVERGENCE SETTING UP OVER THE I-85 CORRIDOR AGAIN AHEAD OF
APPROACHING BACK DOOR FRONT. THUS...CONVECTION SHOULD GET OFF TO A
LATER START TMRW...BUT THERE SHOULD BE SCT TSRA ACROSS MOST OF THE
CWFA BY LATE AFTN.

WL KEEP POPS IN THE UPSTATE SAT...BUT REMOVE THEM FROM THE REST OF
THE CWA AS SFC FRONT WL BE THROUGH MOST OF THE REGION.

EXTENDED FEATURES UPPER TROUGH OVER EASTERN USA. SURFACE RIDGE
EXITING E COAST MON/TUE. COLD FRONT MOVES S INTO AREA WED...THEN S
OF AREA THU...WHERE IT STALLS. HAVE CHANCE DIURNAL CONVECTION
MON/TUE...THEN RUN POPS THROUGH WED NIGHT WITH FRONTAL PASSAGE. LEFT
POPS IN THU/FRI AS MOISTURE LINGERS...AND UPSLOPE COMPONENT POSSIBLE
IN NE FLOW BEHIND FRONT. TEMPERATURES COOLER WED WITH CLOUDS
INCREASING...THEN MODERATING THU WITH LESS CLOUD.

FCSTID =
GSP   68  94  70  88 /  40  30  30  30
AND   68  94  70  88 /  40  30  30  30
CLT   68  94  70  88 /  50  30  30  30
HKY   66  92  68  85 /  40  40  30  20
AVL   61  87  64  81 /  50  40  30  20

.GSP...
GA...NONE.
NC...NONE.
SC...NONE.

MCAVOY/07

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 4, 4:53 PM EDT, 2 hours 58 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
453 PM EDT THU JUL 04 2002

TIME(EDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

335 PM     WEDDINGTON                NC   WIND DAMAGE
07/04/02   UNION                          NUMEROUS TREES DOWN IN
                                          WEDDINGTON AND W UNION
                                          COUNTY. ALSO NICKEL SIZE
                                          HAIL. REPORTED BY UNION
                                          EOC.

LAMB

Local storm report, Jul 4, 5:56 PM EDT, 1 hour 55 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
556 PM EDT THU JUL 04 2002

TIME(EDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

552 PM     5 N MOCKSVILLE            NC   .88 INCH HAIL
07/04/02   DAVIE                          DIME AND NICKEL SIZE HAIL
                                          REPORTED BY TRAINED
                                          SPOTTER.

LAMB

Local storm report, Jul 4, 6:50 PM EDT, 1 hour 1 minute before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
650 PM EDT THU JUL 04 2002

TIME(EDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

640 PM     GAFFNEY                   SC   1.00 INCH HAIL
07/04/02   CHEROKEE                       QUARTER-SIZED HAIL
                                          REPORTED IN DOWNTOWN
                                          GAFFNEY. REPORT FROM
                                          CHEROKEE COUNTY EMERGENCY
                                          MANAGEMENT.

640 PM     GAFFNEY                   SC   WIND DAMAGE
07/04/02   CHEROKEE                       LARGE TREE LIMBS DOWN AND
                                          BLOCKING ONE LANE OF
                                          LIMESTONE STREET...NEAR
                                          THE INTERSECTION WITH
                                          HIGHWAY 29. POWER IS ALSO
                                          OUT IN DOWNTOWN
                                          GAFFNEY...BUT UNCLEAR YET
                                          DUE TO WINDS OR
                                          LIGHTNING.

640 PM     GAFFNEY                   SC   WIND DAMAGE
07/04/02   CHEROKEE                       911 CENTER REPORTS A
                                          RAILROAD CROSSING GATE ON
                                          MONTGOMERY STREET
                                          TWISTED.

BURRUS

Local storm report, Jul 4, 7:19 PM EDT, 32 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
719 PM EDT THU JUL 04 2002

TIME(EDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

710 PM     MAIDEN                    NC   WIND DAMAGE
07/04/02   CATAWBA                        TREES DOWN. PUBLIC
                                          REPORT.

JAT

Local storm report, Jul 4, 7:33 PM EDT, 18 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
733 PM EDT THU JUL 04 2002

TIME(EDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

717 PM     GAFFNEY                   SC   WIND DAMAGE
07/04/02   CHEROKEE                       SEVERAL TREES DOWN ON ELM
                                          ST. REPORT FROM CHEROKEE
                                          F.D.

720 PM     LINCOLNTON                NC   .75 INCH HAIL
07/04/02   LINCOLN                        DIME HAIL REPORTED BY
                                          SKYWARN HAM.

717 PM     GAFFNEY                   SC   WIND DAMAGE
07/04/02   CHEROKEE                       BILLBOARD BLOWN DOWN AT
                                          INTSCN OF HWY 105 AND 29S
                                          DOWNTOWN. REPORTED BY
                                          F.D.

LAMB

Local storm report, Jul 4, 7:40 PM EDT, 11 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
740 PM EDT THU JUL 04 2002

TIME(EDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

500 PM     4 W WEAVERVILLE           NC   WIND DAMAGE
07/04/02   BUNCOMBE                       ***INJURED 1, DEAD 0***
                                          TREES DOWN IN THE
                                          ALEXANDER COMMUNITY.
                                          REPORTED BY EOC.

NED

The office that day

Everything else NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Jul 4, 2:14 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Cabarrus, Mecklenburg	61 min
Jul 4, 3:26 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Mecklenburg, Union	64 min
Jul 4, 4:05 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Madison	40 min
Jul 4, 4:39 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Buncombe	66 min
Jul 4, 5:30 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Davie	60 min
Jul 4, 5:54 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Gaston	66 min
Jul 4, 5:57 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Iredell	63 min
Jul 4, 5:58 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Caldwell	62 min
Jul 4, 6:14 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Cleveland	61 min
Jul 4, 6:18 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Rowan	57 min
Jul 4, 6:28 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Alexander	62 min
Jul 4, 6:49 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Rutherford	56 min
Jul 4, 6:55 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Catawba	65 min
Jul 4, 7:04 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Lincoln	56 min
Jul 4, 7:27 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Rowan	63 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in North Carolina, 2002 Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2002

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.