Thunderstorm Wind, Polk
- When
- July 8, 5:45 PM EST
- Where
- Polk County, Beulah
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph)
- Reported by
- NEWSPAPER
- Coordinates
- 35.283, -82.117
Trees down along N.C. 9 near Mill Spring. Stop signs were blown down near Beulah.
Damaging Wind in North Carolina, July 8, 2001
Strong thunderstorms developed across the Tennessee Valley on the afternoon of July 8th, and organized into a substantial squall line in east Tennessee that crossed the western half of North Carolina late in the afternoon through early evening.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 1
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
What happened
The episode as NWS GSP wrote it up.
Strong thunderstorms developed across the Tennessee Valley on the afternoon of July 8th, and organized into a substantial squall line in east Tennessee that crossed the western half of North Carolina late in the afternoon through early evening.
What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before the first event, 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 the first event at Jul 8, 2:00 PM EST, 3 hours 45 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Jul 8, 2:00 PM EST, 3 hours 45 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 300 PM EDT SUN JUL 8 2001 PRIMARY FORECAST CONCERN THIS PACKAGE IS WHAT TO DO WITH DEVELOPING UPSTREAM MCS. CURRENTLY INTENSE CONVECTION IS FIRING ALONG H8 AREA OF CONVERGENCE...OVER SE OH/NRN KY. MODELS ARE NOT HANDLING THIS SYSTEM WELL AS THEY DON/T DEVELOP ANY ORGANIZED CONVECTION UNTIL AROUND 06Z (INTERESTINGLY ENUF...ABOUT WHERE CONVECTION IS NOW). I SUPPOSE THIS BATCH COULD DIE OUT...BUT WITH 30 KTS OF SHEAR AND GOES SOUNDER LIS OF -10 FEEDING IT...I HAVE MY DOUBTS. SO THE QUESTION IS...WHERE WL IT GO? LAST NGHTS MCS TRACKED JUST ABOUT ALONG THE -10 DEG C LINE AT H7. TNGT...THE -10 DEG TEMPS HAVE ALL BUT VANISHED AS THE WORKED OVER AIRMASS HAS LOST A LOT OF THE ELEVATED MIXED LAYER CHARACTERISTICS OF DAYS PAST. STILL...-8 DEG TEMP LINE LOOK GOOD TNGT...WHICH PRETTY MUCH TAKES IT RIGHT ACROSS THE CWA. BY LATE TNGT THE FLOW TURNS ALMOST DUE N...AND WEAKENS SOME...SO THE SYSTEM PROBABLY WILL NOT BE AS STRONG AS THE ONE LAST NGHT...BUT CERTAINLY CAN/T RULE OUT SOME STRONG WINDS AS THE MCS FIRST GETS HERE. THUS...PLAN TO MENTION SOME POSSIBLY SEVERE IN THE MTN ZONES. W/DIFFULENT THICKNESS PATTERN ALOFT...SOME TRAINING HEAVY RAIN ALSO POSSIBLE. WON/T ISSUE A FFA DUE TO SOME UNCERTAINTY ON TRACK OF MCS WL LOWER TEMPS ABOUT 5 TO 7 DEG TMRW TO ACCOUNT FOR DEBRIS LEFT OVER FROM MCS. IF ETA IS RIGHT...MORE CONVECTION MAY FIRE ABOUT DAWN OVER THE AREA. HOWEVER...SHEAR BECOMES MUCH WEAKER TMRW. AND WHAT SHEAR THERE IS...AN AXIS OF H7 25KT WNDS...RETROGRADE INTO CENTRAL TN AND NRN AL/GA IN RESPONSE TO HGHT FALLS OVER THE E. LOW CHANCE POPS MON NGHT AND TUE. W/ONLY WEAK NW FLOW...THESE WL LIKELY BE MORE OF THE TYPICAL SUMMERTIME DIURNALLY DRIVEN STUFF. NCEP CONTINUES TO ADVERTISE A RATHER SUBSTANTIAL FROPA EARLY WED. LATEST AVN LOOKS AWFULLY WEAK WITH THE FRONT...TO THE POINT THAT NW FLOW CONVECTION CONTINUES WED AND THU. HOWEVER...WL GO WITH NCEP IDEA AND IGNORE THE OUTLIER AVN. THUS...DRY WED-FRI...WITH CHANCE TSRA FRI NGHT-SUN AS SFC BNDRY LIFTS BACK INTO THE REGION. FCSTID = 14 GSP 71 87 72 92 /k 70 40 30 30 AND 71 87 72 92 / 70 40 30 30 CLT 71 87 72 92 / 60 40 30 30 HKY 70 87 71 90 / 70 40 30 30 AVL 65 82 65 87 / 80 40 30 30 .GSP... GA...NONE. NC...NONE. SC...NONE. MCAVOY
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Jul 8, 1:15 PM EST, 4 hours 30 minutes before
GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014- 019-090000- SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 215 PM EDT SUN JUL 8 2001 ...A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING ACROSS THE WESTERN CAROLINAS AND NORTHEAST GEORGIA... A WARM AND HUMID AIR MASS IN PLACE ACROSS THE WESTERN CAROLINAS THIS AFTERNOON HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BECOME QUITE UNSTABLE IN SOME LOCATIONS LATER TODAY. HOWEVER...IT REMAINS TO BE SEEN IF THIS POTENTIAL INSTABILITY WILL MATERIALIZE. A THICK CLOUD DECK WILL LIMIT THE AMOUNT OF SUN...AND INSTABILITY... ACROSS THE NORTH CAROLINA FOOTHILLS AND PIEDMONT...AND MUCH OF UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA. UNLESS THE CLOUDS THIN DRAMATICALLY...THE AREA TO THE EAST OF MARION...RUTHERFORDTON...GAFFNEY...AND CHESTER HAS A LOW CHANCE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT THROUGH THIS EVENING. HOWEVER...PERSISTENT BANDS OF RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE ACROSS THE NORTHWEST PIEDMONT COUNTIES. LOCATIONS TO THE EAST OF TAYLORSVILLE...MOORESVILLE...METRO CHARLOTTE...AND MONROE COULD RECEIVE ENOUGH RAIN TO CAUSE SOME MINOR FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS. THE BEST CHANCE FOR SIGNIFICANT THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT THROUGH EARLY EVENING WILL BE THE AREA ROUGHLY TO THE WEST OF A LINE FROM BRYSON CITY AND FRANKLIN TO SENECA...ANDERSON...AND GREENWOOD... WHERE THE THINNER CLOUD COVER WILL ALLOW MORE HEATING. A FEW OF THE THUNDERSTORMS THAT DEVELOP COULD PRODUCE WIND GUSTS OF 50 TO 60 MPH. DURING THE EARLY PART OF THE EVENING...THUNDERSTORMS WILL APPROACH THE NORTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS FROM EASTERN KENTUCKY...SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA...AND NORTHEAST TENNESSEE. IF THE STORMS HOLD TOGETHER... THEY COULD MOVE INTO THE MOUNTAINS AFTER 7 PM OR SO...WITH THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AND HEAVY RAIN. SPOTTER GROUPS SHOULD BE PREPARED TO ACTIVATE QUICKLY LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING. DISPATCHERS SHOULD ENSURE COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS ARE AWARE OF THIS INFORMATION. MOORE
Local storm report, Jul 8, 5:15 PM EST, 30 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
615 PM EDT SUN JUL 08 2001
TIME(EDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
603 PM 4 E MARSHALL NC WIND DAMAGE
07/08/01 MADISON SPOTTER REPORTS TREES
DOWN. ONE BADLY DAMAGED A
ROOF.
RWHLocal storm report, Jul 8, 5:22 PM EST, 23 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
622 PM EDT SUN JUL 08 2001
TIME(EDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
603 PM JUPITER NC WIND DAMAGE
07/08/01 BUNCOMBE TREES DOWN. REPORTED BY
911.
605 PM WEAVERVILLE NC WIND DAMAGE
07/08/01 BUNCOMBE TREES DOWN. REPORTED BY
911.
614 PM 3 EAST OLD FORT NC WIND DAMAGE
07/08/01 MCDOWELL TREES DOWN. REPORTED
RELAYED THROUGH SKYWARN
SPOTTER.
618 PM NEBO NC WIND DAMAGE
07/08/01 MCDOWELL TREES DOWN. REPORT
RELAYED THROUGH SKYWARN
SPOTTER.
CSHLocal storm report, Jul 8, 5:26 PM EST, 19 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
626 PM EDT SUN JUL 08 2001
TIME(EDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
616 PM 10 E ASHEVILLE NC 81 MPH
07/08/01 BUNCOMBE REPORTED BY SPOTTER ON
FLAT TOP MTN.
605 PM PLEASANT GARDENS NC WIND DAMAGE
07/08/01 MCDOWELL TREE DOWN ACROSS US HWY
70. RELAYED BY WLOS-TV.
605 PM CLEAR CREEK NC WIND DAMAGE
07/08/01 MCDOWELL NUMEROUS TREES DOWN.
RELAYED BY WLOS-TV.
RWHLocal storm report, Jul 8, 5:36 PM EST, 9 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
636 PM EDT SUN JUL 8 2001
TIME(EDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
628 PM 6 W ASHEVILLE NC WIND DAMAGE
07/08/01 BUNCOMBE HAM REPORTS TWO TREES
DOWN ON WESTBOUND
INTERSTATE 40 AT MILE
MARKER 44. AT LEAST TWO
CARS WRECKED.
RWHLocal storm report, Jul 8, 5:40 PM EST, 5 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
640 PM EDT SUN JUL 08 2001
TIME(EDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
636 PM HOOPERS CREEK NC 68 MPH
07/08/01 HENDERSON SPOTTER REPORTED MEASURED
WIND GUST JUST EAST OF
AVL AI_RPORT.
RWHThe radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
What these are
- Thunderstorm Wind
- Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Flash Flood and Damaging Winds in Kentucky, July 8, 2001
- Flash Flooding in West Virginia, July 8, 2001
- Flash Flooding and Flood in Illinois, July 8 to 9, 2001
- Lightning Strike in Indiana, July 8, 2001
- Flash Flooding and Damaging Wind in Virginia, July 8, 2001
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Illinois, July 8, 2001
- Flash Flooding and Damaging Winds in West Virginia, July 8 to 9, 2001
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Kentucky, July 8, 2001
- Damaging Winds in Indiana, July 8, 2001
- Lightning Strikes in Indiana, July 8, 2001
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Illinois, July 8, 2001
- Damaging Winds in Iowa, July 8, 2001
More
Every storm in North Carolina in 2001Every state in 2001This day in weather historyWarnings in North Carolina, July 2001
Sources
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5261225.