High Wind in North Carolina, February 4 to 5, 2002

Name: High Wind in North Carolina, February 4 to 5, 2002
Start: 2002-02-04T12:00
End: 2002-02-05T00:00
Location: North Carolina

February 4 to 5, 2002 · NWS GSP · 13 events in 13 counties and zones

High winds starting picking up during the late morning, and by noon reached damaging levels in some areas. Scattered to numerous trees and power lines were blown down, depending on the county.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 13 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 13

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.

High winds starting picking up during the late morning, and by noon reached damaging levels in some areas. Scattered to numerous trees and power lines were blown down, depending on the county. Some structural damage resulted - mostly from trees falling on vehicles and buildings. After a brief respite around sunset, the wind picked up again to damaging levels during mid and late 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 Feb 4, 10:12 AM EST, 1 hour 48 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 4, 10:12 AM EST, 1 hour 48 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
ISSUED BY NWS COLUMBIA SC
1012 AM EST MON FEB 4 2002

GOING FORECAST FOR SNOW SHWRS IN NRN TIER OF CWA LOOKS OK PER
CURRENT REPORTS OUT OF THAT AREA. WINDS BEGINNING TO PICK UP PER
REPORTS AS WELL. TEMPS FOR THIS AFTN MAY HAVE TO BE ADJUSTED UP
SLIGHTLY BASED ON CURRENT READINGS. ALTHOUGH STRONG CAA THIS AFTN
WILL KEEP TEMPS FROM RISING MUCH IF AT ALL. WILL LEAVE ALL CURRENT
WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES AS IS.

FCSTID = 04

.GSP...
GA...WIND ADVISORY FOR MONDAY FOR RABUN-HABERSHAM COUNTIES.
     WIND ADVISORY FOR AREA LAKES ALL OTHER ZONES.
NC...HIGH WIND WARNING FOR MONDAY FOR ALL MOUNTAIN ZONES TODAY.
     WIND ADVISORY TODAY FOR CALDWELL-BURKE-MCDOWELL-POLK AND
     RUTHERFORD COUNTIES.
     WIND ADVISORY FOR AREA LAKES ALL OTHER ZONES.
     WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY TODAY AVERY-MADISON-MITCHELL-YANCEY.
SC...WIND ADVISORY TODAY FOR MOUNTAIN ZONES.
     WIND ADVISORY FOR AREA LAKES ALL OTHER ZONES.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

13 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Avery

When: February 4, 12:00 PM EST to February 5, 12:00 AM EST
Where: Avery forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 36.077, -81.922 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Madison

When: February 4, 12:00 PM EST to February 5, 12:00 AM EST
Where: Madison forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 35.858, -82.706 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Yancey

When: February 4, 12:00 PM EST to February 5, 12:00 AM EST
Where: Yancey forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 35.899, -82.308 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Mitchell

When: February 4, 12:00 PM EST to February 5, 12:00 AM EST
Where: Mitchell forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 36.013, -82.163 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Swain

When: February 4, 12:00 PM EST to February 5, 12:00 AM EST
Where: Swain forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 35.487, -83.493 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Haywood

When: February 4, 12:00 PM EST to February 5, 12:00 AM EST
Where: Haywood forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 35.556, -82.982 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Graham

When: February 4, 12:00 PM EST to February 5, 12:00 AM EST
Where: Graham forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 35.350, -83.834 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Northern Jackson

When: February 4, 12:00 PM EST to February 5, 12:00 AM EST
Where: Northern Jackson forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 35.287, -83.141 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Macon

When: February 4, 12:00 PM EST to February 5, 12:00 AM EST
Where: Macon forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 35.150, -83.422 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Southern Jackson

When: February 4, 12:00 PM EST to February 5, 12:00 AM EST
Where: Southern Jackson forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 35.287, -83.141 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Transylvania

When: February 4, 12:00 PM EST to February 5, 12:00 AM EST
Where: Transylvania forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 35.202, -82.798 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Henderson

When: February 4, 12:00 PM EST to February 5, 12:00 AM EST
Where: Henderson forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 35.336, -82.480 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Buncombe

When: February 4, 12:00 PM EST to February 5, 12:00 AM EST
Where: Buncombe forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 35.611, -82.530 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

High Wind: Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in North Carolina in 2002 Every state in 2002 This day in weather history Warnings in North Carolina, February 2002

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: 5283295, 5283296, 5283521, 5283522, 5283523, 5283524, 5283525, 5283526, 5283527, 5283528, 5283529, 5283530, 5283531.