Damaging Wind and Lightning Strike in North Carolina, September 14, 2002

Name: Damaging Wind and Lightning Strike in North Carolina, September 14, 2002
Start: 2002-09-14T19:30
End: 2002-09-14T19:30
Location: North Carolina

September 14, 2002 · NWS GSP · 2 events in 1 county or zone

1 thunderstorm wind, 1 lightning, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 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: $102,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 2

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 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 Sep 14, 1:45 PM EST, 5 hours 45 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Sep 14, 1:45 PM EST, 5 hours 45 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
245 PM EDT SAT SEP 14 2002

HANNA IS SLOWLY MOVING INLAND NOW OVER SW AL. LATEST HPC TRACK IS A
LITTLE FARTHER WEST THAN PREVIOUS...ALONG THE E SLOPES OF THE
APPALACHIANS. THIS IS CLOSER TO THE ETA/GFS...THOUGH THEY BOTH TAKE
THE SFC LOW JUST W OF THE MTNS SUN.

EITHER WAY...IT LOOKS LIKE WE WL SEE QUITE A BIT OF RAIN FROM THE
SYSTEM. THE GFS GENERATES ABOUT 2 AND THE ETA APPROACHES 4 OVER
THE ERN ESCARPMENT. THIS SEEMS REASONABLE. AS RAH SAID IN THEIR
DISCO...THERE DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE ANY KIND OF SIGNIFICANT TMB OR
SFC TROUGH ALONG WHICH PCPN WL FOCUS...WHICH SHOULD MAKE THE MTNS
THE MAIN DRIVER (WHICH SHOWS UP WELL ON THE ETA 304 K SFC).

ORIENTATION OF PCPN ATTM SEEMS TO REFLECT THIS WITH AN E TO W
ARRANGEMENT THAT GENERALLY INCREASES AS IT MOVES INTO THE UPSLOPE
AREAS. THUS...EXPECT THE HEAVIEST RAIN TO SETUP ALONG AND JUST E OF
THE ESCARPMENT TONIGHT...PARTICULARLY AREAS WITH A S TO SE EXPOSURE.
LOCALLY AMOUNTS COULD EASILY EXCEED 4 IN THE ESCARPMENT.

LLVL FLOW IS A LITTLE WEAK FOR SUPERCELLS...AND WITH THE LOW COMING
BY MORE AS AN OPEN WAVE...BACKING WL NOT BE AS GOOD AS I WOULD LIKE.
STILL...CANNOT RULE OUT AN ISOLATED TORNADO AS WE WILL BE IN THE
FAVORED NE QUAD...AND WL ISSUE AN SPS TO ADDRESS THIS CONCERN.

PCPN SHOULD TAPER OFF MOST AREAS BY LATE AFTN W/FLOW BECOMING
DOWNSLOPE. SFC FRONT HANGS UP OVER THE CENTRAL CWA MONDAY ON THE
ETA...AND MAKES IT JUST S OF THE CWA ON THE GFS. WL KEEP SCT
CONVECTION THROUGH THE DAY...AND THEN DRY US OUT TUE AND AVN THEN
HAS THE FRONT WELL THROUGH THE REGION. FRONT RETURNS N WED...AND WL
NOW HAVE POPS IN THE EXTENDED WED THROUGH SAT.

FCSTID =   14
GSP   67  80  67  84 / 100 100  40  30
AND   67  81  67  86 / 100 100  40  30
CLT   67  78  67  84 / 100 100  40  30
HKY   66  76  66  83 / 100 100  40  30
AVL   64  75  63  80 / 100 100  40  30

.GSP...
GA...FLOOD WATCH FOR TONIGHT AND SUNDAY FOR ZONES
GAZ010...GAZ017>018...GAZ026...GAZ028>029.

NC...FLOOD WATCH FOR TONIGHT AND SUNDAY FOR ZONES
NCZ033>037...NCZ048>059...NCZ062>072...NCZ082.

SC...FLOOD WATCH FOR TONIGHT AND SUNDAY FOR ZONES
SCZ001>014...SCZ019.

MCAVOY

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Sep 14, 2:27 PM EST, 5 hours 3 minutes before

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014-
019-150300-

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
327 PM EDT SAT SEP 14 2002

...ISOLATED SEVERE WEATHER POSSIBLE TONIGHT...

THE REMNANTS OF TROPICAL STORM HANNA WILL MOVE ACROSS NORTH
GEORGIA...APPROACHING THE GEORGIA AND SOUTH CAROLINA BORDER BY
MORNING. BANDS OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL PUSH AHEAD OF THE
LOW PRESSURE AREA...INTO EXTREME NORTHEAST GEORGIA AND THE WESTERN
CAROLINAS THROUGH THE NIGHT TONIGHT.

A FEW THUNDERSTORMS EMBEDDED IN THESE RAIN BANDS WILL BE CAPABLE OF
PRODUCING GUSTY WINDS AND PERHAPS AN ISOLATED...BRIEF TORNADO.

A FLOOD WATCH ALSO REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE WESTERN CAROLINAS AND
NORTHEAST GEORGIA. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING THIS
THREAT...PLEASE REFER THE APPROPRIATE FLOOD PRODUCTS ISSUED BY THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS OFFICIALS ARE REQUESTED TO MONITOR THE THREAT
OF SEVERE WEATHER AND MAKE PRELIMINARY PLANS TO DEAL WITH SEVERE
WEATHER SHOULD IT OCCUR.

HANDEL

Local storm report, Sep 14, 4:11 PM EST, 3 hours 19 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
511 PM EDT SAT SEP 14 2002

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

455 PM     CARNESVILLE               GA   WIND DAMAGE
09/14/02   FRANKLIN                       2 TREES DOWN...ONE IN
                                          CARNESVILLE AND ANOTHER
                                          AT I-85 EXIT 173

MOORE

Local storm report, Sep 14, 5:46 PM EST, 1 hour 44 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
646 PM EDT SAT SEP 14 2002

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

530 PM     HOLLYWOOD                 GA   WIND DAMAGE
09/14/02   HABERSHAM                      TREES DOWN ALL ACROSS THE
                                          COUNTY. REPORTED BY
                                          COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS
                                          CENTER.

540 PM     8 N TOCCOA                GA   WIND DAMAGE
09/14/02   STEPHENS                       TREE AND POWER LINE DOWN
                                          ALONG YONAH LAKE.

627 PM     LAURENS                   SC   WIND DAMAGE
09/14/02   LAURENS                        TREES DOWN ON THE WEST
                                          SIDE OF LAURENS. REPORTED
                                          BY COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS
                                          CENTER.

545 PM     GREENWOOD                 SC   WIND DAMAGE
09/14/02   GREENWOOD                      TREES AND POWER LINES
                                          DOWN IN THE SOUTH PART OF
                                          TOWN. REPORTED BY COUNTY
                                          COMMUNICATIONS.

542 PM     WESTMINSTER               SC   WIND DAMAGE
09/14/02   OCONEE                         TREES DOWN IN
                                          WESTMINSTER. REPORTED BY
                                          COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS
                                          CENTER.

MCAVOY

Local storm report, Sep 14, 6:10 PM EST, 1 hour 20 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
710 PM EDT SAT SEP 14 2002

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

535 PM     PENDLETON                 SC   WIND DAMAGE
09/14/02   ANDERSON                       TREES DOWN IN PENDLETON
                                          AND BELTON. REPORTED BY
                                          COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS
                                          CENTER.

MCAVOY

Local storm report, Sep 14, 6:22 PM EST, 1 hour 8 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
722 PM EDT SAT SEP 14 2002

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

520 PM     5 SE ELBERTON             GA   WIND DAMAGE
09/14/02   ELBERT                         2 TREES DOWN NEAR RIVER
                                          ROAD REPORTED BY COUNTY
                                          COMMUNICATIONS CENTER

630 PM     10 W CLAYTON              GA   WIND DAMAGE
09/14/02   RABUN                          TREES DOWN NEAR HIGHWAY
                                          197 REPORTED BY COUNTY
                                          COMMUNICATIONS CENTER

710 PM     5 SW SPARTANBURG          SC   WIND DAMAGE
09/14/02   SPARTANBURG                    TREE DOWN ON A MOBILE
                                          HOME REPORTED BY COUNTY
                                          COMMUNICATIONS CENTER

JMP

Local storm report, Sep 14, 7:07 PM EST, 23 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
807 PM EDT SAT SEP 14 2002

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

735 PM     SUNNYVIEW                 NC   WIND DAMAGE
09/14/02   POLK                           TREES DOWN IN SUNNYVIEW
                                          AND SALUDA. REPORTED BY
                                          COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS
                                          CENTER.

MCAVOY

The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 77 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:29 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 thunderstorm wind, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Cleveland

When: September 14, 7:30 PM EST
Where: Cleveland County, Shelby
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Property damage: $2,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 35.300, -81.550

A number of trees were blown down in and around Shelby.

Lightning, Cleveland

When: September 14, 7:30 PM EST
Where: Cleveland County, Oakgrove
Property damage: $100,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 35.334, -81.556 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lightning caused a fire at a home, destroying the house and its contents.

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.
Lightning: A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.

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, September 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: 5321141, 5321142.