High Wind in South Carolina, February 4, 2002

Name: High Wind in South Carolina, February 4, 2002
Start: 2002-02-04T12:00
End: 2002-02-04T18:00
Location: South Carolina

February 4, 2002 · NWS GSP · 8 events in 8 counties and zones

High winds, mostly in the form of peak gusts rather than sustained wind, blew down a number of trees and power lines. In northern Spartanburg, the siding was blown off a building at a university.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 4 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: 1
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 8

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, mostly in the form of peak gusts rather than sustained wind, blew down a number of trees and power lines. In northern Spartanburg, the siding was blown off a building at a university. In Rock Hill, a 45 foot wall at a construction site was blown down. One worker died and 4 others were injured. Wind gusts, as measured by ASOS, did not reach more than 37 mph, and there was little other damage reported in York County.

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

8 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Southern Oconee

When: February 4, 12:00 PM EST to 6:00 PM EST
Where: Southern Oconee forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by: NEWSPAPER

High Wind, Southern Pickens

When: February 4, 12:00 PM EST to 6:00 PM EST
Where: Southern Pickens forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by: NEWSPAPER

High Wind, Southern Greenville

When: February 4, 12:00 PM EST to 6:00 PM EST
Where: Southern Greenville forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by: NEWSPAPER

High Wind, Spartanburg

When: February 4, 12:00 PM EST to 6:00 PM EST
Where: Spartanburg forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by: NEWSPAPER

High Wind, York

When: February 4, 12:00 PM EST to 6:00 PM EST
Where: York forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Deaths: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 34.975, -81.184 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Laurens

When: February 4, 12:00 PM EST to 6:00 PM EST
Where: Laurens forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 34.484, -82.006 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Union

When: February 4, 12:00 PM EST to 6:00 PM EST
Where: Union forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 34.689, -81.619 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Chester

When: February 4, 12:00 PM EST to 6:00 PM EST
Where: Chester forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 34.692, -81.159 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The people who died

As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.

Event	Date	Age	Sex	Where	Kind
High Wind, York	2002-02-04	33	Male	Outside/Open Areas	Direct

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 South Carolina in 2002 Every state in 2002 This day in weather history Warnings in South 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: 5283271, 5283272, 5283273, 5283274, 5283275, 5283276, 5283277, 5283278.