Lightning Strike in North Carolina, August 7, 2003

Name: Lightning Strike in North Carolina, August 7, 2003
Start: 2003-08-07T17:30
End: 2003-08-07T17:30
Location: North Carolina

August 7, 2003 · NWS GSP · 1 event in 1 county or zone

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: 1
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 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 Aug 7, 8:30 AM EST, 9 hours earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 7, 8:30 AM EST, 9 hours before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
930 AM EDT THU AUG 7 2003

FORECAST ON TRACK WITH SCT SHOWERS MOVING INTO MTNS...ISOLD ACROSS N
FOOTHILLS/PIEDMONT ATTM. WILL UPDATE TO REMOVE MENTION OF FOG...NO
OTHER CHANGES PLANNED.

.GSP...
GA...NONE.
NC...FLOOD WATCH FOR TODAY AND TONIGHT FOR ZONES NCZ033>037...
NCZ048>050...NCZ053>057...NCZ065>072...NCZ082.

SC...FLOOD WATCH FOR TODAY AND TONIGHT FOR ZONES SCZ003...
SCZ006>009...SCZ012>014.

RB

Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 7, 4:21 AM EST, 13 hours 9 minutes before

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014-
019-071100-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
521 AM EDT THU AUG 7 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA...
UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA...AND EXTREME NORTHEAST GEORGIA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY

SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE WESTERN CAROLINAS
AND NORTHEAST GEORGIA TODAY AND THIS EVENING. WITH EXCESSIVE
RAINFALL EXPECTED...A FLOOD WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR TODAY AND
TONIGHT. THE WATCH COVERS PORTIONS OF THE WESTERN CAROLINAS
GENERALLY EAST OF A LINE THROUGH ASHEVILLE AND GREENVILLE. PLEASE
SEE THE LATEST FLOOD WATCH (FFAGSP) FOR ADDITIONAL DETAILS. OUTSIDE
THE WATCH AREA...SCATTERED STORMS MAY PRODUCE LOCALLY HEAVY
RAINFALL. A FLOOD POTENTIAL OUTLOOK (ESFGSP) WILL ADDRESS CONCERNS
FOR POSSIBLE FLOODING FOR TODAY THROUGH FRIDAY. IN ADDITION...SOME
OF THESE STORMS MAY REACH SEVERE LEVELS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.
PLEASE SEE THE LATEST SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK (SPSGSP) FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

A FLOOD WATCH WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR TONIGHT. A UPPER AREA OF LOW
PRESSURE WILL EXIST OVER THE FORECAST AREA FOR THE REST OF THE
PERIOD. THIS SYSTEM WILL LEAD TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF
THUNDERSTORMS...SOME MAY PRODUCE SEVERE WEATHER AND/OR EXCESSIVE
RAINFALL.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED TODAY AND TONIGHT.

NED

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Aug 7, 2:09 PM EST, 3 hours 21 minutes before

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014-
019-080300-

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
309 PM EDT THU AUG 7 2003

...ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND LOCALIZED FLOODING POSSIBLE
AGAIN THIS EVENING...

SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS WILL PERSIST THROUGH THE EVENING
HOURS ACROSS NORTHEAST GEORGIA AND THE WESTERN CAROLINAS. THESE
THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING PENNY SIZE HAIL AND
DAMAGING WIND GUSTS OF 60 MPH.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS COULD ALSO PRODUCE TORRENTIAL RAINFALL AT THE
RATE OF A COUPLE OF INCHES PER HOUR. SOME LOCATIONS COULD
EXPERIENCE SEVERAL ROUNDS OF THUNDERSTORMS. POTENTIAL FLOODING
TONIGHT IS ADDRESSED IN GREATER DETAIL IN THE FLOOD WATCH AND FLOOD
POTENTIAL STATEMENTS ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR FAVORITE MEDIA OUTLET FOR
THE LATEST UPDATES CONCERNING THIS POTENTIAL SEVERE WEATHER
SITUATION.

SPOTTER GROUPS SHOULD BE PREPARED TO ACTIVATE QUICKLY THIS EVENING.
DISPATCHERS SHOULD ENSURE COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS ARE
AWARE OF THIS INFORMATION.

07

Local storm report, Aug 7, 2:11 PM EST, 3 hours 19 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
311 PM EDT THU AUG 07 2003

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

245 PM     3 NW SALEM                SC   .75 INCH HAIL
08/07/03   OCONEE                         REPORT RECEIVED FROM THE
                                          PUBLIC

RBN

Special weather statement, Aug 7, 4:25 PM EST, 1 hour 5 minutes before

GAZ028-SCZ010-072215-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
525 PM EDT THU AUG 7 2003

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING ACROSS THE WESTERN UPSTATE AND
NORTHEAST GEORGIA...

AT 515 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM NORTHERN HART COUNTY INTO NORTHERN
ANDERSON COUNTY. THROUGH 630 PM...THESE STORMS WILL AFFECT AREAS
FROM HARTWELL...TO THE CITY OF ANDERSON...AND EVENTUALLY TO BELTON
AND WILLIAMSTON.

WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 50 MPH...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND
LIGHTNING...AND TORRENTIAL RAINFALL RATES OF 1 AND 2 INCHES PER HOUR
CAN BE EXPECTED AS THE STORMS MOVE ACROSS THESE AREAS. FLOODING OF
LOW LYING AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS CAN BE EXPECTED...ESPECIALLY IN
URBAN AREAS. PONDING OF WATER WILL LIKELY OCCUR ON I-85. STRONG WIND
GUSTS WILL LIKELY BLOW DOWN SMALL LIMBS...AND COULD TOPPLE DEAD
TREES.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR THE MEDIA FOR THE LATEST WEATHER
INFORMATION.

LANE

Special weather statement, Aug 7, 5:20 PM EST, 10 minutes before

SCZ006-011-012-019-072330-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTED LOCATION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
620 PM EDT THU AUG 7 2003

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING ACROSS THE UPSTATE...

AT 615 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO SOUTHERN GREENVILLE COUNTY AND THE
NORTHERN TIP OF ABBEVILLE COUNTY. THROUGH 730 PM...THESE STORMS WILL
AFFECT AREAS NEAR DONALDS...FORK SHOALS...WARE SHOALS...HICKORY
TAVERN...AND EVENTUALLY GRAY COURT AND LAURENS.

WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 50 MPH...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND
LIGHTNING...AND TORRENTIAL RAINFALL RATES OF 1 AND 2 INCHES PER HOUR
CAN BE EXPECTED AS THE STORMS MOVE ACROSS THESE AREAS. FLOODING OF
LOW LYING AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS CAN BE EXPECTED...ESPECIALLY IN
URBAN LOCATIONS. PONDING OF WATER WILL LIKELY OCCUR ON HIGHWAY
25...AS WELL AS OTHER HIGHWAYS AND ROADS ACROSS THE AREA. STRONG
WIND GUSTS WILL LIKELY BLOW DOWN SMALL LIMBS...AND COULD TOPPLE DEAD
TREES.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR THE MEDIA FOR THE LATEST WEATHER
INFORMATION.

LANE

The radar

The Roanoke radar (KFCX), 146 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:27 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.

Lightning, Iredell

When: August 7, 5:30 PM EST
Where: Iredell County, Mazeppa
Injuries: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 35.807, -80.873 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A man was struck by lightning.

What these are

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 2003 Every state in 2003 This day in weather history Warnings in North Carolina, August 2003

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: 5333289.