North Carolina, 2003

Damaging Wind in North Carolina, July 21, 2003

July 21, 2003 · NWS GSP · 1 event in 1 county or zone

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

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

Open the live radar over this ground

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 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 21, 2:20 PM EST, 4 hours 50 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 21, 2:20 PM EST, 4 hours 50 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
320 PM EDT MON JUL 21 2003

ISOLATED TO WIDELY SCATTERED CONVECTION CONTINUES TO DEVELOP ACROSS
THE WESTERN CAROLINAS AND NORTHEAST GEORGIA...IN AN AIRMASS
CHARACTERIZED BY CAPES RANGING FROM 2500 IN THE MOUNTAINS...TO 3500
J/KG ALONG THE EASTERN PERIPHERY OF THE CWFA. WE WILL ADVERTISE
CHANCE POPS ACROSS THE ENTIRE REGION EARLY THIS EVENING TO HANDLE
THIS ACTIVITY. WITH MODERATE TO HIGH INSTABILITY AND STEEP MID LEVEL
THETA-E LAPSES...EXPECT THAT WE WILL SEE A FEW WET MICROBURSTS HERE
AND THERE THIS EVENING. OF GREATER CONCERN IS THE RATHER STRONG MCS
CURRENTLY ADVANCING OUT OF SOUTHERN KENTUCKY...INTO NORTHERN
MIDDLE/NORTHEAST TENN. THE UNSTABLE AIRMASS AHEAD OF THIS FEATURE
AND CORFIDI VECTORS/THERMAL WIND PROGS SHOULD SUPPORT IT INTO OUR NC
MNTNS DURING THE MID/LATE EVENING...AND WILL CARRY LIKELY POPS THERE
DURING THIS TIMEFRAME. HOWEVER...WITH LACK OF UPPER SUPPORT/ADEQUATE
SHEAR...THE MCS SHOULD HAVE DIFFICULTY MAINTAINING ITSELF EAST OF THE
MOUNTAINS...SO POPS WILL BE HELD IN THE CHANCE RANGE THERE.

TUESDAY...PERSISTENT EAST COAST TROUGH AMPLIFIES AS A STRONG SW
MOVES INTO THE BASE OF THE TROUGH...AND DEEP LAYER W/SW FLOW
STRENGTHENS QUITE NICELY IN RESPONSE...ESP FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR.
ALTHOUGH INCREASE IN CLOUD COVER AND RATHER WEAK MID LEVEL LAPSE
RATES WILL PRECLUDE THE DEVELOPMENT OF A TERRIBLY UNSTABLE
AIRMASS...EXPECT CONVECTION TO REDEVELOP TOMORROW AFTERNOON WITHIN
LEE TROUGH...AND/OR PERHAPS ALONG OUTFLOW BOUNDARY(S) LEFT BEHIND
FROM TONIGHTS MCS. SHEAR WILL BE MORE THAN ADEQUATE FOR SOME OF
THIS ACTIVITY TO ORGANIZE INTO SEVERE MULTICELL CLUSTERS...AND WE
WILL ADVERTISE HIGH CHANCE TO LIKELY POPS TOMORROW AFTERNOON. AS THE
SW TROUGH AND ASSOCIATED FRONTAL BOUNDARY MOVES INTO THE AREA
TUESDAY EVENING/NIGHT...AND THE REGION COMES UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF
THE RIGHT ENTRANCE REGION OF AN 80KT H2 JET...SUSPECT THAT WE WILL
SEE A LARGE MCS AFFECT THE CWFA DURING THIS TIME...AND LIKELY POPS
WILL BE MAINTAINED FOR THIS PERIOD. ASSUMING THAT THE AIRMASS ISNT
COMPLETELY WORKED OVER FROM TOMORROW AFTERNOONS CONVECTION...THERE
SHOULD BE A CONTINUED THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER INTO TUESDAY NIGHT.

HAVE LINGERED POPS INTO WEDNESDAY AND PART OF THURSDAY...ESPECIALLY
ACROSS THE EAST...AS THE BOUNDARY BEGINS TO STALL IN OR NEAR THE
AREA. FOR FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY...THE FORECAST WILL REMAIN FREE OF
POPS...AS THE EAST COAST TROUGH DEAMPLIFIES AND THE BOUNDARY SLOWLY
WASHES OUT OVER THE SOUTHEAST. POPS RETURN TO THE FORECAST FOR
MONDAY...AS MEDIUM RANGE MODELS HINT AT A REAMPLIFICATION OF THE
TROUGH.

.GSP...
GA...NONE.
NC...NONE.
SC...NONE.

LANE
Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 21, 12:40 PM EST, 6 hours 30 minutes before
GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014-
019-211945-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
140 PM EDT MON JUL 21 2003

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. ONE
OR TWO OF THEM COULD PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND GUSTS. OTHER
THUNDERSTORMS APPROACHING FROM THE WEST WILL MOVE INTO THE NORTH
CAROLINA MOUNTAINS THIS EVENING...AND COULD PRODUCE MORE SEVERE
WEATHER...MAINLY IN THE FORM OF WIND DAMAGE. FOR MORE
INFORMATION...SEE THE SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK (SPSGSP) ISSUED AT
130 PM.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE AGAIN ON TUESDAY...WEDNESDAY...AND
THURSDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED.

MOORE

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 21, 3:58 PM EST, 3 hours 12 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
458 PM EDT MON JUL 21 2003

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

330 PM     1 SE AVL                  NC   WIND DAMAGE
07/21/03   HENDERSON                      PUBLIC REPORTED NINE
                                          BRADFORD PEAR TREES BLOWN
                                          DOWN AT GOLF COURSE...
                                          LARGEST OF WHICH WAS 15
                                          IN DIAM. ALSO PEA SIZED
                                          HAIL.

LAMB
Local storm report, Jul 21, 4:18 PM EST, 2 hours 52 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
518 PM EDT MON JUL 21 2003

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

501 PM     2 NW TAYLORSVILLE         NC   1.00 INCH HAIL
07/21/03   ALEXANDER                      SPOTTER REPORT.

JAT
Local storm report, Jul 21, 5:46 PM EST, 1 hour 24 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
646 PM EDT MON JUL 21 2003

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

635 PM     NEWTON                    NC   .75 INCH HAIL
07/21/03   CATAWBA                        PUBLIC REPORT.

JAT
Local storm report, Jul 21, 5:50 PM EST, 1 hour 20 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
650 PM EDT MON JUL 21 2003

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

647 PM     10 N SHELBY               NC   1.00 INCH HAIL
07/21/03   CLEVELAND                      QUARTER SIZE HAIL
                                          REPORTED BY SPOTTER.

630 PM     UNION                     SC   WIND DAMAGE
07/21/03   UNION                          SPOTTER REPORTED TREES
                                          DOWN.

RB
Local storm report, Jul 21, 6:26 PM EST, 44 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
726 PM EDT MON JUL 21 2003

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

700 PM     2 N NEWTON                NC   WIND DAMAGE
07/21/03   CATAWBA                        A COUPLE OF TREES ON
                                          POWER LINES ALONG HIGHWAY
                                          70.

RBN
Local storm report, Jul 21, 7:08 PM EST, 2 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
808 PM EDT MON JUL 21 2003

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

759 PM     8 SE CHARLOTTE            NC   WIND
07/21/03   MECKLENBURG                    60 MPH WINDS ESTIMATED
                                          ALONG INTERSTATE 485
                                          BETWEEN PINEVILLE AND
                                          MATHEWS.

755 PM     MORRESVILLE               NC   WIND GUSTS
07/21/03   IREDELL                        AMATEUR RADIO OPERATED
                                          MEASURED 58 MPH GUSTS.

RBN

The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 160 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:10 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Cabarrus

When
July 21, 7:10 PM EST
Where
Cabarrus County, Kannapolis
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
35.500, -80.633

A tree fell on a house.

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

More

Every storm in North Carolina in 2003Every state in 2003This day in weather historyWarnings in North Carolina, July 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: 5334693.