1 lightning, as filed by the National Weather Service.
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.
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.
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 29, 3:20 PM EST, 16 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 420 PM EDT TUE JUL 29 2003 SPC HAS BOXED MOST OF THE CWA E OF THE MTNS AS AN MCV MOVES IN FROM NRN GA. AT THE SFC...WEAK FRONT CURRENTLY EXTENDS FROM GSP TO CLT. SCT STRONG CONVECTION IS FIRING ON THE BNDRY...WITH OTHER CONVECTION FIRING OFF THE HIGHER TERRAIN. THE COMBINATION OF GOOD LLVL CONVERGENCE...SBCAPES AOA 3000 AND THE SHORT WAVE WL RESULT IN GOOD CONVECTIVE COVERAGE E OF THE MTNS THE REST OF THE AFTN AND THIS EVENING. ASIDE FROM SEVERE THREAT...WEAK ELY FLOW N OF THE FRONT...COUPLED WITH FAIRLY LIGHT WLY FLOW ALOFT AS WELL AS HIGH PW/S AND HIGH WBZ/S WL RESULT IN AN ENVIRONMENT FAVORABLE FOR LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING. ATTM A WATCH IS NOT WARRANTED...BUT WL MONITOR AS A SHORT TERM WATCH MAY BE NEEDED AT SOME POINT THIS EVENING. NOT MUCH FORCING ON WED...THOUGH THE FRONT WL REMAIN IN THE AREA. BEST LLVL CONVERGENCE ON THE MODELS DEVELOPS OVER THE SW MTNS. LAYER DRIES OUT QUITE A BIT AS WELL. THEREFORE...WL HAVE ONLY SLGT CHANCE POPS IN THE FAR NE ZONES...INCREASING TO AROUND 50 PERCENT INTO THE SW MTNS. THERE WL BE LGT UPSLOPE FLOW AGAIN TMRW NGHT...AND THERE MAY ONCE AGAIN BE A PROBLEM W/STATIONARY CELLS INTO THE HIGHER TERRAIN WED NGHT. LONG WAVE SHARPENS A LITTLE ON THU W/DEEP AND MOIST SWLY FLOW. ETA HAS GOOD CONVERGENCE ALONG THE LEE AS WELL. WL GO W/A 50 POP ALL ZONES. DEEPER FRONTAL BNDRY MOVES ACROSS THE CWA EARLY FRIDAY. LOOKS LIKE A CONTINUED GOOD CHANCE OF RAIN. FCSTID = 14 GSP 70 86 70 88 / 60 30 30 50 AND 71 87 71 89 / 50 40 40 50 CLT 70 84 71 89 / 60 30 30 50 HKY 68 82 69 86 / 60 20 30 50 AVL 66 81 67 83 / 30 30 30 50 .GSP... GA...NONE. NC...NONE. SC...NONE. MCAVOY
GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014- 019-291100- HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 458 AM EDT TUE JUL 29 2003 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA... UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA...AND EXTREME NORTHEAST GEORGIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TODAY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THE EXTENDED PERIOD. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED ATT HIS TIME. RB
GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014- 019-300000- SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 108 PM EDT TUE JUL 29 2003 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE ACROSS EXTREME NORTHEAST GEORGIA AND THE WESTERN CAROLINAS... THUNDERSTORMS WILL INCREASE IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY THROUGHOUT THE AFTERNOON. A MOSTLY SUNNY START TO THE DAY HAS RESULTED IN A VERY UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE. AS A COLD FRONT APPROACHES FROM THE NORTHWEST...AND A POTENT UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE ROTATES ACROSS THE REGION THIS AFTERNOON...THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS TO BECOME SEVERE. THE MAIN SEVERE WEATHER THREAT THROUGH EARLY EVENING WILL BE DAMAGING WIND GUSTS TO NEAR 70 MPH. THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD WEAKEN WITH THE LOSS OF DAYTIME HEATING. WITH A WEAK WIND FLOW ALOFT...ANY THUNDERSTORMS THAT DO DEVELOP ARE EXPECTED TO MOVE SLOWLY...AND COULD PRODUCE AT LEAST A COUPLE OF INCHES OF RAIN IN ANY ONE LOCATION. STANDING WATER ON ROADS...AND IN POOR DRAINAGE AREAS IS LIKELY WHEREVER THUNDERSTORMS LINGER FOR LONG PERIODS. STREAMS...CREEKS AND RIVERS COULD SEE QUICK RISES ACROSS THE REGION...ENHANCING THE POSSIBILITY OF LOCALIZED FLOODING. SPOTTER GROUPS SHOULD BE PREPARED TO ACTIVATE QUICKLY LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING. DISPATCHERS SHOULD ENSURE COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS ARE AWARE OF THIS INFORMATION. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR FAVORITE MEDIA OUTLET FOR THE LATEST UPDATES CONCERNING THIS POTENTIAL SEVERE WEATHER SITUATION. BURRUS
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
254 PM EDT TUE JUL 29 2003
TIME(EDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
237 PM MATTHEWS NC WIND DAMAGE
07/29/03 MECKLENBURG SPOTTER REPORTED TREE
DOWN ON CAR ON
INDEPENDENCE BLVD NEAR
MATTHEWS. 0.7 OF RAIN IN
TEN MINUTES. TRASH CANS
WASHING DOWN STREET.
LAMBNCZ034-035-054>056-066>070-SCZ004>008-010-292045- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 350 PM EDT TUE JUL 29 2003 ...A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IS MOVING OFF OF THE BLUE RIDGE... AT 344 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS LOCATED ALONG THE EASTERN SLOPES OF THE MOUNTAINS AND IN THE FOOTHILLS OF THE WESTERN CAROLINAS. THIS LINE OF STORMS WILL CONTINUE TO DRIFT SOUTH AND EAST TOWARD THE I-85 AND I-77 CORRIDORS THROUGH THE EARLY EVENING. THESE STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO INTENSIFY AS THEY MOVE INTO THE PIEDMONT...AND THEY WILL BE CAPABLE OF INCREASING TO SEVERE LEVELS. WIND GUSTS OF 60 TO 70 MPH WILL BE THE MAIN THREAT WITH ANY SEVERE STORMS. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF THE AREA UNTIL 9 PM. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF THESE STORMS FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. LANE
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
402 PM EDT TUE JUL 29 2003
TIME(EDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
236 PM 1 W MATTHEWS NC WIND DAMAGE
07/29/03 MECKLENBURG ***INJURED 1, DEAD 3***
LARGE TREE DOWN ON
VEHICLE. OCCURRED ON
MATTHEWS TOWNSHIP
PARKWAY. REPORTED BY
MECKLENBURG COUNTY
COMMUNICATIONS CENTER.
MOOREThe Greer radar (KGSP), 133 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:38 UTC.
1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Three people were killed and another injured when lightning struck a large oak tree, which then fell on and crushed the vehicle they were sitting in. Two other vehicles were damaged by the fallen tree.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning, Mecklenburg | 2003-07-29 | 33 | Male | Vehicle/Towed Trailer | Direct |
| Lightning, Mecklenburg | 2003-07-29 | 33 | Female | Vehicle/Towed Trailer | Direct |
| Lightning, Mecklenburg | 2003-07-29 | 3 | Male | Vehicle/Towed Trailer | Direct |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in North Carolina in 2003Every state in 2003This day in weather historyWarnings in North Carolina, July 2003
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: 5330382.