Damaging Wind and Lightning Strike in South Carolina, August 4, 2003

Name: Damaging Wind and Lightning Strike in South Carolina, August 4, 2003
Start: 2003-08-04T20:40
End: 2003-08-04T20:40
Location: South Carolina

August 4, 2003 · NWS GSP · 2 events in 1 county or zone

Several trees and power lines were blown down. Also, lightning ignited fires at an apartment complex, causing significant damage to one unit, and moderate damage to two others.

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: $101,000
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 happened

The episode as NWS GSP wrote it up.

Several trees and power lines were blown down. Also, lightning ignited fires at an apartment complex, causing significant damage to one unit, and moderate damage to two others.

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 4, 1:23 PM EST, 7 hours 17 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 4, 1:23 PM EST, 7 hours 17 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
223 PM EDT MON AUG 4 2003

UPPER LEVEL TROUGH AXIS TO REMAIN W OF AREA. REMNANTS OF WEAK
SURFACE BOUNDARY APPEAR TO REACH AREA LATE TUE...STALLING OVER
AREA....WITH SURFACE WAVE MOVING INTO AREA FROM W WED. FIRST OF
SEVERALE VORT LOBES MOVES ACROSS AREA THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.
LEFT POPS AT LIKELY NE THIS EVENING...WHERE GREATEST INSTABILITY
EXPECTED...WITH HIGH CHANCE REST OF AREA. ANOTHER VORT LOBE TO PASS
TO SW OF AREA LATE TUE. CARRIED CHANCE POPS...BEST IN WHERE VORT
LOBE COMES CLOSEST. THIRD VORT MAX APPROACHES WED...AND CARRIED
CHANCE POP ACROSS AREA. WITH VERY MOIST AIR MASS AND POSSIBLE
BOUNDARY...LEFT SLIGHT CHANCE POPS LATE EACH NIGHT. WEAK COLD FRONT
TO CROSS AREA EARLY THU...SUPPORTING ANOTHER DAY OF CHACNE POPS.
TEMPERATURES NEAR PERSISTENCE EACH DAY...GENERALLY LOW TO MID 80S
OVER MID TO UPPER 60S.

POSSIBILITY OF SEVERE WEATHER TO EXIST THROUGH EARLY PART OF
PACKAGE. ALTHOUGH LARGE SCALE QPF NOT EXPECTED TO VERY GREAT ON ANY
GIVEN DAY...CUMULATIVE EFFECT ON ALREADY SOAKED SOIL COULD LEAD TO
FLOODING BY MID WEEK. WILL ISSUE FLOOD POTENTIAL OUTLOOK.

EXTENDED FORECAST FEATURES WEAK STATIONARY FRONT STALLED ACROSS
CENTRAL CAROLINAS. CARRIED CHANCE POPS EACH AFTERNOON/EVENING
WITH SLIGHT CHANCE LATE EACH NIGHT. TEMPERATURES AGAIN NEAR
PERSISTENCE.

FCSTID =    7
GSP   68  87  69  85 /  50  30  30  40
AND   68  88  69  85 /  50  30  30  40
CLT   68  88  70  85 /  60  30  30  40
HKY   65  85  67  83 /  60  30  30  40
AVL   62  83  64  81 /  50  40  40  40

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

O7

Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 4, 4:17 AM EST, 16 hours 23 minutes before

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014-
019-041115-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
517 AM EDT MON AUG 4 2003

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY

SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO BECOME NUMEROUS
TODAY...ESPECIALLY FROM THIS AFTERNOON TO MIDNIGHT. SOME OF THESE
STORMS COULD BECOME QUITE STRONG AND A FEW COULD REACH SEVERE
LEVELS. LOCALIZED HEAVY RAINFALL CAN ALSO BE ANTICIPATED. SEE THE
LATEST SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK (CAESPSGSP) FOR MORE DETAILED
INFORMATION.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

MAINLY AFTERNOON AND EVENING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE
THROUGH THE WEEK. ADDITIONAL RAINFALL WILL AUGMENT ONGOING ELEVATED
WATER LEVELS...INCREASING THE CHANCES FOR FLOODING. IN
ADDITION...THESE STORMS COULD ALSO BECOME QUITE STRONG AND A FEW
COULD REACH SEVERE LEVELS.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

NED

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Aug 4, 5:19 PM EST, 3 hours 21 minutes before

NCZ070-071-SCZ009-042315-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
619 PM EDT MON AUG 4 2003

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING TOWARD THE CHARLOTTE METRO AREA...

AT 612 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A STRONG
THUNDERSTORM LOCATED ABOUT 12 MILES SOUTHWEST OF GASTONIA...MOVING
EAST AT AROUND 20 MPH. THIS STORM WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING GUSTY
WINDS OF 40 TO 50 MPH...SMALL HAIL...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND
LIGHTNING...AND HOURLY RAINFALL RATES BETWEEN 1 AND 2 INCHES PER
HOUR AS IT TRACKS NEAR THE GASTON AND YORK COUNTY LINE THROUGH 7
PM. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THIS STORM COULD BRIEFLY INTENSIFY TO SEVERE
LEVELS...AND THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR
THIS STORM CLOSELY FOR POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

THIS STORM IS EXPECTED TO REACH MECKLENBURG COUNTY BETWEEN 7 AND 730
PM.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS FOR THE
LATEST INFORMATION REGARDING THIS WEATHER SITUATION.

LANE

Special weather statement, Aug 4, 6:10 PM EST, 2 hours 30 minutes before

NCZ070>072-SCZ009-050000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
710 PM EDT MON AUG 4 2003

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS TO AFFECT THE CHARLOTTE METRO AREA THROUGH 8
PM...

AT 705 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO WESTERN MECKLENBURG COUNTY. THESE
STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING STRONG WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50
MPH...TORRENTIAL RAINFALL RATES OF 1 TO 2 INCHES PER HOUR...AND
FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING AS THEY MOVE ACROSS THE METRO
AREA. PONDING OF WATER WILL LIKELY OCCUR ON STREETS AND HIGHWAYS
ACROSS THE AREA...AND FLOODING OF LOW LYING AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS
WILL BE POSSIBLE. THESE STORMS WILL CONTINUE TO BE MONITORED CLOSELY
FOR POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

LANE

Local storm report, Aug 4, 6:19 PM EST, 2 hours 21 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
719 PM EDT MON AUG 04 2003

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

710 PM     ASHEVILLE                 NC   WIND DAMAGE
08/04/03   BUNCOMBE                       BUNCOMBE 911 REPORTED
                                          EXTENSIVE WIND DAMAGE
                                          FROM ENKA THROUGH
                                          ASHEVILLE TO WOODFIN.
                                          NUMEROUS TREES AND
                                          POWERLINES DOWN.

710 PM     3 W ASHEVILLE             NC   1.75 INCH HAIL
08/04/03   BUNCOMBE                       BUNCOMBE 911 REPORTED
                                          GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL. PEA
                                          SIZE HAIL WAS OCCURRING
                                          IN DOWNTOWN ASHEVILLE AT
                                          911 CENTER.

LAMB

Local storm report, Aug 4, 7:28 PM EST, 1 hour 12 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
828 PM EDT MON AUG 04 2003

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

805 PM     MILLS RIVER               NC   WIND DAMAGE
08/04/03   HENDERSON                      MILLS RIVER F.D. REPORTED
                                          ONE TREE DOWN IN MILLS
                                          RIVER AND A LOT OF 0.5
                                          HAIL.

LAMB

Special weather statement, Aug 4, 7:36 PM EST, 1 hour 4 minutes before

GAZ018-026-050110-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
836 PM EDT MON AUG 4 2003

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS APPROACHING STEPHENS AND
FRANKLIN COUNTIES...

STRONG STORMS WILL CONTINUE MOVING IN FROM BANKS COUNTY
INTO STEPHENS AND FRANKLIN COUNTIES THROUGH 930 PM. INTERESTS
ACROSS THESE COUNTIES SHOULD MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF THESE
STORMS AND BE READY FOR VERY HEAVY RAIN...CLOUD TO GROUND
LIGHTNING...AND POSSIBLY SOME HAIL AND STRONG WIND GUSTS.

55

Special weather statement, Aug 4, 7:57 PM EST, 43 minutes before

NCZ071-082-SCZ009-050145-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
857 PM EDT MON AUG 4 2003

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS AFFECTING SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF CHARLOTTE
METRO AND SURROUNDING AREAS...

AT 845 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED NUMEROUS
THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS EASTERN YORK...SOUTHERN MECKLENBURG...AND UNION
COUNTIES. THE MAIN THREAT FROM THESE STORMS WILL BE VERY HEAVY
RAINFALL...AND AS MUCH AS 2 INCHES OF RAIN IN AN HOUR IS POSSIBLE
WITH THE STRONGEST STORMS. THIS AMOUNT OF RAIN WILL LIKELY PRODUCE
FLOODING OF LOW LYING AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS...ESPECIALLY IN MONROE
AND PINEVILLE AND OTHER URBAN AREAS. PONDING OF WATER WILL ALSO
OCCUR ON MAJOR HIGHWAYS ACROSS THE AREA...AS WELL AS SIDE ROADS. IN
ADDITION TO TORRENTIAL RAINFALL...GUSTY WINDS AND FREQUENT CLOUD TO
GROUND LIGHTNING CAN ALSO BE EXPECTED.

DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS THE
ROADWAY. THE WATER DEPTH MAY BE TOO GREAT TO ALLOW YOUR CAR TO CROSS
SAFELY. VEHICLES CAUGHT IN RISING WATER SHOULD BE ABANDONED QUICKLY.
MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND.

LANE

The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 8 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 01:37 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

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

Thunderstorm Wind, Greenville

When: August 4, 8:40 PM EST
Where: Greenville County, Taylors
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 34.917, -82.300

Lightning, Greenville

When: August 4, 8:40 PM EST
Where: Greenville County, Taylors
Property damage: $100,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 34.894, -82.371 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

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 South Carolina in 2003 Every state in 2003 This day in weather history Warnings in South 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: 5333304, 5333305.