Hail and Lightning Strike in North Carolina, July 5, 2004

Name: Hail and Lightning Strike in North Carolina, July 5, 2004
Start: 2004-07-05T19:40
End: 2004-07-05T19:40
Location: North Carolina

July 5, 2004 · NWS GSP · 2 events in 1 county or zone

1 hail, 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: 0
Property damage: $20,000
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 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 5, 5:58 PM EST, 1 hour 42 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 5, 5:58 PM EST, 1 hour 42 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
658 PM EDT MON JUL 5 2004

.SHORT TERM (REST OF TONIGHT)...
AM UPDATING THE ZONES TO INCLUDE SEVERE T-STORM WATCH 568 AND TO
INCREASE POPS TO CATEGORICAL ACROSS MOST OF THE NC MOUNTAINS.

&&

.PREVIOUS DISCUSSION...
THE FOLLOWING WAS ORIGINALLY ISSUED AT 226 PM EDT MON JUL 5 2004

SHORT TERM (TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY)...
FIRST PERIOD CONCERN CENTERS AROUND THE CHCS FOR CONVECTION. MCS
OVER WESTERN KY WILL CONTINUE TRACK EASTWARD TOWARD THE APPALACHIANS
LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE SYSTEM SHOULD QUICKLY DISSIPATE
AS IT REACHES THE HIGHER TERRAIN. ISOLATED SH/TS ARE DEVELOPING OVER
THE MTN PEAKS ATTM. WILL EXPECT COVERAGE OF THE LOCAL CONVECTION TO
SLOWLY INCREASE OVER FA BEFORE SUNLIGHT FADES. WILL FORECAST CHC
OVER THE MTNS AND ISO EAST...WILL END MENTION IN THE GRIDS BY 4Z TO
ACCOUNT FOR THE MCS.

AMPLITUDE OF MID-LEVEL HEIGHTS INCREASE TONIGHT AND WILL REMAIN HIGH
TUE. MESOETA SHOWS H85 TEMPS BUILDING TO 21C BY TUE
AFTERNOON...WHILE KEEPING SKY RATHER CLEAN. TEMPERATURES SHOULD RISE
INTO THE MID TO UPPER 90S OVER UPPER 60S TO LOWER 70S DWPTS. HEAT
INDEX VALUES SHOULD REMAIN BELOW ADVISORY CATE...WITH WIDESPREAD
VALUES OF 100F LASTING 2-3 HRS.

LOW PRESSURE IS EXPECTED TO ORGANIZE OVER THE GREAT LAKES
TUESDAY NIGHT. AN ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH THE FA ON WED
AS H5 HEIGHTS BEGIN TO FALL. THE ATMOS SHOULD DESTABILIZE AS TEMPS
DECREASE ALOFT AND LLVL DWPTS POOL AHEAD OF THE FRONT...WILL
FORECAST DIURNAL CHC COVERAGE. THU...THE FRONT WILL SLOWLY PUSH
THROUGH THE REGION AND WILL AGAIN USE CHC POPS TO REPRESENT.

LONG TERM (THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY)...
COLD FRONT FCST TO PUSH THROUGH CWA FROM THE NW ON THU...WHILE MAIN
ENERGY WITH UPPER TROF STAYS WELL N. WILL LEAVE CHANCE POPS IN
FCST...WITH HIGHER POPS OVER MTNS THU INTO THU EVE. UPPER RIDGE AND
SFC HIGH PRESSURE REALLY BEGIN TO BUILD OVER REGION FRI AND TROUGH
EARLY NEXT WEEK. WITH SOME LOW LEVEL MOISTURE LINGERING
HOWEVER...WILL KEEP LOW CHANCE POPS...MAINLY MTNS...THROUGH WEEKEND.

AVIATION...
UPPER RIDGE BUILDS OVER REGION TODAY WITH SUBSIDENCE ALOFT. THIS
SHOULD HELP SUPPRESS STRONG CONVECTION LATE THIS AFTN-EVE. WITH
SUFFICIENT LOW LEVEL MOISTURE...STILL EXPECT SCT TSTMS MTNS AND
ISOLD ELSEWHERE UNTIL COOLING THIS EVE. DEW POINTS REMAIN FAIRLY
HIGH AND WITH WEAK SUBSIDENCE OVERNIGHT EXPECT MVFR FOG LATE TONIGHT
THROUGH AROUND DAYBREAK.
&&

.GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
GA...NONE.
NC...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR ZONE NCZ033 UNTIL 12 AM EDT.
SC...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR ZONE SCZ001 UNTIL 12 AM EDT.
&&

LANE

Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 5, 5:18 AM EST, 14 hours 22 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
618 AM EDT MON JUL 5 2004

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014-
019-061017-
ABBEVILLE SC-ALEXANDER NC-ANDERSON SC-AVERY NC-BUNCOMBE NC-BURKE NC-
CABARRUS NC-CALDWELL NC-CATAWBA NC-CHEROKEE SC-CHESTER SC-
CLEVELAND NC-DAVIE NC-ELBERT GA-FRANKLIN GA-GASTON NC-GRAHAM NC-
GREATER GREENVILLE SC-GREATER OCONEE SC-GREATER PICKENS SC-
GREENVILLE MOUNTAINS SC-GREENWOOD SC-HABERSHAM GA-HART GA-HAYWOOD NC-
HENDERSON NC-IREDELL NC-LAURENS SC-LINCOLN NC-MACON NC-MADISON NC-
MCDOWELL NC-MECKLENBURG NC-MITCHELL NC-NORTHERN JACKSON NC-
OCONEE MOUNTAINS SC-PICKENS MOUNTAINS SC-POLK NC-RABUN GA-ROWAN NC-
RUTHERFORD NC-SOUTHERN JACKSON NC-SPARTANBURG SC-STEPHENS GA-
SWAIN NC-TRANSYLVANIA NC-UNION SC-UNION NC-YANCEY NC-YORK SC-
618 AM EDT MON JUL 5 2004

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

.DAY ONE...

LOCALLY DENSE FOG IN THE NORTH CAROLINA MOUNTAIN VALLEYS EXTENDING
EAST INTO THE NORTH CAROLINA FOOTHILLS AND PIEDMONT...WILL DISSIPATE
BY MID-MORNING.

SPOTTY MORNING SHOWERS WILL GIVE WAY TO JUST ISOLATED TO SCATTERED
AFTERNOON THUNDERSTORMS...MAINLY IN THE MOUNTAINS.

IT IS POSSIBLE THAT A FEW LOCATIONS COULD SEE HEAT INDEX VALUES IN
THE UPPER 90S THIS AFTERNOON.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

A DAILY CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS...MAINLY EACH AFTERNOON AND
EVENING...AND ESPECIALLY IN THE MOUNTAINS...WILL CONTINUE FOR MUCH OF
THIS WEEK.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 5, 5:28 PM EST, 2 hours 12 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
628 PM EDT MON JUL 5 2004

SCZ012-052330-
LAURENS SC-
INCLUDING THE CITY OF...LAURENS
628 PM EDT MON JUL 5 2004

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUES TO AFFECT LAURENS COUNTY...

AT 620 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED AN AREA OF
THUNDERSTORMS AFFECTING AREAS ALONG AND EAST OF A LINE FROM JOANNA TO
WATERLOO. THE STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO MOVE EAST OF THE AREA BY 730
PM.

GUSTY WINDS OF AROUND 50 MPH...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...
TORRENTIAL RAINFALL...AND PERHAPS SOME SMALL HAIL REMAIN POSSIBLE IN
THESE AREAS.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM. STAY TUNED TO
NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL NEWS MEDIA FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND
POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

LANE

Special weather statement, Jul 5, 5:39 PM EST, 2 hours 1 minute before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
639 PM EDT MON JUL 5 2004

NCZ036-056-057-069-071-072-052330-
CABARRUS-CATAWBA-IREDELL-LINCOLN NC-MECKLENBURG-ROWAN-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...CHARLOTTE...CONCORD...HICKORY...
LINCOLNTON...SALISBURY...STATESVILLE
639 PM EDT MON JUL 5 2004

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING ACROSS THE PIEDMONT...

AT 630 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED TWO STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE PIEDMONT...ONE OVER LAKE NORMAN IN SOUTHERN
IREDELL COUNTY...AND THE OTHER ABOUT 7 MILES EAST OF KANNAPOLIS.
THROUGH 730 PM...THE STORM OVER LAKE NORMAN WILL MOVE SOUTHEAST TO
AFFECT LOCATIONS FROM DAVIDSON AND CORNELIUS...TO HUNTERSVILLE AND
CROFT. THE STORM NEAR KANNAPOLIS WILL AFFECT LOCATIONS IN AND NEAR
MOUNT PLEASANT.

GUSTY WINDS OF AROUND 50 MPH...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...
TORRENTIAL RAINFALL...AND PERHAPS SOME SMALL HAIL WILL BE POSSIBLE IN
THESE AREAS.

IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THESE STORMS COULD INTENSIFY TO PRODUCE BRIEF
PERIODS OF SEVERE WEATHER IN THE FORM OF LARGE HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL NEWS MEDIA FOR LATER
STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

LANE

Local storm report, Jul 5, 6:46 PM EST, 54 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
746 PM EDT MON JUL 05 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0730 PM     TSTM WND DMG     MAULDIN                 34.79N 82.30W
07/05/2004                   GREENVILLE         SC   NWS EMPLOYEE

            AN OFF DUTY WEATHER SERVICE EMPLOYEE AS WELL AS A PUBLIC
            CALL REPORTS NUMEROUS TREES DOWN ACROSS MAULDIN AND
            SIMPSONVILLE AREA. BLOCKING STREETS AND ROOF DAMAGE TO
            HOUSES.

&&

JONES

Local storm report, Jul 5, 7:13 PM EST, 27 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
813 PM EDT MON JUL 05 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0745 PM     TSTM WND DMG     FRANKLIN                35.18N 83.38W
07/05/2004                   MACON              NC   COUNTY OFFICIAL

            NUMEROUS TREES DOWN COUNTY-WIDE ACROSS MACON COUNTY.

0720 PM     TSTM WND DMG     8 SW BRYSON CITY        35.34N 83.55W
07/05/2004                   SWAIN              NC   COUNTY OFFICIAL

            5 TREES DOWN BLOCKING ROADS WITH ONE POWER POLE LEANING.

&&

JONES

Local storm report, Jul 5, 7:19 PM EST, 21 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
819 PM EDT MON JUL 05 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0720 PM     TSTM WND DMG     ROBBINSVILLE            35.32N 83.81W
07/05/2004                   GRAHAM             NC   COUNTY OFFICIAL

            TREES DOWN COUNTY-WIDE ACROSS GRAHAM COUNTY WITH ROADS
            BLOCKED AND POWER LINES DOWN.

0740 PM     TSTM WND DMG     SYLVA                   35.37N 83.22W
07/05/2004                   JACKSON            NC   COUNTY OFFICIAL

            NUMEROUS TREES DOWN AROUND SYLVA AND OTHER PARTS OF
            JACKSON COUNTY.

&&

JONES

Local storm report, Jul 5, 7:35 PM EST, 5 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
835 PM EDT MON JUL 05 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0800 PM     TSTM WND DMG     SIMPSONVILLE            34.73N 82.26W
07/05/2004                   GREENVILLE         SC   PUBLIC

            THE DAUGHTER OF A WEATHER SERVICE EMPLOYEE REPORTS A
            NARROW PATH OF TREES DOWN IN THE CITY PARK AREA OF
            SIMPSONVILLE.

0525 PM     TSTM WND DMG     10 NW LAURENS           34.60N 82.15W
07/05/2004                   LAURENS            SC   COUNTY OFFICIAL

            TREES DOWN IN THE GRAY COURT AREA.

0820 PM     TSTM WND GST     GREENVILLE              34.84N 82.37W
07/05/2004  0 MPH            GREENVILLE         SC   PUBLIC

            ESTIMATED GUST OF 60 MPH WITH LAURENS ROAD FLOODED.

&&

JONES

The radar

The Columbia radar (KCAE), 143 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:38 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 hail, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Mecklenburg

When: July 5, 7:40 PM EST
Where: Mecklenburg County, 10 mi ESE of Charlotte
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 35.183, -80.683

Lightning, Mecklenburg

When: July 5, 7:40 PM EST
Where: Mecklenburg County, 10 mi ESE of Charlotte
Property damage: $20,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 35.247, -80.833 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lightning ignited several fires at homes and outbuildings.

What these are

Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
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 2004 Every state in 2004 This day in weather history Warnings in North Carolina, July 2004

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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5417643, 5417644.