A small area of high winds developed across the mountains and the higher terrain of the foothills in the wake of a thunderstorm complex. Numerous trees and power lines were blown down.
Every event with a place to put it; 9 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 episode as NWS GSP wrote it up.
A small area of high winds developed across the mountains and the higher terrain of the foothills in the wake of a thunderstorm complex. Numerous trees and power lines were blown down.
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 32 minutes earlier.
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 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.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
532 PM EDT MON JUL 05 2004
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0500 PM TSTM WND DMG 5 E SIMPSONVILLE 34.73N 82.17W
07/05/2004 GREENVILLE SC FIRE DEPT/RESCUE
CLEAR SPRING FIRE RESCUE REPORTED LARGE TREE ACROSS
SCUFFLETOWN ROAD. ALSO...PUBLIC REPORT OF ADDITIONAL TREE
ON BETHANY RD.
&&
JONESSPECIAL 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 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
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.
&&
JONESPRELIMINARY 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.
&&
JONESPRELIMINARY 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.
&&
JONESThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
11 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in North Carolina in 2004Every state in 2004This day in weather historyWarnings in North Carolina, July 2004
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: 5418026, 5418027, 5418028, 5418029, 5418030, 5418031, 5418032, 5418033, 5418034, 5418035, 5418036.