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 May 23, 2:08 PM EST, 1 hour 52 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 308 PM EDT SUN MAY 23 2004 .SHORT TERM... LEE TROUGH IS CURRENTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR DECENT COVERAGE OF CONVECTION ACROSS THE NC FOOTHILLS. STRONGER FLOW IS RESULTING IN FASTER MOVEMENT OF CELLS THAN HAS BEEN OBSERVED IN PREVIOUS DAYS...AND LEE CONVECTION SHOULD SUSTAIN ITSELF AS IT MOVES EAST INTO SLIGHTLY MORE UNSTABLE AIR ACROSS THE FAR WESTERN PIEDMONT. CONVECTION SHOULD BE LARGELY DIURNAL...ALTHOUGH OUTFLOW INTERACTIONS SHOULD ALLOW CONVECTION TO PERSIST FOR AT LEAST A COUPLE OF HOURS AFTER SUNSET. THREAT OF PULSE SEVERE WILL CONTINUE INTO THE EVENING HOURS...ALTHOUGH SHEAR MAY BE JUST STRONG ENOUGH TO SUPPORT A MULTICELL CLUSTER OR TWO. SW TROUGH AND ASSOCIATED SURFACE LOW TRAVERSING THE NORTHEAST U.S. ON MONDAY WILL RESULT IN LOW LEVEL FLOW WITH A STRONG WESTERLY COMPONENT ACROSS OUR AREA. THE ETA MIXES OUT DEWPOINT IN THE LEE TO THE LOW TO MID 60S TOMORROW...WHICH MAKES SENSE WITHIN THE DOWNSLOPE REGIME. HOWEVER...LEE TROUGH SHOULD ONCE AGAIN BE IN PLACE TO PROVIDE FOCUS FOR CONVECTIVE DEVELOPMENT. IN ADDITION...SHEAR WILL INCREASE JUST A BIT MORE TOMORROW...INCREASING THE LIKELIHOOD OF CONVECTION BECOMING ORGANIZED ALONG OUTFLOWS LAID DOWN BY HIGH TERRAIN OR LEE TROUGH CONVECTION. MOS POPS TOMORROW ARE VERY LOW...PROBABLY DUE TO THE WESTERLY FLOW...BUT OUR FORECAST WILL FEATURE CHANCE POPS ACROSS ROUGHLY THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE AREA (BASICALLY ALL AREAS IN AND EAST OF THE MOUNTAINS)...WITH SILENT 20S SOUTH. WILL ESSENTIALLY USE THIS SAME ARGUMENT TO JUSTIFY HIGHER POPS FOR TUESDAY. .LONG TERM... THINGS BEGIN TO GET A LITTLE MORE INTERESTING ACROSS THE AREA DURING MID-WEEK...AS THE TRAIN OF NORTHERN U.S. SW TROUGHS CONTINUES TO FLATTEN THE RIDGE ACROSS THE DEEP SOUTH. THIS WILL ALLOW THE STATIONARY FRONTAL BOUNDARY ACROSS THE OHIO VALLEY TO SAG CLOSE TO...OR PERHAPS INTO THE CWFA DURING MID-TO-LATE WEEK. AT THE VERY LEAST...THIS WILL RENDER THE NORTHERN PART OF OUR AREA SUSCEPTIBLE TO MCS/S DEVELOPING OVER THE OHIO VALLEY AND DROPPING E/SE. IN FACT...THE GFS TRACKS AN MCS ACROSS THE NORTHERN HALF OF OUR CWFA DURING THE WEDNESDAY NIGHT PERIOD. AT THIS POINT...WE DO NOT HAVE A GREAT DEAL OF CONFIDENCE THAT THE FRONT WILL SAG AS FAR SOUTH AS THE MODELS ARE DEPICTING...BUT WILL INCREASE POPS WED NIGHT INTO THE 40-50 PERCENT RANGE ACROSS THE NORTH. THE FRIDAY THRU SUNDAY PERIOD MARKED BY THE POTENTIAL OF ANOTHER SFC FNT DROPPING INTO THE AREA FROM THE NORTH SATURDAY AND ONLY SLOWLY RETURNING NWD SUNDAY. RIGHT NOW...FRIDAY APPEARS TO BE THE DAY WITH THE LEAST CHC OF PRECIP. HAVE LOWERED POP TO 20 CWFA WIDE FOR AFT/EVE CONVECTION. FNT NOT A SURE THING. IN FACT...ENSEMBLE MEAN POP SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER XCPT FOR AVL. THEREFORE HAVE GONE WITH A 30 POP MTNS...20 POP ELSEWHERE FOR AFT/EVE CONVECTION SAT AND AGAIN SUN. TRENDED TEMPS UP FROM PREV FCST THESE DAYS...BUT NOT AS HIGH AS THE OPERATIONAL MOS SINCE THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE FROM THE PREV FCST. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... GSP 68 90 67 89 / 40 20 10 20 AND 67 91 67 90 / 30 20 10 20 CLT 67 91 66 90 / 40 20 20 20 HKY 67 89 64 89 / 40 30 20 30 AVL 59 85 60 85 / 40 30 20 30 && .GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... GA...NONE. NC...NONE. SC...NONE. && LANE/RWH
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 535 AM EDT SUN MAY 23 2004 GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014- 019-240934- 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- 535 AM EDT SUN MAY 23 2004 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA... UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA...AND EXTREME NORTHEAST GEORGIA. .DAY ONE... SCATTERED TO ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON OVER THE WESTERN CAROLINAS AND NORTHEAST GEORGIA. A FEW OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS MAY PRODUCE LARGE HAIL...STRONG WINDS...AND LOCALIZED HEAVY RAINFALL. PLEASE SEE THE LATEST SPSGSP FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... SCATTERED TO ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP NEARLY EVERY AFTERNOON THIS WEEK. THE BEST COVERAGE WILL LIKELY TAKE PLACE OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF THE WESTERN CAROLINAS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED THIS AFTERNOON.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 12 PM EDT SUN MAY 23 2004 GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014- 019-232000- 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- 12 PM EDT SUN MAY 23 2004 ...SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK... A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE WESTERN CAROLINAS AND NORTHEAST GEORGIA THIS AFTERNOON. AS TEMPERATURES RISE INTO THE 80S AND LOWER 90S ACROSS THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON...THE ENVIRONMENT WILL BECOME MODERATELY UNSTABLE. ISOLATED SHOWERS HAVE DEVELOPED QUITE EARLY TODAY ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS... INDICATING AMPLE LOW LEVEL MOISTURE FOR EXPANDED COVERAGE THIS AFTERNOON. COVERAGE SHOULD CONTINUE TO INCREASE TODAY...BEGINNING IN THE MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS BUT INITIATING SOUTH AND EAST OF THE MOUNTAINS A BIT LATER. AT THIS TIME...IT APPEARS THE GREATEST THREAT FROM THE STRONGEST STORMS WILL BE FROM DAMAGING WIND...BUT SOME LARGE HAIL IS POSSIBLE AS WELL. SINCE THE WIND FLOW THROUGH THE ATMOSPHERE IS A LITTLE STRONGER THAN ON SATURDAY...ANY CONVECTION SHOULD MOVE ALONG AT 10 TO 15 MPH...DECREASING THE FLASH FLOODING THREAT. HOWEVER...ANY AREAS THAT RECEIVE MULTIPLE STORMS WILL HAVE A RISK OF RECEIVING LOCALIZED FLOODING OF LOW AREAS AND POSSIBLY STREAMS. PEOPLE LIVING NEAR CREEKS AND STREAMS SHOULD STAY ALERT THIS AFTERNOON FOR HEAVY RAIN UPSTREAM THAT MAY CAUSE UNEXPECTED RISES. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR THE MEDIA FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION. FOR ADDITIONAL WEATHER INFORMATION...CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT WWW.ERH.NOAA.GOV/GSP LAMB
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 101 PM EDT SUN MAY 23 2004 NCZ052-053-059-063>065-SCZ001>005-231756- BUNCOMBE NC-GREATER OCONEE SC-GREATER PICKENS SC- GREENVILLE MOUNTAINS SC-HAYWOOD NC-HENDERSON NC-NORTHERN JACKSON NC- OCONEE MOUNTAINS SC-PICKENS MOUNTAINS SC-SOUTHERN JACKSON NC- TRANSYLVANIA NC- 101 PM EDT SUN MAY 23 2004 A COUPLE OF CLUSTERS OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED IN THE MOUNTAINS. ONE CLUSTER...CENTERED AROUND LAKE JOCASSEE IN SOUTH CAROLINA...WAS MOVING EAST NORTHEAST ABOUT 15 MPH. THE STORMS WERE MOVING FROM CASHIERS AND WHITEWATER FALLS...TOWARD ROSMAN AND BREVARD. ANOTHER CLUSTER OF STORMS WAS LOCATED FROM NORTHWEST BUNCOMBE COUNTY...SOUTH ACROSS THE ASHEVILLE REGIONAL AIRPORT AREA...TO THE HENDERSONVILLE AREA. THESE WERE MOVING EAST NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH...GENERALLY TOWARD ASHEVILLE AND LAKE LURE. THESE STORMS WERE LIKELY CAUSING GUSTY WINDS AND SOME HAIL...AND COULD BECOME SEVERE EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND WARNINGS. JONES
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
307 PM EDT SUN MAY 23 2004
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0248 PM HAIL MARION 35.68N 82.01W
05/23/2004 0.75 INCH MCDOWELL NC TRAINED SPOTTER
SPOTTER REPORTED PENNY SIZE HAIL AND SEVERAL TREES DOWN
IN THE CITY.
0235 PM TSTM WND DMG 2 WNW MARION 35.69N 82.04W
05/23/2004 MCDOWELL NC FIRE DEPT/RESCUE
ROAD BETWEEN TOMS CREEK AND PLEASANT GARDENS BLOCKED BY
NUMEROUS DOWNED TREES. FIREFIGHTERS ENROUTE TO CLEAN IT
UP.
0258 PM FLASH FLOOD MARION 35.68N 82.01W
05/23/2004 MCDOWELL NC TRAINED SPOTTER
STREET FLOODING IN CITY. ONE PERSON TRAPPED IN VEHICLE.
WATER RESCUE POSSIBLY UNDERWAY.
0240 PM TSTM WND DMG 4 NW MARION 35.72N 82.06W
05/23/2004 MCDOWELL NC TRAINED SPOTTER
SPOTTER REPORTED NUMEROUS TREES BLOCKING NC-80 NEAR LAKE
TAHOMA. ALSO SOME STREET FLOODING IN TOMS CREEK.
&&
LAMBThe Greer radar (KGSP), 133 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:57 UTC.
1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Two houses and an apartment complex were damaged due to fires ignited by lightning.
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, May 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: 5403269.