After an extended period of moderate to heavy rainfall, flooding developed first across the western part of the county, when several secondary roads became covered with water. During the overnight hours, flooding overspread the county, affecting most valley communities, which endured the second devastating flood event in just 9 days.
Every event with a place to put it; 2 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.
After an extended period of moderate to heavy rainfall, flooding developed first across the western part of the county, when several secondary roads became covered with water. During the overnight hours, flooding overspread the county, affecting most valley communities, which endured the second devastating flood event in just 9 days. Severe flooding developed first along Allens and Hyatt Creeks, followed by another round of severe flooding along the Pigeon River, which reached a record of 23 feet in Canton. A 69-year-old woman died when she attempted to drive her vehicle through the flooded river in Canton. A 27-year-old woman and her 4-year-old son were also killed during the evening of the 18th, when the woman attempted to drive her SUV through the flooded Pigeon River which was flowing over a Forest Service road off of I-40. Numerous businesses and hundreds of homes were damaged or destroyed by flood water or landslides. The river washed out a large portion of interstate 40 near the Tennessee border. Numerous other roads and highways were damaged in places, including highways 209, 215, 19, and 276.
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 Sep 16, 8:08 PM EST, 1 hour 22 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
908 PM EDT THU SEP 16 2004
.SHORT TERM (REST OF TONIGHT)...
WILL UPGRADE THE FOOTHILL SECTIONS TO A HIGH WIND WARNING DUE TO
NUMEROUS TREES FALLING WITH SATURATED SOIL CONDITIONS. UPDATE OUT
SHORTLY TO CAPTURE THIS AND TORNADO WATCH.
&&
.PREVIOUS DISCUSSION...
THE FOLLOWING WAS ORIGINALLY ISSUED AT 852 PM EDT THU SEP 16 2004
SHORT TERM (REST OF TONIGHT)...
CIRCULATION CENTER OF THE REMNANTS OF IVAN THIS EVENING ARE LOCATED
OVER NORTHEAST AL AND MOVING NE. THE PRES GRAD CONT TO TIGHTEN
ACROSS THE REGION AND ADVISORY LEVEL WINDS ARE NOW POSSIBLE IN
SOME FOOTHILL LOCATIONS...ESPECIALLY AS TROPICAL RAIN BANDS
TRANSPORT STRONGER WIND SPEEDS TO THE LOWER ELEVATIONS. WILL
THUS UPDATE TO INCLUDE FROM HART TO SPARTANBURG TO LENOIR IN A WIND
ADVISORY. WILL LEAVE OTHER PRODUCTS IN PLACE PRESENTLY. PIEDMONT
LOCATIONS HAVE NOT RECEIVED MUCH RAIN THUS FAR...BUT ISOLATED
FLOODING THREAT CONT AS SHOWERS SHOULD START FILLING IN.
PER LATEST COORDINATION WITH SPC...TORNADO WATCH WILL BE EXTENDED
UNTIL 3 AM...AND EXPANDED INTO THE SRN TIER OF NORTH CAROLINA
COUNTIES.
THE FOLLOWING WAS ORIGINALLY ISSUED AT 258 PM EDT THU SEP 16 2004
SHORT TERM (TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY)...
MOST OF THIS PACKAGE DETERMINED BY TRACK OF IVAN...WHICH IS NOW MORE
PROGRESSIVE AND EXPECTED TO WEAKEN FASTER THAN YESTERDAY. WIND SHEAR
TO INCREASE AS RAIN BANDS MOVE CLOSER...SUPPORTING TORNADO DEVLOPMENT
INITIALLY IN S. WILL HAVE TO MONITOR NC COUNTIES LATER TONIGHT S
SHEAR MOVES FURTHER N. ALTHOUGH SYSTEM TO WEAKEN FASTER THAN IN
PREVIOUS PACKAGES...WIND GUSTS ALREADY SUBSTANTIAL IN N GA...AND
BELIEVE HIGH WIND WARNING CRITERIA WILL STILL BE MET IN MOUNTAINS
TONIGHT AND FRIDAY...AND WILL CONTINUE WARNING. FOOTHILL WINDS STILL
TO REMAIN JUST BELOW ADVISORY CRITERIA.
PROGRESSIVE TRACK WILL MEAN LESS RAINFALL...THOUGH STILL VERY
HEAVY...AND STILL MORE THAN ENOUGH FOR FLOODING...ESPECIALLY IN WAKE
OF FRANCES. WILL LEAVE FLOOD WATCH UP TONIGHT THROUGH SAT.
PRECIPITATION SHOULD TAPER OFF SAT EVENING AS LOW LEVEL FLOW S OF
IVAN BECOMES DOWNSLOPE FROM W...AND WILL LOWER POPS TO CHANCE ALL BUT
TN LINE. WITH REAMINS OF IVAN TRACKING E ACROSS S VA SUN...WILL
CONTINUE HIGHEST POPS TN LINE AND FAR N...WITH LOWEST IN S. DIURNAL
TEMPERATURE RANGE LIMITED BY CLOUDS AND MOISTURE...THOUGH DEW POINTS
TO FALL OFF IN W FLOW LATE.
LONG TERM (SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY)...
CONSIDERABLE UNCERTAINTY EXISTS IN THE MON THRU THU TIME FRAME. THE
REMNANTS OF IVAN MON AND THE EVENTUAL TRACK OF JEANNE TUE THRU THU
WILL BE THE MAIN PLAYERS IN IN OUR WX. DEEP MOISTURE AND GENERALLY
UPSLOPE FLOW CONTINUE MONDAY. JEANNE BEGINS TO MOVE TOWARD THE AREA
TUE THEN MOVES UP THE SAVANNAH RIVER VALLEY INTO THE NC MTNS THU.
GIVEN THE TROPICAL MOISTURE...LIFT AND UPSLOPE FLOW. HAVE INCLUDED
CHC POP EACH PERIOD. MAX TEMPS GENERALLY LOWER...MIN TEMPS GENERALLY
HIGHER THAN PREVIOUS FCST GIVEN THIS SCENARIO.
AVIATION...
COPIOUS LOW LEVEL MOISTURE AND ELY TO SELY UPSLOPE FLOW WILL
CONTINUE THRU THE TAF PERIOD AS IVAN APPROACHES FROM THE SOUTHWEST.
CIGS...WHILE GENERALLY MVFR...ARE BOUNCING AROUND BETWEEN MVFR AND
IFR. EXPECT ALL SITES TO BECOME IFR BY EVENING...AND LIFR
OVERNIGHT...AS RAIN SPREADS OVER THE AREA AND ATMOSPHERIC COLUMN
CONTINUES TO MOISTEN. VSBY...ALSO GENERALLY MVFR...IS DROPPING TO
IFR IN RAIN BANDS AND SOMETIMES EVEN VFR AFTER THE BANDS PASS.
EXPECT ALL SITES TO FALL TO MVFR BY EVENING WITH IFR
OVERNIGHT...AGAIN AS RAIN SPREADS OVER THE AREA. WINDS WILL BE ON
THE INCREASE AS WELL. SPEEDS INCREASING TO 15G25...AND EVEN 20G30
CLOSER TO THE CENTER OVERNIGHT. DIRECTION WILL ALSO TREND TO THE SE
OVERNIGHT. THE EXCEPTION IS KAVL WITH SLY FLOW IN THE VALLEY. HAVE
BROUGHT WIND SPEEDS UP THERE AS WELL...BUT AS USUAL...THE HIGHEST
SPEEDS MAY NOT BE REALIZED AT THE TAF SITE IF THE DIRECTION OF THE
GENERAL WIND FLOW IS MORE FROM THE SE.
&&
.GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
GA...FLOOD WATCH THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT.
...HIGH WIND WARNING FROM RABUN TO HART THROUGH FRIDAY.
...LAKE WIND ADVISORY FOR ELBERT TONIGHT...
NC...FLOOD WATCH THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT.
...HIGH WIND WARNING FOR THE MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS THROUGH
FRIDAY.
...LAKE WIND ADVISORY FOR THE PIEDMONT.
SC...FLOOD WATCH THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT.
...HIGH WIND WARNING FOR THE MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS THROUGH
FRIDAY.
...LAKE WIND ADVISORY FOR THE PIEDMONT OVERNIGHT.
&&
SHORT TERM (UPDATE)...HGHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 615 AM EDT THU SEP 16 2004 GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014- 019-171015- 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- 615 AM EDT THU SEP 16 2004 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA... UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA...AND EXTREME NORTHEAST GEORGIA. .DAY ONE... INCREASINGLY WINDY AND RAINY CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TODAY AS HURRICANE IVAN MOVES NORTH THROUGH ALABAMA. THE THREAT FOR EXCESSIVE RAINFALL...STRONG WIND GUSTS AND EVEN TORNADOES WILL BE INCREASING TONIGHT. HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE MOUNTAINS WHILE A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF THE REGION. PLEASE REFER TO THE FOLLOWING PRODUCTS ISSUED BY THIS OFFICE FOR FURTHER DETAILS... FLOOD WATCH...FFAGSP. HIGH WIND WARNING...NPWGSP. SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...SPSGSP. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... THE REMNANTS OF HURRICANE IVAN WILL CONTINUE TO EFFECT THE REGION INTO FRIDAY AND POSSIBLY INTO A PORTION OF THE WEEKEND. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS POSSIBLE.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
826 PM EDT THU SEP 16 2004
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0400 PM TORNADO 5 SSW CARNESVILLE 34.30N 83.27W
09/16/2004 FRANKLIN GA LAW ENFORCEMENT
*** 1 FATAL *** TORNADO CAUSED TREE TO FALL ON CAR
&&
LGLPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
830 PM EDT THU SEP 16 2004
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0545 PM TORNADO CARNESVILLE 34.37N 83.23W
09/16/2004 FRANKLIN GA PUBLIC
TORNADO OBSERVED NEAR CARNESVILLE
&&
LGLPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
839 PM EDT THU SEP 16 2004
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0400 PM TORNADO 8 SE CARNESVILLE 34.29N 83.13W
09/16/2004 FRANKLIN GA LAW ENFORCEMENT
25 HOMES DAMAGED OR DESTROYED... EMS AND FIRE STATION
DAMAGED... 15-20 CHICKEN HOUSES DESTROYED... REPORTS FROM
COMMUNITIES OF FRANKLIN SPRINGS AND SANDY CROSS. SOME
DAMAGE ALSO REPORTED FROM RED HILL 5 MILES NORTHWEST OF
CARNESVILLE
&&
LGLSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 938 PM EDT THU SEP 16 2004 NCZ036-037-057-170333- DAVIE NC-IREDELL NC-ROWAN NC- 938 PM EDT THU SEP 16 2004 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORM MOVING ACROSS THE NORTHWEST PIEDMONT OF NORTH CAROLINA... A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL MOVE NORTH AT 25 MPH ACROSS THE EASTERN HALF OF ROWAN COUNTY. THE STORM WILL REACH SALISBURY AROUND 950 PM AND COOLEEMEE AROUND 1010 PM. IF THE STORM HOLDS TOGETHER...IT WILL MOVE INTO DAVIE COUNTY AROUND 1015 PM. THIS THUNDERSTORM COULD PRODUCE WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH AS IT MOVES ACROSS THE NORTHWEST PIEDMONT. THESE WIND GUSTS COULD BE STRONG ENOUGH TO BLOW DOWN SOME TREES AND KNOCK DOWN SOME POWER LINES. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF THIS DEVELOPING WEATHER SITUATION. MOORE
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
943 PM EDT THU SEP 16 2004
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0915 PM TSTM WND DMG 13 NW WALHALLA 34.90N 83.22W
09/16/2004 RABUN GA AMATEUR RADIO
NUMEROUS TREES DOWN ALONG HIGHWAY 76 NEAR THE RIDGE
EXTENDING TO THE NORTHERN PART OF THE COUNTY ALONG
HIGHWAY 107. THIS IS RESULTING IN WIDESPREAD POWER
OUTAGES IN THE HIGHER TERRAIN PORTION OF OCONEE COUNTY.
0910 PM TSTM WND DMG 7 SE CLAYTON 34.81N 83.31W
09/16/2004 RABUN GA AMATEUR RADIO
NUMEROUS TREES DOWN AROUND RABUN COUNTY...ESPECIALLY IN
HIGHER TERRAIN SUCH AS HIGHWAY 76 GOING INTO SOUTH
CAROLINA. POWER OUT TO MOST OF RABUN COUNTY.
0915 PM FLOOD 3 N CLAYTON 34.92N 83.40W
09/16/2004 RABUN GA AMATEUR RADIO
REPORT OF BLACKS CREEK IN MOUNTAIN CITY IS OUT OF ITS
BANKS.
&&
DEOPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
956 PM EDT THU SEP 16 2004
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0940 PM TSTM WND DMG CASHIERS 35.11N 83.10W
09/16/2004 JACKSON NC COUNTY OFFICIAL
WIDESPREAD DAMAGE WITH NUMEROUS TREES DOWN AND RESULTING
POWER OUTAGES ACROSS THE AREA. THE REPORT STATED THAT
CASHIERS RECEIVED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE.
&&
DEOThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 flood, 1 debris flow. Local standard time, as filed.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flood, Haywood | 2004-09-17 | 69 | Female | Vehicle/Towed Trailer | Direct |
| Flood, Haywood | 2004-09-18 | 4 | Male | Vehicle/Towed Trailer | Direct |
| Flood, Haywood | 2004-09-18 | 27 | Female | Vehicle/Towed Trailer | Direct |
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, September 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: 5423313, 5423314.