High Wind in South Carolina, March 7, 2004

Name: High Wind in South Carolina, March 7, 2004
Start: 2004-03-07T21:00
End: 2004-03-07T23:20
Location: South Carolina

March 7, 2004 · NWS ILM · 7 events in 7 counties and zones

7 high wind, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 5 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: $15,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 7

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 Wilmington, NC wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 7, 8:20 PM EST, 40 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 7, 8:20 PM EST, 40 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Mar 7, 9:00 PM EST, 0 minutes before

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In the hours before

Special weather statement, Mar 7, 8:15 PM EST, 45 minutes before

NCZ087-096-099-SCZ017-023-024-032-033-080300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC
815 PM EST SUN MAR 7 2004

...VERY STRONG WINDS ARE EXPECTED LATE THIS EVENING...

A COLD FRONT MOVING RAPIDLY SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE CAROLINAS WILL BRING
STRONG GUSTY WINDS TO THE AREA. WIND GUSTS OF 35 TO 45 MPH WITH
OCCASIONAL HIGHER GUSTS CAN BE EXPECTED ACROSS MARLBORO...
DARLINGTON...FLORENCE...MARION...DILLON AND ROBESON COUNTIES FROM 830
PM UNTIL 10 PM.

WIND GUSTS OF THIS SPEED WILL BE STRONG ENOUGH TO BREAK TREE
LIMBS AND BLOW AROUND LIGHT AND UN-SECURE OBJECTS. THERE IS A
POSSIBILITY FOR SCATTERED POWER OUTAGES DUE TO LIMBS FALLING ON POWER
LINES...AS WELL AS LIMB DEBRIS ON ROADS. RESIDENTS ARE URGED TO
PREPARE FOR THESE WINDS AND SECURE LOOSE OBJECTS. THE WINDS WILL
DIMINISH TO 10 TO 20 MPH SHORTLY AFTER MIDNIGHT.

MR

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

7 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Marlboro

When: March 7, 9:00 PM EST to 9:15 PM EST
Where: Marlboro forecast zone
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 34.602, -79.679 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A cold front moved rapidly across the area, with high winds behind the front. There were numerous reports of trees down, with most areas receiving wind gusts around 60 mph as the cold front moved through. Over 25,000 people were without power due to breaking limbs falling on power lines. There was major damage to a building in Conway, with three quarters of the roof peeled back. The high winds only lasted an hour or less over much of the area as the cold front pushed rapidly offshore.

High Wind, Darlington

When: March 7, 9:10 PM EST to 9:40 PM EST
Where: Darlington forecast zone
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 34.332, -79.958 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Dillon

When: March 7, 9:20 PM EST to 9:45 PM EST
Where: Dillon forecast zone
Measured: 54 kt (62 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 34.392, -79.379 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Florence

When: March 7, 9:30 PM EST to 10:00 PM EST
Where: Florence forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 34.024, -79.703 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Marion

When: March 7, 9:40 PM EST to 10:00 PM EST
Where: Marion forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 34.080, -79.362 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Horry

When: March 7, 9:45 PM EST to 11:20 PM EST
Where: Horry forecast zone
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $15,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER

High Wind, Georgetown

When: March 7, 10:10 PM EST to 11:20 PM EST
Where: Georgetown forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

What these are

High Wind: Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in South Carolina in 2004 Every state in 2004 This day in weather history Warnings in South Carolina, March 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: 5387085, 5387084, 5387087, 5387086, 5387089, 5387083, 5387088.