Damaging Wind in North Carolina, May 20, 2005

Name: Damaging Wind in North Carolina, May 20, 2005
Start: 2005-05-20T02:38
End: 2005-05-20T02:38
Location: North Carolina

May 20, 2005 · NWS GSP · 1 event in 1 county or zone

1 thunderstorm wind, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. 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: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 1

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 May 20, 2:34 AM EST, 4 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 20, 2:34 AM EST, 4 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
334 AM EDT FRI MAY 20 2005

.SHORT TERM (TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT)...
UPPER LEVEL DIVERGENCE MAXIMIZES ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA AROUND
12Z THIS MORNING...WITH 500 MB SHORTWAVE SLATED TO ARRIVE 12 TO
18Z. LEADING EDGE OF MCS CURRENTLY IS CATCHING UP TO SCATTERED TO
NUMEROUS CONVECTIVE CELLS AHEAD OF THE QUASI LINEAR FEATURE.
WIDESPREAD STRONG TO SEVERE CONVECTION WILL THUS CONTINUE IN THE
WATCH AREA INTO THE MORNING HOURS. UPPER SUPPORT WITH THE
SHORTWAVE WILL FINALLY PULL EAST OF THE AREA THIS EVENING. AT THE
SURFACE...A SERIES OF LOW PRESSURE CENTERS WILL TRANSIT EAST
ACROSS THE REGION TODAY AND EXIT THE COAST NEAR THE DELMARVA. HIGH
PRESSURE CENTERED OVER THE GREAT LAKES REGION WILL THEN FINALLY
PUSH THE SURFACE BOUNDARY THROUGH THE AREA TONIGHT WITH GRADUAL
CLEARING AND DRYING THROUGH SATURDAY.

THE NEXT SYSTEM DIVES SOUTHEAST LATE THIS WEEKEND...WITH ANOTHER
COMPLEX SURFACE PATTERN EVOLVING AS UPPER LOWS COMBINE INTO NEW
ENGLAND. THE LATE WEEKEND SYSTEM SHOULD BE ACCOMPANIED BY SLIGHTLY
LESS INSTABILITY HOWEVER.
&&

.LONG TERM (MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY)...
CONSENSUS REMAINS ON MEAN EASTERN TROUGHING THROUGH MUCH OF THE
PERIOD. NO CHANGES PLANNED TO CURRENT MEDIUM RANGE FORECAST.
&&

.AVIATION...
WILL START TAFS WITH TEMPO FOR CONVECTION...ASSOCIATED WITH PAIR OF
SHORTWAVES...NOW LEAVING OR ENTERING AREA...TIMING FIRST BAND AS IT
MOVES OUT OF KCLT AND KAND...AND SECOND BAND AS IT MOVES INTO KAVL
AND KGSP. MODELS HAVE BULK OF OMEGA OVERNIGHT...WITH MESOETA
DECREASING IT AROUND 09Z. BASED ON SPEED OF CONVECTION IN E
TN...WILL CARRY THUNDER THROUGH 09Z...AND JUST TEMPO SHOWERS TOWARD
DAWN. IN ADDITION TO CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY...MVFR THEN IFR CIGS AND
VSBY EXPECTED AS PRECIPITATION ADDS MOISTURE TO ALREADY MOIST
ATMOSPHERE.

WILL ALLOW MVFR VSBY AND CIGS TO LIFT MID MORNING IN WAKE OF
SHORTWAVES. WITH LIMITED LIFT BEHIND INITIAL SHORTWAVES...WILL DELAY
ONSET OF DAYTIME CONVECTION TIL AFTERNOON WHEN LIMITED HEATING
THROUGH LOW VFR CIGS BOOSTS ALREADY ELEVATED INSTABILITY. EXPECT
FROPA EARLY THIS EVENING...AND THOUGH FORCING WEAK...WITH PLENTY OF
MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY...EXPECT CONVECTION TO ACCOMPANY FRONT S
ACROSS TAF SITES. WIND VEERS TO NNE BEHIND FROPA LATE EVENING...WITH
LOW VFR CIGS IMPROVING SLIGHTLY.

&&

.GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
GA...NONE.
NC...NONE.
SC...NONE.
&&

SHORT TERM...HG
LONG TERM...HG
AVIATION...JAT

Hazardous weather outlook, May 19, 2:52 AM EST, 23 hours 46 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
352 AM EDT THU MAY 19 2005

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-
SCZ001>014-019-200800-
RABUN-HABERSHAM-STEPHENS-FRANKLIN-HART-ELBERT-AVERY-CALDWELL-
ALEXANDER-IREDELL-DAVIE-MADISON-YANCEY-MITCHELL-SWAIN-HAYWOOD-
BUNCOMBE-MCDOWELL-BURKE-CATAWBA-ROWAN-GRAHAM-NORTHERN JACKSON-
MACON-SOUTHERN JACKSON-TRANSYLVANIA-HENDERSON-POLK-RUTHERFORD-
CLEVELAND-LINCOLN-GASTON-MECKLENBURG-CABARRUS-UNION-
OCONEE MOUNTAINS-PICKENS MOUNTAINS-GREENVILLE MOUNTAINS-
GREATER OCONEE-GREATER PICKENS-GREATER GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG-
CHEROKEE-YORK-ANDERSON-ABBEVILLE-LAURENS-CHESTER-GREENWOOD-
352 AM EDT THU MAY 19 2005

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

THERE IS AN INCREASING CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS TODAY...BECOMING
LIKELY TO CATEGORICAL OVERNIGHT. SOME STORMS ARE LIKELY TO CONTAIN
AT LEAST SMALL HAIL AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY

THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED FRIDAY...WITH A DECREASING CHANCE
FRIDAY NIGHT. THERE IS ANOTHER CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS MONDAY AND
MONDAY NIGHT.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

RB

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 19, 8:42 PM EST, 5 hours 56 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
942 PM EDT THU MAY 19 2005

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

0915 PM     TSTM WND DMG     CANTON                  35.55N 82.84W
05/19/2005                   HAYWOOD            NC   COUNTY OFFICIAL

            PORTIONS OF A TIN ROOF WAS DAMAGED ON A BARN ON HANNAH
            COVE ROAD.

&&

NED

Special weather statement, May 19, 10:41 PM EST, 3 hours 57 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1141 PM EDT THU MAY 19 2005

GAZ017-018-026-028-200430-
FRANKLIN GA-HABERSHAM-HART-STEPHENS-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...CLARKESVILLE...HARTWELL...TOCCOA
1141 PM EDT THU MAY 19 2005

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO NORTHEAST GEORGIA BY MIDNIGHT...

STRONG THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED IN NORTHEAST GEORGIA AND SHOULD
PASS SOUTH OF CORNELIA TO NEAR TOCCOA AND CARNESVILLE.  THE
STRONGEST STORM IS EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO FRANKLIN COUNTY BEFORE
MIDNIGHT.  THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL PRODUCE STRONG GUSTY WINDS TO 45
MPH...PEA TO DIME SIZE HAIL...AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING STRIKES.
BRIEF HEAVY RAIN WILL CAUSE PONDING OF WATER ON ROADS AND IN LOW
AREAS.

BENTHALL

Local storm report, May 19, 11:42 PM EST, 2 hours 56 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1242 AM EDT FRI MAY 20 2005

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

1237 AM     HAIL             REED CREEK              34.44N 82.92W
05/20/2005  1.00 INCH        HART               GA   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            HAIL THE SIZE OF QUARTERS 5 MILES NORTH OF HARTWELL IN
            REED CREEK COMMUNITY.

&&

TJB

Local storm report, May 19, 11:47 PM EST, 2 hours 51 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1247 AM EDT FRI MAY 20 2005

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

1243 AM     HAIL             8 N SHELBY              35.40N 81.54W
05/20/2005  0.88 INCH        CLEVELAND          NC   UNKNOWN

            PUBLIC REPORT OF NICKEL SIZE HAIL 8 MILES NORTH OF SHELBY
            ON HWY 226.

&&

TJB

Local storm report, May 20, 12:06 AM EST, 2 hours 32 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
106 AM EDT FRI MAY 20 2005

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

1200 AM     TSTM WND DMG     AVALON                  34.50N 83.19W
05/20/2005                   STEPHENS           GA   COUNTY OFFICIAL

            TREES DOWN IN AVALON AREA, ONE ON MARTIN DRIVE.

&&

TJB

The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 59 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 07:40 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Henderson

When: May 20, 2:38 AM EST
Where: Henderson County, Etowah
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 35.317, -82.600

Trees down along highway 64.

What these are

Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in North Carolina in 2005 Every state in 2005 This day in weather history Warnings in North Carolina, May 2005

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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5453529.