North Carolina, 2005

Damaging Wind in North Carolina, May 20, 2005

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, 2:46 AM EST, 2 hours 14 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 20, 2:46 AM EST, 2 hours 14 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
346 AM EDT FRI MAY 20 2005

.SHORT TERM (REST OF TODAY)...
UPDATED WWA SECTION FOR FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN THE SOUTHERN NC MTNS.
&&

.PREVIOUS DISCUSSION...
(ISSUED 339 AM EDT FRI MAY 20 2005)

SHORT TERM (TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT)...
UPDATED TO INCLUDE CONSIDERATION OF A SHORT FUSE FLASH FLOOD WATCH
IN THE SOUTHERN NC MOUNTAINS. ADDITIONAL CONVECTION DEVELOPING NEAR
CROSSVILLE TN COULD CREATE HYDROLOGY PROBLEMS FROM HAYWOOD COUNTY
SOUTH EARLY TODAY.

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...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR NCZ051-052-058-059-062>064 UNTIL NOON
     FRIDAY.
SC...NONE.
&&

SHORT TERM...HG
Hazardous weather outlook, May 20, 4:46 AM EST, 14 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
546 AM EDT FRI MAY 20 2005

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-
SCZ001>014-019-211000-
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-
546 AM EDT FRI MAY 20 2005

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE FAIRLY WIDESPREAD ACROSS THE REGION
TODAY...ESPECIALLY THIS MORNING. ISOLATED SEVERE WEATHER...WITH
PENNY SIZE HAIL AND WIND GUSTS TO 60 MPH...WILL BE POSSIBLE.
TORRENTIAL RAINFALL ACCOMPANYING THE THUNDERSTORMS MAY ALSO
PRODUCE LOCALIZED FLOODING. PLEASE SEE THE SEVERE WEATHER
OUTLOOK...SPSGSP...FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION ON THE
THUNDERSTORMS. ALSO SEE THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH...FFAGSP...FOR
FURTHER DETAILS ON THE POTENTIAL FOR FLOODING IN THE SOUTHERN
MOUNTAINS OF NORTH CAROLINA.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED TODAY FOR THE PURPOSE OF REPORTING
SEVERE WEATHER...FLOODING AND RAINFALL AMOUNTS.

14

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 19, 11:42 PM EST, 5 hours 18 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, 5 hours 13 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, 4 hours 54 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
Local storm report, May 20, 2:45 AM EST, 2 hours 15 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
345 AM EDT FRI MAY 20 2005

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

0338 AM     TSTM WND DMG     10 NE HENDERSONVILLE    35.42N 82.34W
05/20/2005                   HENDERSON          NC   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            TREES DOWN ON HWY 64 IN EDNEYVILLE

0338 AM     TSTM WND DMG     ETOWAH                  35.32N 82.60W
05/20/2005                   HENDERSON          NC   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            TREES DOWN ON HWY 64 IN ETOWAH.

&&

TJB
Special weather statement, May 20, 4:42 AM EST, 18 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
542 AM EDT FRI MAY 20 2005

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-
SCZ001>014-019-201145-
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-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...CLAYTON...CLARKESVILLE...TOCCOA...
HARTWELL...ELBERTON...NEWLAND...STATESVILLE...MOCKSVILLE...
SPRUCE PINE...CHEROKEE...WAYNESVILLE...ASHEVILLE...MARION...
MORGANTON...HICKORY...SALISBURY...SYLVA...FRANKLIN...BREVARD...
HENDERSONVILLE...COLUMBUS...RUTHERFORDTON...SHELBY...LINCOLNTON...
GASTONIA...CHARLOTTE...CONCORD...MONROE...GREENVILLE...
SPARTANBURG...GAFFNEY...ROCK HILL...ANDERSON...ABBEVILLE...
LAURENS...UNION...CHESTER...GREENWOOD
542 AM EDT FRI MAY 20 2005

...SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK...

WAVES OF LOW PRESSURE MOVING EAST TODAY...FROM EASTERN TENNESSEE
TO THE DELMARVA PENINSULA...WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR SEVERAL ROUNDS
OF THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE REGION. AFTER THE EARLY ROUND OF
STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS COMES TO AN END ACROSS THE AREA THIS
MORNING...ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ONCE
AGAIN THIS AFTERNOON. A FEW OF THESE LATER THUNDERSTORMS MAY ALSO BECOME
SEVERE...PRODUCING PENNY SIZE HAIL AND WIND GUSTS TO 60 MPH. TORRENTIAL
RAINFALL WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE WITH ANY THUNDERSTORM...POSSIBLY
PRODUCING STREET FLOODING IN AFFECTED AREAS.

STAY TUNED TO ALL HAZARDS NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR THE LATEST
UPDATES...AND ANY POSSIBLE WATCHES OR WARNINGS.

HG
Special weather statement, May 20, 4:56 AM EST, 4 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
556 AM EDT FRI MAY 20 2005

NCZ033>037-048>050-053>056-065-069-201100-
ALEXANDER-AVERY-BUNCOMBE-BURKE-CALDWELL-CATAWBA-DAVIE-HENDERSON-
IREDELL-LINCOLN-NCDOWELL-MADISON-MITCHELL-YANCEY-
556 AM EDT FRI MAY 20 2005

...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS CANCELED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
WATCH 298 FOR THE FOLLOWING AREA...

IN NORTH CAROLINA THIS CANCELS 17 COUNTIES

IN PIEDMONT NORTH CAROLINA

CLEVELAND... DAVIE... IREDELL...
LINCOLN...

IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA

ALEXANDER... AVERY... BUNCOMBE...
BURKE... CALDWELL... CATAWBA...
HENDERSON... MADISON... MCDOWELL...
MITCHELL... POLK... RUTHERFORD...
YANCEY...

THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF...RUTHERFORDTON...COLUMBUS...
HICKORY...NEWTON...LINCOLNTON...ASHEVILLE...MORGANTON...
BAKERSVILLE...TAYLORSVILLE...MOCKSVILLE...MARION...NEWLAND...
MARSHALL...HENDERSONVILLE...STATESVILLE...MOORESVILLE...
BURNSVILLE AND SHELBY.

GAZ010-017>018-026-028>029-NCZ051>052-057>059-062>064-
071>072-082-SCZ001>014-019-201300-
ELBERT-FRANKLIN-HABERSHAM-HART-RABUN-STEPHENS-CABARRUS-GRAHAM-
HAYWOOD-JACKSON--MACON-MECKLENBURG-ROWAN-SWAIN-TRANSYLVANIA-
UNION-ABBEVILLE-ANDERSON-CHEROKEE-CHESTER-GREENVILLE--GREENWOOD-
LAURENS-OCONEE--PICKENS--SPARTANBURG-UNION-YORK-
556 AM EDT FRI MAY 20 2005

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 298 REMAINS VALID UNTIL 9 AM EDT
FOR THE FOLLOWING AREA...

IN GEORGIA THIS WATCH INCLUDES 6 COUNTIES

IN NORTHEAST GEORGIA

ELBERT... FRANKLIN... HABERSHAM...
HART... RABUN... STEPHENS...

IN NORTH CAROLINA THIS WATCH INCLUDES 11 COUNTIES

IN PIEDMONT NORTH CAROLINA

CABARRUS... GASTON... MECKLENBURG...
ROWAN... UNION...

IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA

GRAHAM... HAYWOOD... JACKSON...
MACON... SWAIN... TRANSYLVANIA...

IN SOUTH CAROLINA THIS WATCH INCLUDES 12 COUNTIES

IN UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA

ABBEVILLE... ANDERSON... CHEROKEE...
CHESTER... GREENVILLE... GREENWOOD...
LAURENS... OCONEE... PICKENS...
SPARTANBURG... UNION... YORK...

THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF...CARNESVILLE...WALHALLA...HARTWELL...
LAURENS...CONCORD...WAYNESVILLE...SPARTANBURG...UNION...EASLEY...
CHESTER...GAFFNEY...CLAYTON...GREENVILLE...BRYSON CITY...
GREENWOOD...SALISBURY...BREVARD...ABBEVILLE...GASTONIA...MONROE...
ROBBINSVILLE...ELBERTON...CHARLOTTE...ANDERSON...FRANKLIN...
ROCK HILL...CULLOWHEE...SYLVA...CLARKESVILLE AND TOCCOA.

HG

The radar

The Knoxville radar (KMRX), 100 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 10:00 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Graham

When
May 20, 5:00 AM EST
Where
Graham County, Robbinsville
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
35.333, -83.817

Trees down. Also, power was out in town for a while in the morning, but it is unclear whether lightning or wind was the culprit.

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

More

Every storm in North Carolina in 2005Every state in 2005This day in weather historyWarnings 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: 5453530.