South Carolina, 2005

Lightning Strike in South Carolina, April 22, 2005

April 22, 2005 · NWS GSP · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Lightning was responsible for a power outage in the city that lasted about 2 hours.

Where it happened

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.

  • 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 happened

The episode as NWS GSP wrote it up.

Lightning was responsible for a power outage in the city that lasted about 2 hours.

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 Apr 22, 9:24 AM EST, 4 hours 51 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 22, 9:24 AM EST, 4 hours 51 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1024 AM EDT FRI APR 22 2005

.SHORT TERM (REST OF TODAY)...
MCS OVER ERN TN SHOULD CONTINUE TO TRACK E-SE THROUGH THE AFTN HRS
ON THE LEADING EDGE OF A MID LEVEL DRY SLOT. 1200 UTC OHX SOUNDING
WAS INTERESTING IN THAT IT HAD A DEEP LAYER OF 30-40KT WNDS BLO H5.
WNDS FROM H5 AND UP WERE LIGHTER. LAPSE RATES ON THE SOUNDING WERE
QUITE STEEP FROM THE SFC TO 600 MB...BUT MORE MOIST ADIABATIC
ABOVE THAT. CAPE VALUES WERE RUNNING AROUND 1500 J/JG FOR A DWPT
OF 60 AND A TEMP OF 74. MID LEVEL DRY SLOT CAN BE SEEN WORKING
INTO WRN TN ATTM ON WATER VAPOR IMAGERY. AS THE DRY SLOT KICKS
INTO THIS AIRMASS...EXPECT THE MCS TO OUR WEST TO CONTINUE AND
PERHAPS EVEN INTENSITY A LITTLE. HAVE INCREASED POPS TO
CATEGORICAL AHEAD OF THE MCS...FOLLOWING FAIRLY CLOSE TO THE 0600
ETA/S H7 OMEGA FIELD AS A GUIDE. SCATTERED DAMAGING WIND AND LARGE
HAIL REPORTS WL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS MCS...PARTICULARLY AS IT
MOVES EAST OF THE MTNS INTO AREAS THAT HAVE SEEN SUN THROUGH THE
MORNING HRS. WL THEREFORE CONTINUE THE MENTION OF SOME SEVERE
STORMS IN THE GRIDS AND ZONES. HOPEFULLY WEAK BACK DOOR FRONT WL
MIX OUT AS ADVERTISED BY THE ETA. IF IT LINGERS...THE LLVL TURNING
COUPLED WITH THE STEEP LLVL LAPSE RATES AND DENSE CAPE COULD
RESULT IN LOCALIZED THREAT OF BRIEF SPIN-UP TORNADOES IMMEDIATELY
ALONG THE BOUNDARY.

&&

.PREVIOUS DISCUSSION...
(ISSUED 350 AM EDT FRI APR 22 2005)

SHORT TERM (TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY)...
A WARM FRONT STRETCHING EAST TO WEST ACROSS NORTH CAROLINA THIS
MORNING WILL MOVE NORTH OF THE REGION TODAY TO LEAVE THE AREA IN AN
INCREASINGLY UNSTABLE WARM SECTOR. UPPER LEVEL FORCING WILL INCREASE
THROUGHOUT THE DAY...WITH FAVORABLE UPPER DIVERGENCE EXPECTED AFTER
18Z...AND THEN 850 TO 500 MB DPVA ARRIVES TOWARD 00Z AS THE MIDWEST
CLOSED LOW BEGINS TO OPEN AND PHASE IN. SURFACE DEWPOINTS BEGIN THE
DAY IN THE 50S...WITH A GRADUAL INCREASE EXPECTED AS SW FLOW
IMPROVES. WARM SECTOR CONVECTION SHOULD THUS INCREASE THROUGH THE
DAY AS CAPES REACH 1000+ J/KG WITH LI OF MINUS 2 OR BETTER. WET BULB
ZERO OF 9 KFT AGL ALONG WITH MID LEVEL DRY AIR PRODUCING 15 DEGREE K
EQUIVALENT POTENTIAL TEMPERATURE LAPSE SUPPORTS POSSIBLE HAIL/WIND
THREAT THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING.

A SECOND ROUND OF CONVECTION IS THEN LIKELY JUST AHEAD OF THE COLD
FRONT...WITH SHEAR VALUES INCREASING AS 40 KT 850 MB JET ARRIVES BY
MIDNIGHT...BUT WITH DIMINISHING SFC BASED INSTABILITY. CONVECTIVE
MODE MAY SHIFT FROM WIND AND HAIL THREAT THIS AFTN TO SHALLOW
SHEARED CONVECTION WITH LINEAR FEATURES AND ISOLD TORNADO THREAT
LATER THIS EVENING.

FROPA EARLY SATURDAY MORNING WILL PRODUCE GENERALLY FALLING
TEMPERATURES THROUGH THE DAY ON SATURDAY...WITH SNOW LEVELS
GRADUALLY DROPPING TO 4000 FT MSL BY NOON SATURDAY...AND DIPPING
INTO THE LOWER MOUNTAIN VALLEYS BY MIDNIGHT SATURDAY NIGHT. BEST
PERIOD OF NW FLOW MOISTURE SHOULD YIELD SOME LIGHT ACCUMULATING
SNOWFALL FROM PM SAT THROUGH AM SUNDAY...WITH 1 TO 2 INCHES LIKELY
AT THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS. WARM GROUND TEMPERATURES MAY MAKE
ACCUMULATIONS HARD TO COME BY IN THE LOWER VALLEYS. WINDS WILL
LIKELY GUST INTO THE 40S DURING THE BEST COLD ADVECTION...AND
FREEZING TEMPERATURES SHOULD BE FAIRLY WIDESPREAD. WILL ISSUE SPS TO
ADDRESS THE VARIETY OF WINTER WX CONCERNS.

LONG TERM (SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY)...
ADDITIONAL SHORTWAVE ENERGY WILL DIG SOUTHWARD ON THE BACK SIDE OF
THE SAME ONTARIO VORTEX THAT IS PRODUCING THE WEATHER IN THE SHORT
RANGE. MOISTURE AND PRECIPITATION AHEAD OF THIS NEXT DIGGING SYSTEM
IS SLATED MAINLY FOR TUESDAY...BUT TIMING CONCERNS WILL REQUIRE
STRETCHING CHC POPS INTO WED PER PREVIOUS FORECAST. TEMPERATURES
WILL SLOWLY REBOUND THROUGH THE LATE WEEK AS A SOUTHEAST RIDGE
RECOVERS.

AVIATION...
PERIODS OF IFR FOG WILL CONTINUE AT KAVL UNTIL SUNRISE.
LOW PRESSURE OVER THE PLAINS WILL DEEPEN AND TRACK EAST ALONG A
STALLED FRONT. AS THE DEEPENING LOW APPROACHES...THE PRESSURE
GRADIENT WILL INCREASE OVER THE WESTERN CAROLINAS. BY MID
MORNING...ALL TERMINALS SHOULD SEE A DECENT SW WIND (SOUTH AT
KAVL). WINDS WILL BECOME GUSTY AS THE MIXING HEIGHT INCREASES IN THE
AFTERNOON.

TEMPERATURES WILL CLIMB INTO THE MID TO UPPER 70S WITH DWPTS IN THE
MID 50S OR BETTER. BY LATE THIS AFTERNOON...CAPES ARE EXPECTED TO
BUILD TO 900-1500 J/KG WITH VERY LITTLE CIN. ENOUGH FORCING TO
TRIGGER DEEP CONVECTION MAY ARRIVE THIS AFTERNOON AS ONE IN A SERIES
OF VORTS PASS OVER THE REGION. WILL HANDLE WITH A LATE
AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING TEMPO FOR TSRA AT ALL TERMINALS. ANOTHER
WAVE OF TS IS EXPECTED WITH THE PASSAGE OF THE FRONT AFTER 0Z SAT.
AT THIS POINT...WILL LIMIT MENTION OF TS AFTER 0Z SAT TO KAND.

&&

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

SHORT TERM...MCAVOY
Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 22, 4:55 AM EST, 9 hours 20 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
555 AM EDT FRI APR 22 2005

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014-
019-240955-
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-
555 AM EDT FRI APR 22 2005

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

.DAY ONE...
VERY WINDY CONDITIONS WILL DEVELOP BY AFTERNOON ACROSS THE NORTH
CAROLINA MOUNTAINS...WITH WINDY CONDITIONS EXPECTED ACROSS THE
REMAINDER OF THE WESTERN CAROLINAS AND NORTHEAST GEORGIA. NORTHWEST
WINDS OF 25 TO 35 MPH...WITH GUSTS TO 45 MPH...ARE EXPECTED ACROSS
THE NORTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS FROM NOON TODAY THROUGH NOON SUNDAY.
THE STRONG NORTHWEST FLOW WILL ALSO USHER IN VERY COLD
TEMPERATURES...WITH FREEZING LOWS LIKELY TONIGHT ACROSS THE NORTH
CAROLINA MOUNTAINS...THE NORTHERN NORTH CAROLINA FOOTHILLS...AND THE
GEORGIA AND UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS FROM RABUN COUNTY TO
NORTHERN GREENVILLE COUNTY. FOR FURTHER DETAILS ON THE WIND AND
FREEZE THREAT...PLEASE SEE THE LATEST URGENT WEATHER
MESSAGE...NPWGSP...FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN
GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG.

THE NORTHWEST WINDS WILL ALSO PUSH ABUNDANT LOW LEVEL MOISTURE INTO
THE WESTERN SLOPES OF THE NORTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS LATE TODAY
THROUGH LATE SUNDAY. ACCUMULATING SNOWFALL IS EXPECTED...WITH 1 TO 2
INCHES POSSIBLE NEAR THE SMOKY MOUNTAINS...AND 1 TO 3 INCHES
POSSIBLE IN NORTHERN MOUNTAIN LOCATIONS. FOR FURTHER DETAILS...SEE
THE LATEST URGENT WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE...WSWGSP...FROM THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...
FREEZING TEMPERATURES WILL BE POSSIBLE AGAIN ON SUNDAY NIGHT...AND
PIEDMONT LOCATIONS MAY BE AT RISK AS WELL AS THE MOUNTAINS.
TEMPERATURES THEN RECOVER THROUGH MID WEEK...AS ANOTHER STRONG STORM
SYSTEM DEVELOPS IN THE PLAINS. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE
POSSIBLE ACROSS THE REGION FROM TUESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY AS THIS
SYSTEM MOVES EAST.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED.

GERAPETRITIS

In the hours before

Local storm report, Apr 22, 2:03 PM EST, 12 minutes before
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Local storm report, Apr 22, 2:04 PM EST, 11 minutes before
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Local storm report, Apr 22, 2:06 PM EST, 9 minutes before
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Local storm report, Apr 22, 2:08 PM EST, 7 minutes before
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Local storm report, Apr 22, 2:13 PM EST, 2 minutes before
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Local storm report, Apr 22, 2:15 PM EST, 0 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
315 PM EDT FRI APR 22 2005

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

0301 PM     TSTM WND DMG     PICKENS                 34.88N 82.71W
04/22/2005                   PICKENS            SC   AMATEUR RADIO

            TREES DOW ALL OVER CITY CHEROKEE SUBDIVISION, AND SOUTH
            END OF OCONEE COUNTY

&&

PTANNER

The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 77 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:14 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.

Lightning, Abbeville

When
April 22, 2:15 PM EST
Where
Abbeville County, Abbeville
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
34.223, -82.459 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Lightning
A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in South Carolina in 2005Every state in 2005This day in weather historyWarnings in South Carolina, April 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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5447391.