Damaging Wind in Georgia, May 20, 2006

Name: Damaging Wind in Georgia, May 20, 2006
Start: 2006-05-20T20:54
End: 2006-05-20T20:54
Location: Georgia

May 20, 2006 · 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, 2:24 PM EST, 6 hours 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 20, 2:24 PM EST, 6 hours 30 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
324 PM EDT SAT MAY 20 2006

.SHORT TERM /TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY/...
CONVECTION HAS BLOSSOMED RAPIDLY OVER THE SOUTHWEST CWFA IN
MODERATELY UNSTABLE ENVIRONMENT OVER THE AREA. LOW LEVEL WIND HAS
YET TO MAKE THE TURN TO A WESTERLY DIRECTION...SO MIXING WAS
MINIMIZED IN THE SOUTH DESPITE NEARLY FULL SUN AND LAPSE RATES HAVE
BECOME QUITE STEEP. WIND SHEAR STILL SUFFICIENT FOR SUPERCELLS
THROUGH 21Z OR SO...THEN FORECAST DATA SUGGESTS WEAKENING SHEAR BUT
STILL A HAIL THREAT. UPSTREAM...A CONVECTIVE COMPLEX HAS DEVELOPED
OVER SOUTHERN TENNESSEE...AHEAD OF A VORT CENTER. THIS COMPLEX
SHOULD OVERSPREAD THE FAR WESTERN MOUNTAINS...NORTHEAST GEORGIA AND
THE WESTERN HALF OF THE UPSTATE THROUGH THROUGH EARLY EVENING...THEN
PERHAPS TREK A BIT TO THE EAST. NAM AND GFS BOTH BREAK UP THE PRECIP
FIELD IN FAVORED-DOWNSLOPE LOCATIONS...THEN ORGANIZE ANOTHER
CONVECTIVE CLUSTER OVER THE EASTERN ZONES AS THE COLD FRONT FROM UP
NORTH SAGS SOUTH. WE WILL FEATURE HIGH CHANCE TO LIKELY POPS IN THE
SOUTH...TRENDING TO ISOLATED NORTH OF INTERSTATE 40.

UPPER AIR ANALYSIS THIS MORNING SHOWED A TROF UPSTREAM THAT IS
EXPECTED TO MOVE IN OUR DIRECTION OVERNIGHT AND SUNDAY. AT THE SAME
TIME...MODELS SUGGEST A SECONDARY FRONT OR SURFACE BOUNDARY WILL
BACK DOOR FROM THE MID ATLANTIC STATES AS ANOTHER LOBE OF DPVA
AFFECTS THE REGION WITH SHORTWAVE. AGAIN...IT APPEARS THE SOUTHWEST
MOUNTAINS...NORTHEAST GEORGIA AND THE UPSTATE WILL HAVE GREATEST
COVERAGE OF PRECIPITATION. AT THE SAME TIME...FRONT CURRENTLY
ATTEMPTING TO DROP SOUTH ACROSS THE REGION WILL BE STATIONARY JUST
TO OUR SOUTH. ANY OSCILLATION OF THE FEATURE BACK NORTHWARD COULD
RESULT IN SLIGHTLY BETTER COVERAGE OVER THE SOUTHERN CWFA. WE WILL
PLAN CHANCE POPS FOR THE AFOREMENTIONED AREAS...AND LIMIT TO
ISOLATED OR LESS FOR THE MORE NORTHERN AREAS...WHERE RETURN FLOW
MAY NOT BE AS GREAT.

ANOTHER REINFORCING COLD FRONT WILL MOVE SOUTHWARD INTO NORTH
CAROLINA SUNDAY NIGHT...AS DIVERGENCE IN THE RIGHT ENTRANCE REGION
OF THE UPPER JETLET CROSSES THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS. TIMING OF
H5 SHORTWAVES VARIES WIDELY FROM MODEL TO MODEL FOR THE SUN NIGHT
THROUGH MON PERIOD...BUT CONSENSUS BRINGS THE BEST UPPER SUPPORT
TO THE SRN APPALACHIANS AROUND 12Z MONDAY. THE COLD FRONT WILL
CONTINUE TO PROVIDE A FOCUSING MECHANISM FOR SCATTERED CONVECTION
AS IT MOVES SOUTH ACROSS THE REGION ON MONDAY...THEN SLIP SOUTH OF
THE AREA ON TUESDAY.

&&

.LONG TERM /TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY/...
AN UPPER LEVEL LOW PRES SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP IN THE MIDWEST
ON THURSDAY...AND SWING SLOWLY THROUGH THE CENTRAL APPALACHIANS
THROUGH NEXT WEEKEND. PRECIPITATION CHANCES WILL RAMP UP ACCORDINGLY
THU THROUGH SAT...AS A SURFACE FRONT REMAINS STALLED ACROSS THE
REGION.

&&

.AVIATION...
DELAY OF SURFACE FRONT PUSHING SOUTH ACROSS THE AREA HAS RESULTED
IN SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST SURFACE WINDS IN THE FOOTHILLS AND PIEDMONT.
WIND SHOULD VEER TO MORE OF A WESTERLY DIRECTION AS THE FRONT SAGS
SOUTH PAST KHKY LATE THIS AFTERNOON...BUT MAY MAINTAIN SOME
SEMBLENCE OF SOUTHWEST CHARACTERISTICS AS SHORTWAVE ENERGY
APPROACHES FROM THE WEST. TSRA ORGANIZING NOW OFF TO THE WEST. WE
INCLUDED A TEMPO GROUP AT KAND FOR MVFR VISIBILITY RESTRICTIONS IN
THE 20Z TO 23Z TIME FRAME...WITH VCSH INCLUDED FROM LATE AFTERNOON
TO 00Z AT ALL OTHER SITES EXCEPT FOR KHKY. AFTER THIS EVENING...A
GENERAL LIGHT WEST WIND SHOULD DOMINATE. THERE WILL LIKELY BE A
PERIOD OF VARIABLE WIND DIRECTION WITH LIGHT SPEEDS LATE TONIGHT
THROUGH THE EARLY OUTLOOK PERIOD. THE FINAL HOURS OF THE OUTLOOK
PERIOD AGAIN FEATURE WEST WINDS AROUND 6 TO 8 KTS...WITH VFR
CEILINGS.

&&

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

SHORT TERM...HG/SAB
LONG TERM...HG
AVIATION...SAB

Hazardous weather outlook, May 20, 5:00 AM EST, 15 hours 54 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
600 AM EDT SAT MAY 20 2006

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033-035>037-048>053-056>059-062>065-
068>072-082-501>510-SCZ001>014-019-211000-
RABUN-HABERSHAM-STEPHENS-FRANKLIN-HART-ELBERT-AVERY-ALEXANDER-
IREDELL-DAVIE-MADISON-YANCEY-MITCHELL-SWAIN-HAYWOOD-BUNCOMBE-
CATAWBA-ROWAN-GRAHAM-NORTHERN JACKSON-MACON-SOUTHERN JACKSON-
TRANSYLVANIA-HENDERSON-CLEVELAND-LINCOLN-GASTON-MECKLENBURG-
CABARRUS-UNION NC-CALDWELL MOUNTAINS-GREATER CALDWELL-
BURKE MOUNTAINS-GREATER BURKE-MCDOWELL MOUNTAINS-EASTERN MCDOWELL-
RUTHERFORD MOUNTAINS-GREATER RUTHERFORD-POLK MOUNTAINS-
EASTERN POLK-OCONEE MOUNTAINS-PICKENS MOUNTAINS-
GREENVILLE MOUNTAINS-GREATER OCONEE-GREATER PICKENS-
GREATER GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG-CHEROKEE-YORK-ANDERSON-ABBEVILLE-
LAURENS-UNION SC-CHESTER-GREENWOOD-
600 AM EDT SAT MAY 20 2006

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING OVER
MUCH OF THE WESTERN CAROLINAS AND NORTHEAST GEORGIA...WITH THE
BEST CHANCE ALONG AND SOUTH OF A LINE FROM ASHEVILLE TO GREENVILLE
AND ROCK HILL.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY

THUNDERSTORMS WILL AGAIN BE POSSIBLE OVER THE WESTERN CAROLINAS
AND NORTHEAST GEORGIA WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. A FEW OF THESE COULD
PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

MCAVOY

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 20, 7:38 PM EST, 1 hour 16 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
838 PM EDT SAT MAY 20 2006

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

0740 PM     HAIL             5 E CALHOUN FALLS       34.09N 82.51W
05/20/2006  E0.75 INCH       ABBEVILLE          SC   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

HG

Local storm report, May 20, 7:49 PM EST, 1 hour 5 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
849 PM EDT SAT MAY 20 2006

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

0700 PM     TSTM WND DMG     NEWTON                  35.67N 81.22W
05/20/2006                   CATAWBA            NC   TRAINED SPOTTER

            TREE DOWN ACROSS ST. JAMES CHURCH ROAD IN NEWTON.

&&

BSH

Local storm report, May 20, 8:11 PM EST, 43 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
911 PM EDT SAT MAY 20 2006

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

0630 PM     TSTM WND DMG     DALLAS                  35.31N 81.18W
05/20/2006                   GASTON             NC   BROADCAST MEDIA

            NUMEROUS TREES DOWN ALONG NORTH STREET, BROOK GREEN
            STREET, AND THE INTERSECTION OF PARK ROAD AND NORTH
            STREET. WIDESPREAD POWER OUTAGES ACROSS THE TOWN.

&&

BSH

Special weather statement, May 20, 8:19 PM EST, 35 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
919 PM EDT SAT MAY 20 2006

NCZ059-063-210203-
NORTHERN JACKSON-SOUTHERN JACKSON-
919 PM EDT SAT MAY 20 2006

...STRONG THUNDERSTORM TO AFFECT JACKSON COUNTY THROUGH 10 PM EDT...

AT 915 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG
THUNDERSTORM MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 40 MPH ACROSS JACKSON COUNTY. THE
THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 3 MILES SOUTHWEST OF SYLVA...AND THIS
THUNDERSTORM WILL LIKELY PRODUCE PEA SIZE HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS TO 40
MPH AT CULLOWHEE THROUGH 930 PM. THE THUNDERSTORM WILL THEN MOVE
SOUTHEAST TO NEAR WOLF MOUNTAIN BY 945 PM.

HG

Local storm report, May 20, 8:33 PM EST, 21 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
933 PM EDT SAT MAY 20 2006

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

0605 PM     HAIL             2 SW KINGS MOUNTAIN     35.22N 81.37W
05/20/2006  E0.75 INCH       CLEVELAND          NC   PUBLIC

0605 PM     TSTM WND DMG     2 SW KINGS MOUNTAIN     35.22N 81.37W
05/20/2006                   CLEVELAND          NC   PUBLIC

            TREES DOWN ALONG GRAYFIELD DRIVE AND MOBILE HOME DAMAGE
            ALONG RANGE ROAD.

&&

BSH

Local storm report, May 20, 8:36 PM EST, 18 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
936 PM EDT SAT MAY 20 2006

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

0934 PM     HAIL             LIBERTY                 34.79N 82.70W
05/20/2006  E0.75 INCH       PICKENS            SC   UNKNOWN

&&

BSH

The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 109 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 01:52 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Rabun

When: May 20, 8:54 PM EST
Where: Rabun County, 2 mi SW of Clayton
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 34.867, -83.417

A few trees down.

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 Georgia in 2006 Every state in 2006 This day in weather history Warnings in Georgia, May 2006

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: 5508478.