North Carolina, 2006Tornado in North Carolina, May 26, 2006
May 26, 2006 · NWS GSP · 1 event in 1 county or zone
1 tornado, as filed by the National Weather Service.
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
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $5,000
- 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 26, 1:20 PM EST, 3 hours 54 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, May 26, 1:20 PM EST, 3 hours 54 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
220 PM EDT FRI MAY 26 2006
.SHORT TERM /TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY/...
THE THREAT FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH THE EARLY EVENING IS
THE PRIMARY CONCERN FOR THE NEAR TERM. CONVECTION IS TAKING ITS
OWN SWEET TIME TO DEVELOP...BUT EXPECT INITIATION TO TAKE PLACE BY
19Z AS THE LAST OF THE CONVECTIVE INHIBITION AND DEBRIS CLOUDS IS
WORKED OUT OF THE REGION. WHAT IS SOMEWHAT TROUBLING IS THE MID
LEVEL DRYING MOVING ACROSS THE MTNS SEEN IN THE WATER VAPOR
IMAGERY... WHICH SHOULD INCREASE OUR POTENTIAL FOR DAMAGING WIND
GUSTS IN THE STRONGER STORMS OVER THE PIEDMONT AS THIS MOVES EAST.
FOR THE FIRST PERIOD...WILL HOLD OFF UNTIL RIGHT BEFORE ISSUANCE
TO DECIDE IF LIKELY POPS ARE WARRANTED ANYWHERE...PROBABLY EAST OF
THE MTNS...BUT ALL LOCATIONS WILL GET AT LEAST A CHANCE THROUGH
THE EVENING. BEYOND THAT...WILL CUT BACK OVERNIGHT AS FORCING
SHOULD MOVE EAST OF AREA.
FOR SATURDAY...UPPER/SURFACE RIDGING BUILDS IN FROM THE WEST/NORTH.
THE GFS APPEARS OVERDONE WITH PRECIP ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS...BUT
RESIDUAL LOW LEVEL MOISTURE SHOULD REMAIN HIGH ENOUGH FOR
DIFFERENTIAL HEATING TO TRIGGER SOME DEEP CONVECTION...SO A
SLIGHT CHANCE WILL BE CARRIED THERE. DOWNSLOPE EAST OF THE MOUNTAINS
SHOULD ALLOW TEMPS TO REACH THEIR HIGHEST YET THIS SEASON...90 OR
ABOVE IN MANY LOCATIONS. NOT QUITE READY TO GO AS HIGH AS THE MET
GUIDANCE THOUGH.
THE STRNGTHENING UPPER LEVEL RIDGE WILL CONTROL THE WEATHER FOR
SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY...WHILE A DRY AND PERSISTENT SURFACE
RIDGE WILL TAKES UP RESISDENCE ALONG THE EAST COAST. SOME CLOUDS MAY
LINGER ALONG THE SOUTHWESTERN TIER OF COUNTIES AS THE OLD SURFACE
BOUNDARY REMAINS OVER SOUTHERN GEORGIA...BUT PRECIPITATION WILL NOT
BE CARRIED IN THE FORECAST. TEMPERATURES WILL BE QUITE WARM UNDER
THE RIDGE ALOFT...TEMPERED SLIGHLY BE AN EASTERLY LOW LEVEL FLOW
COMPONENT.
&&
.LONG TERM /MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY/...
THE KEY FEATURE OF THE MEDIUM RANGE IS THE STRONG EAST COAST UPPER
RIDGE THAT PERSISTS INTO TUESDAY...THEN BEGINS BREAKING DOWN ON
WEDNESDAY. ON THURSDAY AN UPPER TROUGH PROGRESSES ACROSS THE GREAT
LAKES...REACHING THE EAST COAST BY FRIDAY. A DRY AND PERSISTENT
SURFACE RIDGE RESIDES ALONG THE EASTERN SEABOARD THROUGH
THURSDAY...WITH MOISTURE GENERALLY REMAINING WEST OF THE
APPALACHIANS. THE GFS SHOWS A CUT OFF UPPER LOW OFF THE CAROLINA
COAST...BUT MOISTURE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS FEATURE SHOULD REMAIN WELL
EAST OF THE AREA. ON THURSDAY MOISTURE BEGINS TO INCREASE IN THE
MOUNTAINS...AND SMALL POPS WILL BE SPREAD EAST ACROSS THE AREA. A
SLOW MOVING COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH FROM THE WEST ON FRIDAY...
WARRANTING CHANCE POPS. TEMPERATURES WILL START OUT WARM UNDER THE
UPPER RIDGE...THEN COOL AS HEIGHTS FALL AND EASTERLY LOW LEVEL FLOW
PERSISTS. FRIDAY WILL BE A BIT WARMER AS LIMITED WARM ADVECTION
PRECEDES FRONTAL PASSAGE.
&&
.AVIATION...
MAIN SHORT TERM TAF CONCERN IS CONVECTION. AT 17Z...SOME LOW LEVEL
INHIBITION HAD YET TO BE OVERCOME WHILE A LARGE PATCH OF DEBRIS
CLOUDS WAS MOVING ACROSS THE PIEDMONT. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS
SHOULD POP THROUGH THE LATE AFTERNOON...BUT CONFIDENCE IS NOT HIGH
ENOUGH AT ANY TAF SITE TO INCLUDE MORE THAN JUST A VCSH AND CB CLOUD
GROUP. OTHERWISE...RELATIVELY STRONG WINDS AT THE TOP OF THE MIXED
LAYER SHOULD BRING GUSTY SW WINDS DOWN TO THE GROUND. CLOUDS WILL
THIN AFTER SUNSET AGAIN AS THE MAIN VORT LOBE MOVES EAST. KAVL HAS
THE BEST CHANCE AT MVFR FOG OVERNIGHT...BUT ALL OTHER SITES WILL BE
KEPT VFR FOR NOW. THIS WILL BE CHANGED DEPENDING ON WHICH SITES GET
RAIN THIS AFTERNOON. THE OUTLOOK FOR SATURDAY IS VFR WITH DOWNSLOPE
KEEPING THE LOW CLOUDS AT BAY AND HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING IN.
&&
.GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
GA...NONE.
NC...NONE.
SC...NONE.
&&
SHORT TERM...JAT/PM
LONG TERM...JAT
AVIATION...PM
Hazardous weather outlook, May 26, 4:39 AM EST, 12 hours 35 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
539 AM EDT FRI MAY 26 2006
GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033-035>037-048>053-056>059-062>065-
068>072-082-501>510-SCZ001>014-019-270945-
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-
539 AM EDT FRI MAY 26 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 OVER THE AREA TODAY. PLEASE SEE
THE SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK...CAESPSGSP FOR DETAILS.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY
NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED THROUGH MONDAY. SCATTERED SHOWERS
AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL RETURN TO THE AREA BY THE MIDDLE OF NEXT
WEEK.
.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NECESSARY LATER TODAY.
LANE
In the hours before
Local storm report, May 26, 3:59 PM EST, 1 hour 15 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
459 PM EDT FRI MAY 26 2006
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0440 PM TSTM WND DMG 3 N DALLAS 35.36N 81.18W
05/26/2006 GASTON NC COUNTY OFFICIAL
TREES AND POWERLINES DOWN ALONG HIGHWAY 321 NORTH OF
DALLAS.
0451 PM TSTM WND DMG 5 N GREER 35.01N 82.23W
05/26/2006 GREENVILLE SC TRAINED SPOTTER
TREE ON MOBILE HOME.
&&
OUTLAWLocal storm report, May 26, 3:59 PM EST, 1 hour 15 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTION ON THE DATE AND TIME
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
459 PM EDT FRI MAY 26 2006
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0150 PM TSTM WND DMG 5 N GREER 35.01N 82.23W
05/25/2006 GREENVILLE SC TRAINED SPOTTER
TREE ON MOBILE HOME.
&&
THE PERSON WHO REPORTED THIS MISTAKENLY MADE THE IMPRESSION
THAT THE TREE FELL ON THE MOBILE HOME TODAY. HE CALLED BACK TO
CORRECT THAT SINCE IT FELL ON THURSDAY.
OUTLAWSpecial weather statement, May 26, 4:22 PM EST, 52 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
522 PM EDT FRI MAY 26 2006
NCZ037-057-262145-
DAVIE-ROWAN-
522 PM EDT FRI MAY 26 2006
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS AFFECTING DAVIE AND ROWAN COUNTIES...
AT 518 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR SPENCER...OR 6 MILES NORTH OF SALISBURY...
MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH.
SMALL HAIL...AND WINDS 40 TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.
INTENSE LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM. IF OUTDOORS...STAY
AWAY FROM ISOLATED HIGH OBJECTS SUCH AS TREES. MOVE INDOORS IF
POSSIBLE. WHEN INDOORS...STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS AND DOORS AND AVOID
USING TELEPHONES UNLESS IT IS AN EMERGENCY. TRY TO UNPLUG UNNECESSARY
ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES BEFORE THE THUNDERSTORM APPROACHES.
GABRIC
Local storm report, May 26, 4:23 PM EST, 51 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
523 PM EDT FRI MAY 26 2006
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0445 PM HAIL 3 NE WACO 35.39N 81.39W
05/26/2006 E1.00 INCH GASTON NC TRAINED SPOTTER
QUARTER-SIZED HAIL.
0445 PM HAIL CROUSE 35.42N 81.31W
05/26/2006 E1.00 INCH LINCOLN NC COUNTY OFFICIAL
QUARTER-SIZED HAIL REPORTED BY FIRE DEPARTMENT.
0440 PM TSTM WND DMG TALLULAH FALLS 34.72N 83.38W
05/26/2006 RABUN GA LAW ENFORCEMENT
MANY TREES DOWN REPORTED BY THE POLICE CHIEF.
0445 PM TSTM WND DMG CHARLOTTE 35.20N 80.83W
05/26/2006 MECKLENBURG NC LAW ENFORCEMENT
TREES DOWN IN DOWNTOWN CHARLOTTE REPORTED BY POLICE
DEPARTMENT.
0440 PM TSTM WND DMG 9 SSW CLAYTON 34.76N 83.46W
05/26/2006 RABUN GA TRAINED SPOTTER
TREES DOWN AT LAKE RABUN REPORTED BY SPOTTER.
&&
OUTLAWLocal storm report, May 26, 4:41 PM EST, 33 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
541 PM EDT FRI MAY 26 2006
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0520 PM HAIL 9 ESE CHARLOTTE 35.15N 80.69W
05/26/2006 E0.88 INCH MECKLENBURG NC TRAINED SPOTTER
NICKEL-SIZED HAIL FELL AT INTERECTION OF HIGHWAY 51 AND
485.
0533 PM HAIL CROUSE 35.42N 81.31W
05/26/2006 E1.00 INCH LINCOLN NC TRAINED SPOTTER
QUARTER-SIZED HAIL REPORTED BY SPOTTER.
&&
OUTLAWLocal storm report, May 26, 5:05 PM EST, 9 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
605 PM EDT FRI MAY 26 2006
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0545 PM HAIL 2 S CROUSE 35.39N 81.31W
05/26/2006 E1.00 INCH GASTON NC TRAINED SPOTTER
QUARTER-SIZED HAIL ON THE GASTON SIDE OF THE BORDER
REPORTED BY SPOTTER.
0520 PM TSTM WND DMG 13 N MONROE 35.18N 80.54W
05/26/2006 UNION NC COUNTY OFFICIAL
COUNTY 911 CENTER RELAYED A REPORT OF A TREE DOWN AT
INTERSECTION OF MOORESVILLE ROAD AND ACADEMY ROAD IN
NORTHERN PART OF COUNTY.
0537 PM TSTM WND DMG 9 NE ANDERSON 34.61N 82.53W
05/26/2006 ANDERSON SC NWS EMPLOYEE
OFF DUTY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EMPLOYEE REPORTED TREES
DOWN AT THE INTERSECTION OF HIGHWAY 81 AND INTERSTATE 85.
&&
OUTLAWTornado, Gaston
- When
- May 26, 5:14 PM EST to 5:18 PM EST
- Where
- Gaston County, 4 mi ENE of Cherryville
- Rating
- F1
- Path length
- 2.2 mi
- Path width
- 40 yd
- Property damage
- $5,000
- Reported by
- NWS STORM SURVEY
- Coordinates
- 35.400, -81.317
This weak tornado touched down near the intersection of Hephzibah Church Rd and St Marks Church Rd, then made intermittent contact with the ground along a 2 mile path before lifting east of Landers Chapel Rd near its intersection with Gaston-Webb Chapel Rd. Damage was mainly confined to downed trees. However, a carport was blown into the tops of a tree and the roof of a barn on St. Marks Church Rd was blown off and tossed approximately 0.5 miles. In addition to the tornado, hail up to the size of golfballs fell.
- Tornado
- A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
- Strong Wind in Arizona, May 26, 20062 deaths · 1 event
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Georgia, May 26, 2006$542,000 · 1.75 in hail · 16 events
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Tennessee, May 26, 2006$115,000 · 3 in hail · 13 events
- Hail and Damaging Winds in North Carolina, May 26, 2006$50,000 · 1.75 in hail · 21 events
- Tornado and Hail in Virginia, May 26, 2006$85,000 · F0 · 8 events
- Flash Flooding and Hail in Tennessee, May 26, 2006$57,000 · 1.75 in hail · 16 events
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Kansas, May 26, 2006$55,000 · 52 kt wind · 9 events
- Damaging Wind in Maryland, May 26, 2006$75,000 · 50 kt wind · 1 event
- High Wind in Nebraska, May 26, 20065 injured · 60 kt wind · 2 events
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Missouri, May 26, 2006$42,000 · 1 in hail · 4 events
- Damaging Wind in Tennessee, May 26, 2006$45,000 · 65 kt wind · 1 event
- Damaging Winds and Lightning Strikes in Alabama, May 26, 20061 injured · $20,000 · 60 kt wind · 6 events
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: 5509001.