Georgia, 2008

Damaging Winds in Georgia, July 23, 2008

July 23, 2008 · NWS GSP · 2 events in 1 county or zone

Isolated severe storms affected extreme northeast Georgia during the late afternoon and early evening hours.

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
2

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.

Isolated severe storms affected extreme northeast Georgia during the late afternoon and early evening 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 Jul 23, 1:51 PM EST, 1 hour 39 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 23, 1:51 PM EST, 1 hour 39 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
251 PM EDT WED JUL 23 2008

.SYNOPSIS...
A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE WESTERN CAROLINAS AND NORTHEAST
GEORGIA TONIGHT. DRY HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD IN THURSDAY AND
FRIDAY. THE FRONT WILL MOVE BACK INTO THE REGION ON SATURDAY AND
BECOME STATIONARY AS A SERIES OF UPPER LOWS MOVE ACROSS THE AREA.

&&

.NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM THURSDAY MORNING/...
A CLOSED H5 LOW WILL SLIGHTLY DEEPEN THIS EVE THRU TONIGHT...AS A
POTENT S/W ROTATES AROUND FROM THE NW OVR ERN KY/TN. SEVERAL SHWRS
AND TSTMS HAVE BEGUN TO DEVELOP WITH THIS FEATURE ACROSS TN AND THE
SRN APPLNS. LAPS CAPES AT 18Z WERE GENERALLY 1500-2500 J/KG ACROSS
THE AREA. SO NUMEROUS STORMS FOR LATE AFTN AND INTO THE EVE CAN BE
EXPECTED. THERE IS ENOUGH SHEAR AND INSTABILITY TO SUPPORT MULTICELL
CLUSTERS/LINES WITH POTENTIAL BOWING SEGMENTS AND LARGE HAIL. A COLD
FRONT WILL PUSH THRU THE AREA FROM THE N LATE THIS EVE AND
OVERNIGHT. GUIDANCE HAS PRECIP ENDING AND SKIES CLEARING WITH THE
FROPA. OVERALL...GUIDANCE HAS COME INTO GOOD AGREEMENT ON THE FRONT
ADVANCING S OF THE CWFA...WITH PLENTY OF DRY AND STABLE AIR OVR THE
AREA. HENCE...NO POPS ARE CARRIED FOR THURSDAY...AND TEMPS ARE
EXPECTED TO BE SLIGHTLY BELOW NORMAL.

&&

.SHORT TERM /6 AM THURSDAY MORNING THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT/...
AS OF 215 PM WEDNESDAY...LOOKING AT BUKFIT SOUNDINGS FROM THE NAM
AND GFS...THE AIRMASS OVER THE WESTERN CAROLINAS AND NE GA SHOULD
REMAIN STABLE THU NIGHT AND FRI. I DID KEEP SOME SLIGHT CHANCE POPS
IN THE NC MTNS LATE FRI AND FRI NIGHT...AS A LITTLE INSTABILITY IS
SHOWN BY THE MODELS STARTING IN THE EARLY EVENING HOURS OVER THE
HIGH TERRAIN. THE AIRMASS WILL GRADUALLY MOISTEN OVER THE MOUNTAINS
ON SATURDAY. THE OLD ECMWF BROUGHT AN MCS...OR PERHAPS THE REMNANTS
OF ONE...ACROSS THE NRN PART OF THE FA SAT MORNING. THE GFS ALSO
BRINGS THE REMNANTS OF A NW FLOW MCS OVER THE FA ON SAT...BUT
FARTHER TO THE SOUTH AND A LITTLE EARLIER IN THE DAY. HAVING BOTH
MODELS BRING SOMETHING THROUGH THE AREA IS A GOOD SIGN...AS ARE THE
HIGH POPS ON THE SREF...BUT CONFIDENCE ON THE TIMING OR EXACT NATURE
OF THE PCPN IS STILL NOT VERY HIGH. FOR NOW WILL CARRY 30 POPS
OUTSIDE THE MTNS AND 40 TO 50 POPS OVER THE MOUNTAINS THROUGH THE
DAY ON SAT. WITH THE ERN CONUS LONG WAVE BEGINNING TO AMPLIFY
AGAIN...THE NW FLOW WILL STRENGTHEN A LITTLE SAT NIGHT.
THEREFORE...I/VE KEPT CHANCE POPS IN THE FORECAST WELL INTO THE
NIGHTTIME HOURS.

&&

.LONG TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/...
AS OF 115 PM WEDNESDAY...THE THINKING REGARDING THE MEDIUM RANGE
REMAINS CONSISTENT WITH A TROUGH CONTINUING ALONG THE EASTERN
SEABOARD THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. AT THE SURFACE...A FRONTAL
BOUNDARY IS EXPECTED TO DROP SOUTHWARD AND APPROACH THE FA DURING
THE DAY ON SUN...BECOMING QUASI-STATIONARY THEREAFTER AND REMAINING
IN THE AREA THROUGH MID WEEK. THEREFORE...WILL CONTINUE TO CARRY
SOLID CHC POPS ACROSS THE REGION THROUGH WED...TAPERING OFF A LITTLE
BIT TOWARDS THE END OF THE PERIOD AS HIGH PRESSURE TRIES TO BUILD IN
FROM THE NORTH AND PUSH THE OLD BOUNDARY FURTHER SOUTH. AS FAR AS
TEMPS GO...WARMEST DAY WILL BE SUN WITH TEMPS A FEW DEGREES ABOVE
NORMAL...THEN RETURNING TO VALUES CLOSE TO CLIMO FOR EARLY AND MID
WEEK.

&&

.AVIATION /19Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY/...
MAIN CONCERN FOR THE NEXT 6-8 HOURS WILL BE NUMEROUS TO WIDESPREAD
SHWRS/TSTMS DEVELOPING ACROSS THE AREA. SINCE EXACT TIMING OF ANY
ONE CELL AFFECTING A TAF SITE CANNOT BE MADE...VCTS AND CB WORDING
WILL BE CARRIED WITH THE 18Z TAF ISSUANCE. AS TRENDS IN SAT/RADAR
UNFOLD...AMENDMENTS WILL BE MADE TO BETTER TIME ANY RESTRICTIONS.
OTRW...EXPECT VFR CONDITIONS...WITH WINDS VEERING TO NWLY THEN NELY
OVERNIGHT AS A WEAK COLD FRONT SAGS S THRU THE AREA. IF CLOUDS CLEAR
SOON ENOUGH...SOME VALLEY FOG IS POSSIBLE...HENCE A BRIEF MVFR VSBY
RESTRICTION AT KAVL WAS RETAINED. HI PRES WILL BLD INTO THE REGION
BY THURSDAY AFTN...RESULTING IN SKC AND LIGHT WINDS.

OUTLOOK...HIGH PRESSURE WILL REMAIN OVER THE AREA THRU
FRIDAY...PROVIDING GENERALLY VFR CONDITIONS. SCATTERED MAINLY
AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS CAN BE EXPECTED FRIDAY THROUGH
SUNDAY. SOME MVFR CEILINGS AND VISIBILITY MAY OCCUR IN
THUNDERSTORMS...WITH MVFR VISIBILITY AT NIGHT IN FOG WHERE RAIN
FALLS. ANOTHER FRONT WILL BE IN THE AREA ON MONDAY...WHICH WILL
SUPPORT MORE THUNDERSTORMS AND ASSOCIATED RESTRICTIONS.

&&

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

&&

SYNOPSIS...MCAVOY
NEAR TERM...ARK
SHORT TERM...MCAVOY
LONG TERM...BSH
AVIATION...ARK
Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 23, 2:44 PM EST, 46 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
344 PM EDT WED JUL 23 2008

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ048>053-058-059-062>065-068-505>510-
SCZ001>014-019-241945-
RABUN-HABERSHAM-STEPHENS-FRANKLIN-HART-ELBERT-MADISON-YANCEY-
MITCHELL-SWAIN-HAYWOOD-BUNCOMBE-GRAHAM-NORTHERN JACKSON-MACON-
SOUTHERN JACKSON-TRANSYLVANIA-HENDERSON-CLEVELAND-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-
344 PM EDT WED JUL 23 2008

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

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP
ACROSS THE REGION INTO THIS EVENING. A FEW OF THESE STORMS WILL
BE SEVERE...PRODUCING LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WIND GUSTS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY.

THERE IS AT LEAST A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS SATURDAY THROUGH
TUESDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER
CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.

NCZ033-035>037-056-057-069>072-082-501>504-241945-
AVERY-ALEXANDER-IREDELL-DAVIE-CATAWBA-ROWAN-LINCOLN-GASTON-
MECKLENBURG-CABARRUS-UNION NC-CALDWELL MOUNTAINS-GREATER CALDWELL-
BURKE MOUNTAINS-GREATER BURKE-
344 PM EDT WED JUL 23 2008

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 739 IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM EDT THIS
EVENING...

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PIEDMONT NORTH CAROLINA AND
WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE
INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS.

   SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY.

THERE IS AT LEAST A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS SATURDAY THROUGH
TUESDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER
CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 23, 1:55 PM EST, 1 hour 35 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
255 PM EDT WED JUL 23 2008

NCZ064-SCZ003-006-232000-
GREATER GREENVILLE-GREENVILLE MOUNTAINS-TRANSYLVANIA-
255 PM EDT WED JUL 23 2008

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT EASTERN TRANSYLVANIA AND
NORTHERN GREENVILLE COUNTIES THROUGH 400 PM EDT...

AT 248 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR CAESARS HEAD...OR 11 MILES SOUTHEAST OF
BREVARD...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 9 MPH.

THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR...
  MARIETTA BY 345 PM EDT.
  TRAVELERS REST BY 400 PM EDT.

SMALL HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS
STORM.

KRENTZ
Special weather statement, Jul 23, 2:36 PM EST, 54 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
336 PM EDT WED JUL 23 2008

SCZ007-232030-
SPARTANBURG-
336 PM EDT WED JUL 23 2008

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT SPARTANBURG COUNTY THROUGH 430
PM EDT...

AT 330 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR LYMAN...OR 10 MILES WEST OF SPARTANBURG...
MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 18 MPH.

THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR...
  6 MILES NORTHEAST OF REIDVILLE BY 345 PM EDT.
  6 MILES SOUTHWEST OF SPARTANBURG BY 355 PM EDT.
  ROEBUCK BY 400 PM EDT.

SMALL HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS
STORM.

KRENTZ
Special weather statement, Jul 23, 2:49 PM EST, 41 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
349 PM EDT WED JUL 23 2008

GAZ029-232045-
ELBERT-
349 PM EDT WED JUL 23 2008

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT SOUTHEASTERN ELBERT COUNTY
THROUGH 445 PM EDT...

AT 342 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR FORTSONIA...OR 7 MILES SOUTHEAST OF
ELBERTON...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 10 MPH.

SMALL HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS
STORM.

KRENTZ
Local storm report, Jul 23, 3:05 PM EST, 25 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
405 PM EDT WED JUL 23 2008

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

0850 PM     TSTM WND DMG     MILLERSVILLE            35.86N 81.18W
07/22/2008                   ALEXANDER          NC   UTILITY COMPANY

            TREES ON POWER LINES.

0920 PM     TSTM WND DMG     HARMONY                 35.96N 80.77W
07/22/2008                   IREDELL            NC   UTILITY COMPANY

            TREES ON POWER LINES.

&&

TBENTHALL
Local storm report, Jul 23, 3:18 PM EST, 12 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
418 PM EDT WED JUL 23 2008

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

0311 PM     HAIL             3 NNW SPARTANBURG       34.99N 81.95W
07/23/2008  E0.88 INCH       SPARTANBURG        SC   TRAINED SPOTTER

            PENNY TO NICKEL SIZED HAIL.

0345 PM     HAIL             7 NW STARR              34.45N 82.78W
07/23/2008  E0.75 INCH       ANDERSON           SC   TRAINED SPOTTER

            PENNY SIZED HAIL NEAR HW-29.

&&

BSH
Special weather statement, Jul 23, 3:24 PM EST, 6 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
424 PM EDT WED JUL 23 2008

SCZ002-003-005-232130-
GREATER PICKENS-GREENVILLE MOUNTAINS-PICKENS MOUNTAINS-
424 PM EDT WED JUL 23 2008

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHERN PICKENS AND
NORTHWESTERN GREENVILLE COUNTIES THROUGH 530 PM EDT...

AT 418 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 3 MILES WEST OF TABLE ROCK RESERVOIR...OR 12
MILES SOUTH OF BREVARD...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 11 MPH.

THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR...
  5 MILES NORTHEAST OF PICKENS BY 520 PM EDT.

SMALL HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS
STORM.

KRENTZ

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Elbert

When
July 23, 3:30 PM EST
Where
Elbert County, 1.55 mi ENE of Ruckersville
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Park/Forest Service
Coordinates
34.175, -82.754

Russell State Park employee reported a couple of trees and large tree limbs blown down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Elbert

When
July 23, 4:25 PM EST
Where
Elbert County, 1.49 mi WSW of Fortsonia
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
34.013, -82.805

Multiple trees were blown down in the southern part of the county.

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 Georgia in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Georgia, July 2008

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: 128775, 128780.