Drought, Elbert
- When
- June 1, 12:00 AM EST to June 30, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Elbert forecast zone
- Reported by
- County Official
- Coordinates
- 34.117, -82.840 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought in Georgia, June 1 to 30, 2008
Although near normal rainfall was observed across much of the area during the late winter and early spring, another period of abnormally dry weather in May and June exacerbated severe to extreme drought conditions over the western Carolinas and northeast Georgia. Much of the area saw less than 2 inches of rain during this period of time.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 6 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
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 6
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.
Although near normal rainfall was observed across much of the area during the late winter and early spring, another period of abnormally dry weather in May and June exacerbated severe to extreme drought conditions over the western Carolinas and northeast Georgia. Much of the area saw less than 2 inches of rain during this period of time. By the end of the month, flow on almost all major streams was running less than 10 percent of normal. Many area crops suffered.
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 31, 9:18 PM EST, 2 hours 42 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, May 31, 9:18 PM EST, 2 hours 42 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 1018 PM EDT SAT MAY 31 2008 .SYNOPSIS... A COLD FRONT WILL DROP SOUTH ACROSS THE OHIO RIVER VALLEY AND TOWARD THE CAROLINAS TONIGHT. THE FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE AREA SUNDAY... THEN ON TO THE CAROLINA COAST SUNDAY NIGHT. WEAK HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD OVER THE REGION FOR THE FIRST PART OF THE WEEK BEFORE A FRONTAL BOUNDARY AFFECTS THE REGION MID TO LATE WEEK. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH SUNDAY/... A DEVELOPING MCC OVER SOUTHERN IL WILL TRACK ACROSS KY AND NERN TN OVERNIGHT STEERED BY QUASI-ZONAL UPPER FLOW. MEANWHILE...ACROSS OUR CWFA IS RELATIVELY STABLE (WITH SOME DIMINISHING CONVECTION JUST TO OUR WEST)...AS THE BL MIXED OUT THIS AFTN. MODEL GUIDANCE ALL SHOW THE MCC HOLDING TOGETHER FOR THE MOST PART THROUGH THE NIGHT. HOWEVER...THEY DISAGREE ON THE EXACT EVOLUTION. THE GFS TAKES IT STRAIGHT INTO THE SWRN VA/NWRN NC MTNS...WHILE THE NAM SPLITS IT...AND THE SREF TAKES IT SOUTH INTO SERN TN. MODEL SOUNDINGS SHOW SOME ELEVATED CAPE WITH THE SYSTEM AS IT ENTERS THE AREA (MAINLY DUE TO MOISTENING LOW LEVELS). SO I/VE CUT BACK POP FOR THE FIRST HALF OF THE NIGHT...AND INCREASED POP TO CHC ALONG THE TN BORDER LATE. AN ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT WILL PUSH INTO THE AREA SUNDAY MORNING...AND POPS WITH THAT LOOK GOOD FOR NOW. OTHERWISE...ONLY MINOR TWEAKS WERE MADE. UPPER LEVEL IMPULSES MOVING THROUGH THE BASE OF AN UPPER TROUGH TOGETHER WITH PERSISTENT INSTABILITY WILL KEEP A CHANCE OF CONVECTION GOING THROUGH SUNDAY...WITH THE BEST CHANCE DURING AFTERNOON HEATING. INITIALLY POPS WILL FAVOR THE NC MOUNTAINS WHERE LOW LEVEL FLOW WILL HAVE AN UPSLOPE COMPONENT...BUT EVENTUALLY THE BETTER POPS WILL BE IN THE SOUTH WHERE MORE INSTABILITY AND RICHER MOISTURE WILL EXIST. SEVERE WEATHER WILL REMAIN POSSIBLE...BUT INSTABILITY WILL BE MUCH LESS THAN THIS AFTERNOON. CLOUD COVER WILL LIMIT COOLING TONIGHT AND WARMING ON SUNDAY. && .SHORT TERM /SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT/... AS OF 135 PM SATURDAY...FRONT IS EXPECTED TO STALL S OF THE CWA SUN NIGHT-MON WITH HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING IN FROM THE N...WHILE A WEAK UPPER RIDGE MOVES OVER THE REGION. FLAT H5 RIDGE REMAINS OVER AREA MON NIGHT-TUE WITH WEAK SHORTWAVE IMPULSES MOVG THRU RELATIVELY ZONAL FLOW ALOFT. SFC HIGH MOVES OFFSHORE TUE...PUTTING AREA IN MOIST S RETURN FLOW. A SFC WAVE IS FCST TO DEVELOP OVER CNTRL PLAINS DURING DAY TUE AND THE STALLED SFC BOUNDARY S OF AREA IS EXPECTED TO MOVE BACK N AS A WARM FRONT LATE TUE-TUE NIGHT...BRINGING LOW CHANCE POPS TO THE AREA. TEMPS ARE EXPECTED TO BE A CAT OR SO ABOVE AVG. && .LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/... AS OF 135 PM SATURDAY...USING GFS/ECMWF BLEND...FRONTAL BOUNDARY SHOULD STAY N OF AREA WED-SAT BUT WITH SFC LOW TO THE W AND HIGH PRESSURE OFF THE COAST...CWA REMAINS IN WARM...MOIST S FLOW. WITH NO SIGNIFICANT SHORTWAVES DEPICTED IN GFS/ECMWF MODEL BLEND...EXPECT ABOVE AVG TEMPS WITH DIURNAL POPS IN THE SLIGHT CHANCE TO CHANCE RANGE THROUGH THE EXTENDED PERIOD...MAINLY OVER THE MTNS. && .AVIATION /02Z SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... AS DAYTIME HEATING BEGINS TO WANE...THE CUMULUS ACROSS THE AREA CONTINUES TO DIMINISH IN COVERAGE. A FEW TSTMS CONTINUE TO ROLL ACROSS EASTERN TN...WHERE THERE IS DECENT INSTABILITY. GUIDANCE SHOWS SOME LINGERING INSTABILITY IN THE NC MTNS THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT...AND ONE OR OF THOSE CELLS MAY HOLD TOGETHER ONCE THEY GET INTO THE MTNS THIS EVENING. HOWEVER...THE ODDS OF A CELL INVOF KAVL IS TOO LOW TO MENTION IN TAF AT THIS TIME. LOW LEVEL FLOW WILL STAY W-SWLY THROUGH THE NIGHT...WITH DEWPOINT DEPRESSIONS NOT EXPECTED TO REBOUND TO WHERE THEY WERE LAST NIGHT. SO I/VE KEPT JUST SOME HZ WITH PERHAPS SOME MVFR VSBY AT KAVL. ANY CIGS SHOULD BE ASSOC WITH MID-UPPER LEVEL CLOUDINESS. A COLD FRONT WILL PUSH INTO THE AREA FROM THE NORTH DURING THE DAY ON SUNDAY...AND IS EXPECTED TO TRIGGER SOME CONVECTION BY EARLY AFTN. FOR NOW...IT/S TOO FAR OUT TO MENTION FOR THE OUTLOOK PERIOD OF THE TAFS. OUTLOOK...TSTM CHANCES WILL INCREASE BY SUNDAY AFTERNOON...AS THE COLD FRONT STALLS IN THE VICINITY. DRY CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED ON MONDAY...WITH A CHC OF MAINLY MTN SHWRS/TSTMS ON TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. && .GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... GA...NONE. NC...NONE. SC...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...PAT NEAR TERM...ARK/JAT SHORT TERM...RB LONG TERM...RB AVIATION...ARK
Hazardous weather outlook, May 31, 9:30 PM EST, 2 hours 30 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 1030 PM EDT SAT MAY 31 2008 GAZ010-017-NCZ033-048>053-058-059-062>065-501-503-505-507-509- SCZ001>003-020230- RABUN-HABERSHAM-AVERY-MADISON-YANCEY-MITCHELL-SWAIN-HAYWOOD-BUNCOMBE- GRAHAM-NORTHERN JACKSON-MACON-SOUTHERN JACKSON-TRANSYLVANIA- HENDERSON-CALDWELL MOUNTAINS-BURKE MOUNTAINS-MCDOWELL MOUNTAINS- RUTHERFORD MOUNTAINS-POLK MOUNTAINS-OCONEE MOUNTAINS- PICKENS MOUNTAINS-GREENVILLE MOUNTAINS- 1030 PM EDT SAT MAY 31 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST GEORGIA...WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT THERE IS A CHANCE OF A FEW THUNDERSTORMS REACHING THE NORTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS TOWARD SUNRISE SUNDAY MORNING. MAINLY SOME BRIEF DOWNPOURS AND A FEW LIGHTNING STRIKES CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THE STORMS AS THEY MOVE INTO THE AREA. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY A FEW STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE SUNDAY AFTERNOON AS A COLD FRONT PUSHES SOUTH ACROSS THE AREA. THE MAIN THREATS EXPECTED WITH ANY THUNDERSTORMS THAT DEVELOP WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WIND GUSTS. THE BEST CHANCE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE ALONG AND SOUTH OF THE I-85 CORRIDOR DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. GAZ018-026-028-029-NCZ035>037-056-057-068>072-082-502-504-506-508- 510-SCZ004>014-019-020230- STEPHENS-FRANKLIN-HART-ELBERT-ALEXANDER-IREDELL-DAVIE-CATAWBA-ROWAN- CLEVELAND-LINCOLN-GASTON-MECKLENBURG-CABARRUS-UNION NC- GREATER CALDWELL-GREATER BURKE-EASTERN MCDOWELL-GREATER RUTHERFORD- EASTERN POLK-GREATER OCONEE-GREATER PICKENS-GREATER GREENVILLE- SPARTANBURG-CHEROKEE-YORK-ANDERSON-ABBEVILLE-LAURENS-UNION SC- CHESTER-GREENWOOD- 1030 PM EDT SAT MAY 31 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST GEORGIA...PIEDMONT NORTH CAROLINA...WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY A FEW STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE SUNDAY AFTERNOON AS A COLD FRONT PUSHES SOUTH ACROSS THE AREA. THE MAIN THREATS EXPECTED WITH ANY THUNDERSTORMS THAT DEVELOP WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WIND GUSTS. THE BEST CHANCE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE ALONG AND SOUTH OF THE I-85 CORRIDOR DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. ARK
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
6 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Drought, Franklin
- When
- June 1, 12:00 AM EST to June 30, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Franklin forecast zone
- Reported by
- County Official
- Coordinates
- 34.375, -83.229 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Habersham
- When
- June 1, 12:00 AM EST to June 30, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Habersham forecast zone
- Reported by
- County Official
- Coordinates
- 34.631, -83.531 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Hart
- When
- June 1, 12:00 AM EST to June 30, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Hart forecast zone
- Reported by
- County Official
- Coordinates
- 34.351, -82.964 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Rabun
- When
- June 1, 12:00 AM EST to June 30, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Rabun forecast zone
- Reported by
- County Official
- Coordinates
- 34.882, -83.402 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Stephens
- When
- June 1, 12:00 AM EST to June 30, 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Stephens forecast zone
- Reported by
- County Official
- Coordinates
- 34.554, -83.293 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
What these are
- Drought
- A drought reaching severe (D2) or worse on the US Drought Monitor, or with notable impacts.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Rip Current in Texas, June 1, 2008
- Flooding in Iowa, June 1 to 30, 2008
- Flooding in Iowa, June 1 to 25, 2008
- Flooding in Indiana, June 1 to 20, 2008
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Arkansas, June 1, 2008
- Flash Flooding and Hail in Oklahoma, June 1, 2008
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Mississippi, June 1, 2008
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in Iowa, June 1 to 3, 2008
- Heat and Drought in Texas, June 1 to 20, 2008
- Flooding in Nebraska, June 1 to 21, 2008
- Flash Flooding and Hail in Arkansas, June 1, 2008
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Mississippi, June 1, 2008
More
Every storm in Georgia in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Georgia, June 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: 121599, 121600, 121601, 121602, 121603, 121604.