A line of severe storms moved across northeast Georgia during the late afternoon hours producing widespread wind damage and large hail.
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS GSP wrote it up.
A line of severe storms moved across northeast Georgia during the late afternoon hours producing widespread wind damage and large hail.
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 Mar 4, 12:37 PM EST, 2 hours 53 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1237 PM EST TUE MAR 4 2008
.SYNOPSIS...
HIGH PRESSURE WILL SETTLE ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST AS A STRONG COLD
FRONT MOVES TOWARDS THE EAST COAST TONIGHT. ANOTHER...YET WEAKER
COLD FRONT IS THEN EXPECTED TO APPROACH THE WESTERN CAROLINAS
THURSDAY EVENING.
&&
.NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 PM THIS EVENING/...
15 UTC MESOANALYSIS/REGIONAL RADAR INDICATES COLD FRONT JUST EAST OF
KHSV BUT BACK EDGE OF ROBUST CONVECTIVE LINE MOVING OUT AHEAD OF
FRONT...NOW OVER WESTERN GA. UNSEASONABLY JUICY AIRMASS CONTINUES
TO SPREAD NNWD INTO THE CWFA WITH 60+ DEG F DWPTS INTO THE NC FTHLS.
CATEGORICAL CVRG OF OCNL HVY CONVECTIVE RAINFALL WILL CONTINUE THE
SLOW EASTWARD TRANSLATION INTO THE CAROLINA PIEDMONT THROUGHOUT THE
AFTERNOON. LAPS INSTABILITY INDICATES A SLOWLY YET WEAKLY
DESTABILIZING AIRMASS DEVELOPING ACRS THE FTLHS/PIEDMONT. THIS TREND
WILL CONTINUE INTO THE AFTERNOON HOURS...WITH THE GREATEST VALUES...
PERHAPS ON THE ORDER OF 500+ J/KG SPREADING NORTH ALONG THE I-77
CORRIDOR/SC PIEDMONT AND POINTS ESEWD. LLVL SHEAR PROFILES WILL
REMAIN EXPECTEDLY IMPRESSIVE AND AS LEADING EDGE OF DRY AIR ALOFT
WORKS EASTWARD...A TRANSITION TO DISCRETE CELLS IS LIKELY GIVING
RISE TO DAMAGING WIND LIKELIHOOD AND TORNADO POSSIBILITIES. THIS
TRANSITION IS ALREADY APPARENT ACRS WESTERN GEORGIA.
THE 12 UTC OP NAM SOLUTION HAS MADE ADJUSTMENTS TO IT/S TOO SLOW
EVOLUTION OF FRONTAL BAND MOVEMENT OF EARLIER RUNS AND IS ONLY A
HAIR SLOWER NOW WITH IT/S DEPICTION INSTABILITY AXIS OVER ALABAMA
VERSUS REALITY...ALTHOUGH CATEGORICAL PCPN RESPONSE IS LIKELY
LAGGING BASED ON MOVEMENT OF BACK EDGE OF ECHOES ACRS GA.
NONETHELESS...HAVE ALREADY MADE UPWARD ADJUSTMENTS TO POPS AND
QPF THIS MORNING INTO THIS AFTERNOON. HEAVY RAIN WILL LEAD ISOLATED
RUNOFF PROBLEMS ACRS THE MTNS TODAY...BUT ANTECEDENT CONDITIONS WILL
KEEP FLOODING PROBLEMS QUITE LIMITED.
&&
.SHORT TERM /6 PM THIS EVENING THROUGH THURSDAY/...
AS OF 300 AM TUESDAY...FRONT AND ASSOC BAND OF PRECIP WILL PUSH E OF
THE CWA LATE THIS EVE WITH WRAPAROUND MOISTURE LINGERING OVER THE
MTNS. SCT RAIN SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED OVER THE NC MTNS ALONG THE TN
BORDER AND AS TEMPS COOL OVERNIGHT SOME LIGHT SNOW IS POSSIBLE AT
THE HIGHER ELEVS BUT LITTLE IF ANY ACCUM. THEN HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS
IN FROM THE SW WED AFTN-EVE. A WEAK LOW TO MID LEVEL SHORTWAVE MOVES
ACROSS THE REGION FROM THE W THU WITH INCREASED CLOUDS...BUT MODELS
GENERATE INSUFFICIENT MOISTURE FOR PRECIP WITH THIS FEATURE.
WITH NO STRONG SURGE OF COLD AIR FROM THE N...TEMPS SHOULD STAY MILD
BEHIND THE FRONT WED WITH HIGHS ACTUALLY A CAT OR SO ABOVE AVG. LOWS
THU MORNING WILL DIP INTO THE MID 30S...THEN SURGE INTO THE MID 60S
THU AFTN ACROSS THE S HALF OF THE CWA...WITH LOW 60S N AND MAINLY
50S MTNS.
&&
.LONG TERM /THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY/...
AT 330 AM...NOT MUCH CHANGE IS IN STORE FOR THE EXTENDED FORECAST.
THE PREVIOUS FORECAST AND THE RECENT MODEL TRENDS ARE IN PRETTY
GOOD ALIGNMENT. THE 00Z GFS IS NOW SUPPORTED FAIRLY WELL BY THE 00Z
GGEM AND THE 00Z ECMWF. THE ECMWF HAS CONTINUED ITS NW/RN TREND WITH
THE SFC BOUNDARY AND ATTENDANT SFC LOW FRI...PLACING IT WELL INLAND
OVER N GA BY 00Z SAT. THE GGEM AND THE GFS HOWEVER...KEEP THE LOW
CENTER ALONG THE ATL COASTLINE WITH THE GFS BEING 6 HRS FASTER. IN
EITHER OF THESE SCENARIOS...CLOUD COVER WILL INCREASE QUICKLY
THROUGH THE EARLY PART OF THE DAY AND KEEP TEMPS A FEW DEGREES BELOW
NORMAL WITH AS SURFACE LAYER WINDS REMAIN NE/LY AS NE WEDGY HIGH
PULLS AWAY. POPS FOR FRI REALLY DIDNT NEED MUCH ADJUSTMENT FROM THE
PREVIOUS FORECAST AS WELL. OVERALL CHANCES WERE INCREASED AS
CONFIDENCE IS BETTER NOW...BUT WITH ODD LOOKING ECMWF AND RELATIVE
QPF MIN SHOWING UP BETWEEN THE MTNS AND THE MIDLANDS...LIKELY POPS
WILL NOT BE INTRODUCED JUST YET.
EXPECT H85 THERMAL TROF TO REACH THE MTNS BY 06Z SAT AND WORK EAST
OVER THE CWFA THROUGHOUT THE WEEKEND. JUST HOW COLD WILL BE SUSPECT
GIVEN THE MUCH WARMER ECMWF RUN...BUT FOR NOW WILL MAINTAIN -SNSH IN
THE GRIDS THROUGH 12Z...AND CONTINUING ACROSS THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS
THROUGH 18Z. IT STILL DOESNT LOOK LIKE ENOUGH MOISTURE TO PRODUCE
SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL SAT...UNDER ONE HALF INCH...HOWEVER THE GFS IS
SHOWING A DEEP LAYERED RH TIMEFRAME BETWEEN 15Z AND 18Z AS H5 TROF
NEARS AND THE POTENTIAL FOR HEAVIER RATES. THIS WILL BE MONITORED
THROUGH SUBSEQUENT FORECASTS TO SEE IF THE GFS IS ONTO SOMETHING.
A MODIFIED POLAR HIGH BUILDS IN ACROSS THE SE SAT WHICH WILL ENABLE
VERY GOOD RADIATIONAL COOL SUN AND MIN TEMPS SHOULD HAVE NO PROBLEM
DROPPING BELOW FREEZING ACROSS THE ENTIRE CWFA. THIS HIGH WILL CONTINUE
TO MOVE EAST AS H5 HEIGHTS RISE AND ANOTHER S/W DIGS INTO THE UPPER
MIDWEST. THIS NEXT UPPER WAVE SHOULD REACH THE AREA MON
AFTERNOON...HOWEVER IT LOOKS TO BE RELATIVELY WEAK AND MOISTURE
CHALLENGED ATTM. THE GOING SILENT 20 POPS HAVE BEEN LEFT AS IS TO
ACCOUNT FOR THIS FEATURE. TEMPS SUN SHOULD CLIMB BACK TO AROUND
NORMAL AFTER A COOLER SAT...AS LLVL WINDS VEER S/LY AROUND MID DAY.
AN EVEN WARMER DAY IS ON HAND MON WITH INCREASING SW/LY FLOW AS A
WEAK HIGH CENTER MEANDERS OVER THE NORTHERN GOM.
&&
.AVIATION /18Z TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/...
CRITICAL NEAR TERM WX FOR THE 18 UTC TAF PERIOD WILL ENCOMPASS
TIMING OF CONVECTIVE RAINFALL AND ACCOMPANYING CIG/VSBY CHANGES
ALONG WITH TIMING OF A WIND SHIFT DURING THE EARLY TO MID-EVENING
HOURS. HAVE ATTEMPTED TO TIME WIDESPREAD HEAVY CONVECTIVE RAINFALL
BAND EASTWARD ACRS THE FA THRU MID/LATE AFTERNOON FOLLOWED BY A
SEPARATE DISCRETE THUNDERSTORM POSSIBILITIES LATER THIS
AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING CLOSER TO ACTUAL COLD FRONT. GUSTY SOUTHERLY
WINDS WILL LIKELY CONTINUE WITHIN WARM-SECTOR WITH A VEER TO SW THIS
EVENING AND CONTINUED GUSTY BEFORE DIMINISHING OVERNIGHT AS A MORE
WESTERLY COMPONENT DEVELOPS.
OUTLOOK...VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED FOR WEDNESDAY THROUGH
THURSDAY. ANOTHER STORM SYSTEM MAY BRUSH THE AREA ON FRIDAY...
BRINGING A CHANCE OF CIG RESTRICTIONS AND PERHAPS PRECIPITATION.
&&
.GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
GA...LAKE WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 9 PM EST THIS EVENING FOR GAZ010-017-
018-026-028-029.
NC...LAKE WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 9 PM EST THIS EVENING FOR NCZ033-
035>037-048>053-056>059-062>065-068>072-082-501>510.
SC...LAKE WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 9 PM EST THIS EVENING FOR SCZ001>014-
019.
&&
SYNOPSIS...SBK
NEAR TERM...CSH
SHORT TERM...RB
LONG TERM...SBK
AVIATION...CSHHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 1130 AM EST TUE MAR 4 2008 GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033-035>037-048>053-056>059-062>065- 068>072-082-501>510-SCZ001>014-019-051630- 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- 1130 AM EST TUE MAR 4 2008 ...LAKE WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM EST THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST GEORGIA...PIEDMONT NORTH CAROLINA...WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND UPSTATE SOUTH 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. LAKE WIND ADVISORY. A LARGE SWATH OF HEAVY RAIN WITH EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO SPREAD EAST ACROSS THE REGION THIS AFTERNOON LEADING TO ISOLATED RUNOFF PROBLEMS AND HIGH WATER AREAS. AS THE AFTERNOON WEARS ON...THE APPROACH OF AN UPPER LEVEL AREA OF LOW PRESSURE AND IT/S ASSOCIATED DRIER AIR ALOFT...IS EXPECTED TO TRANSITION THE WIDESPREAD RAIN TO MORE ROBUST AND DISCRETE THUNDERSTORMS. DESPITE LIMITED INSTABILITY TODAY...AN UNSEASONABLY MILD AND HUMID AIRMASS WILL COMBINE WITH STRONG WIND FIELDS TO GIVE RISE TO THE PROBABILITY THAT DAMAGING WINDS WILL ACCOMPANY THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON. THE WIND SHEAR THROUGHOUT THE LOWER AND MIDDLE ATMOSPHERE IS STRONG ENOUGH TO SUPPORT TORNADO FORMATION AS WELL...WITH A STRONG TORNADO NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION INTO EARLY EVENING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 1205 PM EST TUE MAR 4 2008 SCZ003-006-007-010>012-041745- ABBEVILLE-ANDERSON-GREATER GREENVILLE-GREENVILLE MOUNTAINS-LAURENS-SPARTANBURG- 1205 PM EST TUE MAR 4 2008 ...A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT THE CENTRAL UPSTATE THROUGH 1 PM EST... AT 1205 PM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A LING OF THUNDERSTORMS STRETCHING FROM 3 MILES NORTH OF POWDERSVILLE TO 5 MILES SOUTHWEST OF WILLIAMSTON TO IVA...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 50 MPH. THESE STORMS WILL BE NEAR... FURMAN UNIVERSITY BY 1210 PM EST. HONEA PATH BY 1215 PM EST. TIGERVILLE BY 1220 PM EST. BOYD MILL POND BY 1225 PM EST. HICKORY TAVERN BY 1230 PM EST. LAURENS BY 1235 PM EST. BRIEF HEAVY RAIN...ISOLATED LIGHTNING STRIKES...AND WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS. HG
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 1234 PM EST TUE MAR 4 2008 NCZ507>510-SCZ003-006-007-041830- EASTERN POLK-GREATER GREENVILLE-GREATER RUTHERFORD-GREENVILLE MOUNTAINS-POLK MOUNTAINS-RUTHERFORD MOUNTAINS-SPARTANBURG- 1234 PM EST TUE MAR 4 2008 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT NORTHEASTERN GREENVILLE... NORTHWESTERN SPARTANBURG...POLK AND RUTHERFORD COUNTIES THROUGH 130 PM EST... AT 1234 PM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 3 MILES NORTHWEST OF TRYON TO 4 MILES SOUTHWEST OF TRYON TO LAKE ROBINSON...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 60 MPH. THESE STORMS WILL BE NEAR... LAKE LURE BY 1240 PM EST. SPINDALE BY 1255 PM EST. BOSTIC BY 100 PM EST. THERMAL CITY BY 105 PM EST. WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS...ALONG WITH TORRENTIAL RAINFALL. HG
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 1255 PM EST TUE MAR 4 2008 NCZ507-508-041845- GREATER RUTHERFORD-RUTHERFORD MOUNTAINS- 1255 PM EST TUE MAR 4 2008 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT RUTHERFORD COUNTY THROUGH 145 PM EST... AT 1255 PM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 3 MILES NORTHEAST OF LAKE ADGER TO 4 MILES NORTHEAST OF LANDRUM TO 7 MILES SOUTH OF LANDRUM...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH. THESE STORMS WILL BE NEAR... THERMAL CITY BY 115 PM EST. SPINDALE BY 125 PM EST. BOSTIC BY 130 PM EST. WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS. HG
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 135 PM EST TUE MAR 4 2008 NCZ504-506-508-041900- EASTERN MCDOWELL-GREATER BURKE-GREATER RUTHERFORD- 135 PM EST TUE MAR 4 2008 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHERN RUTHERFORD... SOUTHEASTERN MCDOWELL AND SOUTHWESTERN BURKE COUNTIES THROUGH 200 PM EST... AT 135 PM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 4 MILES SOUTH OF THERMAL CITY...OR 7 MILES NORTH OF RUTHERFORDTON...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH. THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR... 5 MILES SOUTHEAST OF GLENWOOD BY 145 PM EST. DYSARTSVILLE BY 150 PM EST. WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. HG
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 140 PM EST TUE MAR 4 2008 GAZ010-NCZ051-058-059-062-041945- GRAHAM-MACON-NORTHERN JACKSON-RABUN-SWAIN- 140 PM EST TUE MAR 4 2008 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT GRAHAM...MACON...NORTHERN RABUN...JACKSON AND SWAIN COUNTIES BY 3 PM EST... A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING ACROSS EASTERN TENNESSEE WILL REACH THE SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS OF NORTH CAROLINA BETWEEN 230 AND 3 PM THIS AFTERNOON. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL LIKELY PRODUCE WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH IN LOCATIONS IN THE SOUTHWEST MOUNTAINS...INCLUDING TAPOCO...SANTEETLAH LAKE...AND ROBBINSVILLE. WARNINGS COULD ALSO BE NEEDED IF THE LINE MAINTAINS ITS STRENGTH. HG
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 230 PM EST TUE MAR 4 2008 NCZ069>071-SCZ009-042000- GASTON-LINCOLN-MECKLENBURG-YORK- 230 PM EST TUE MAR 4 2008 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT GASTON...NORTHERN YORK... NORTHWESTERN MECKLENBURG AND SOUTHEASTERN LINCOLN COUNTIES THROUGH 300 PM EST... AT 230 PM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 5 MILES SOUTHWEST OF CLOVER...OR 5 MILES NORTHWEST OF YORK...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH. PEOPLE IN GASTON...NORTHERN YORK...NORTHWESTERN MECKLENBURG AND SOUTHEASTERN LINCOLN COUNTIES...INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS... CLOVER...GASTONIA...CRAMERTON...LOWELL...BELMONT...MOUNT HOLLY...PAW CREEK AND MOUNTAIN ISLAND LAKE... SHOULD MONITOR THE WEATHER SITUATION CLOSELY. LISTEN FOR POSSIBLE WARNINGS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION SHOULD SEVERE WEATHER THREATEN. WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. BSH
The Greer radar (KGSP), 133 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:31 UTC.
5 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Widespread damage to trees and power lines across the county.
County comms reported the roof blown off a home.
Trees down on Eagle School Rd near Eagle Grove and trees down on highway 172 near Bowman.
Numerous trees down around Elberton. Also, a large tree was blown down 1 SW Dewy Rose around the same time.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Georgia in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Georgia, March 2008
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: 84672, 84673, 84675, 84677, 84680.