Drought, Elbert
- When
- October 1, 12:00 AM EST to October 31, 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, October 1 to 31, 2008
Another abnormally dry month resulted in a persistence of severe to exceptional drought conditions over much of northeast Georgia through October. In fact, drought conditions actually worsened in some areas, with record low water levels reported on Lake Hartwell by the end of the month.
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.
Another abnormally dry month resulted in a persistence of severe to exceptional drought conditions over much of northeast Georgia through October. In fact, drought conditions actually worsened in some areas, with record low water levels reported on Lake Hartwell by the end of the month. Some slight improvement was observed in well water levels, but they remained near record lows. Most rivers and major streams continued to flow at less than 10 percent of normal. Voluntary water restrictions continued in most areas, with a few areas continuing to institute mandatory restrictions. Meanwhile, severe crop losses resulted in a federal disaster declaration for much of the larger agricultural communities across the area.
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 Sep 30, 8:36 PM EST, 3 hours 24 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Sep 30, 8:36 PM EST, 3 hours 24 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 936 PM EDT TUE SEP 30 2008 .SYNOPSIS... A COLD FRONT OVER THE TENNESSEE VALLEY WILL MOVE ACROSS THE AREA... REACHING THE CAROLINA COAST WEDNESDAY MORNING. HIGH PRESSURE WILL THEN BUILD ACROSS THE AREA AND REMAIN THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... A COLD FRONT WILL PUSH EAST ACROSS THE REST OF THE CWA BY SUNRISE. DEEP CONVECTION SHOULD CONTINUE TO DIMINISH THROUGH THE REST OF THE EVENING...DROPPING TO LITTLE TO NO COVERAGE BY 6Z. I WILL ADJUST TIMING OF THE CONVECTION AND SKY COVER FOR THE UPDATE. I WILL ALSO ADJUST HRLY TEMPS TO OBSERVATIONS...HOWEVER..THE GOING MIN TEMPERATURE FORECAST LOOKS GOOD. WEDNESDAY...A COOL DRY AIR MASS WILL CONTINUE TO BUILD IN FROM THE NW INTO THE AFTERNOON. GUIDANCE SHOWS LOW LVL WINDS STRENGTHENING DURING THE AFTN...WITH THE NAM INDICATING GREATER GUST POTENTIAL THAN THE GFS. A BLEND OF THE TWO KEEPS WNDS GENERALLY IN THE 10-15 MPH RANGE WITH HIGHER GUSTS. MAX TEMPS WILL BE 8-10F COOLER WITH NO PRECIP EXPECTED. && .SHORT TERM /WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT/... AS OF 230 PM TUESDAY...DEEPER MOISTURE MOVES E AND LOW LEVELS DRY OUT WED NIGHT-THU. UPPER TROF REMAINS OVER AREA BUT WITH LOW MOISTURE AND SFC HI RIDGING IN FROM THE W BEHIND THE FRONT...PARTLY MSUNNY TO PCLOUDY SKIES ARE EXPECTED THRU FRI. LOWER THICKNESS VALUES AND NLY WINDS WILL MAINTAIN BELOW AVG TEMPS THU-FRI. && .LONG TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... AS OF 230 PM TUESDAY...H5 CLOSED LOW OVER SE CAN WILL CONTINUE MOVG NE SAT WHILE BROAD UPPER TROF OVER THE E US FILLS AND MOVES NE SAT AND SAT NIGHT. UPPER RIDGE THEN BUILDS IN FROM THE W SUN-MON. SFC HIGH PRESSURE OVER CNTRL CAN WILL RIDGE S OVER THE REGION FOR THE WEEKEND INTO THE FIRST PART OF THE WEEK. MOISTURE IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN LOW THRU THE PERIOD AND A DRY FCST IS MAINTAINED. TEMPS ARE EXPECTED TO BE A FEW DEGREES BELOW AVG. H5 RIDGE MOVES E AND WEAKENS OVER AREA TUE AS SHORTWAVE APPROACHES FROM THE W. SFC HIGH ALSO BEGINS TO MOVE OFF THE MID ATLANTIC COAST TUE WHICH WEAKENS RIDGE OVER AREA. THIS ALSO PUTS AREA IN MORE MOIST SE FLOW. WITH THIS IN MIND...INCREASED CLOUDS AND SLIGHT CHANCE POPS HAVE BEEN INTRODUCED FOR TUE. TEMPS SHOULD BE BELOW AVG SAT-SUN...NEAR AVG MON...THEN BELOW AVG AGAIN TUE DUE TO GREATER CLOUD COVER. && .AVIATION /02Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... CLUSTERS OF SHRA/TSRA HAVE DEVELOPED ALONG AN AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT THIS EVENING. MOST OF THE CONVECTION WILL REMAIN ALONG AND NORTH OF I-85 FROM KSPA EASTWARD. BASED ON RADAR TIMING AND THE 18Z NAM...CONVECTION SHOULD CONTINUE ACROSS THE WESTERN CAROLINAS THROUGH MOST OF THE EVENING. HOWEVER...COVERAGE SHOULD BECOME VERY LIMITED BY 6Z. I WILL MENTION CONVECTION AT KCLT...AND MONITOR THE OTHER TERMINALS FOR POSSIBLE DEVELOPMENT. BY 6Z...THE SFC COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO PUSH EAST OF THE CWA. WINDS WILL VEER BEHIND THE FRONT AND REMAIN LIGHT OVERNIGHT. HOWEVER...CONDENSATION PRESSURE DEFICITS AND MOS VIS GUIDANCE INDICATE THAT FOG WILL DEVELOP LATE TONIGHT. BETWEEN 13-15Z...MIXING AND 2-4 MB GRADIENT WILL RESULT IN NORTHWEST WINDS FROM 8-13 MPH...GUSTING TO 15-20 MPH. OUTLOOK...CONDITIONS WILL GENERALLY BE VFR THROUGH LATE IN THE WEEK. KAVL COULD SEE A FEW HOURS OF FOG EACH MORNING. && .GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... GA...NONE. NC...NONE. SC...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...RB NEAR TERM...NED SHORT TERM...RB LONG TERM...RB AVIATION...NED
Hazardous weather outlook, Sep 30, 2:29 PM EST, 9 hours 31 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 329 PM EDT TUE SEP 30 2008 GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033-035>037-048>053-056>059-062>065- 068>072-082-501>510-SCZ001>014-019-011930- 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- 329 PM EDT TUE SEP 30 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. LOOK FOR SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS OVER WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA THROUGH THIS EVENING...WITH ISOLATED STORMS OVER NORTHEAST GEORGIA INTO UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA. BRIEF HEAVY RAIN...GUSTY WINDS AND SMALL HAIL ARE POSSIBLE...BUT THE MAIN HAZARD EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS IS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. NO SIGNIFICANT WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
In the hours before
Local storm report, Sep 30, 6:24 PM EST, 5 hours 36 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
724 PM EDT TUE SEP 30 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0710 PM HAIL 8 SE FOREST CITY 35.25N 81.77W
09/30/2008 E0.75 INCH RUTHERFORD NC AMATEUR RADIO
NEAR HW-120 AND FAMILY DR.
&&
BSHLocal storm report, Sep 30, 7:35 PM EST, 4 hours 25 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
835 PM EDT TUE SEP 30 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0822 PM HAIL 2 SW SALISBURY 35.65N 80.51W
09/30/2008 E0.75 INCH ROWAN NC TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
NEDSpecial weather statement, Sep 30, 10:41 PM EST, 1 hour 19 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 1141 PM EDT TUE SEP 30 2008 NCZ036-056-057-010430- CATAWBA-IREDELL-ROWAN- 1141 PM EDT TUE SEP 30 2008 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT CENTRAL ROWAN...SOUTHEASTERN CATAWBA AND SOUTHERN IREDELL COUNTIES THROUGH 1230 AM EDT... AT 1141 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 4 MILES NORTH OF TERRELL...OR 11 MILES SOUTH OF STATESVILLE...MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH. THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR... TROUTMAN BY 1150 PM EDT. 5 MILES NORTH OF MOORESVILLE BY 1155 PM EDT. 5 MILES SOUTH OF CLEVELAND BY 1215 AM EDT. 5 MILES WEST OF SALISBURY BY 1230 AM EDT. PEA SIZE HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 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. BSH
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
- October 1, 12:00 AM EST to October 31, 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
- October 1, 12:00 AM EST to October 31, 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
- October 1, 12:00 AM EST to October 31, 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
- October 1, 12:00 AM EST to October 31, 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
- October 1, 12:00 AM EST to October 31, 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
- Drought in North Carolina, October 1 to 31, 2008
- Drought in Texas, October 1 to 31, 2008
- Drought in Kentucky, October 1 to 7, 2008
- Drought in Tennessee, October 1 to 31, 2008
- Hail in North Carolina, October 1, 2008
- Drought in Wisconsin, October 1 to 31, 2008
- Drought in South Carolina, October 1 to 31, 2008
- Drought in California, October 1 to 31, 2008
- Drought in Texas, October 1 to 31, 2008
- Drought in Hawaii, October 1 to 31, 2008
- Hail in North Carolina, October 1, 2008
- Lightning Strike in New York, October 1, 2008
More
Every storm in Georgia in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Georgia, October 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: 138440, 138441, 138442, 138443, 138444, 138445.