The remnants of Tropical Storm Fay stalled just west of the Appalachian mountains, resulting in a prolonged, moist south to southeasterly flow over western North Carolina. During the early morning hours of Wed, August 27th, rainfall became especially heavy over the western North Carolina Piedmont as the southerly winds were lifted over a weak stationary front.
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.
The remnants of Tropical Storm Fay stalled just west of the Appalachian mountains, resulting in a prolonged, moist south to southeasterly flow over western North Carolina. During the early morning hours of Wed, August 27th, rainfall became especially heavy over the western North Carolina Piedmont as the southerly winds were lifted over a weak stationary front. Storm total rainfall in this area averaged 8 to 10 inches, with locally higher amounts, resulting in significant urban and stream flooding.
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 Aug 26, 6:40 AM EST, 20 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
740 AM EDT TUE AUG 26 2008
.SYNOPSIS...
THE REMNANTS OF TROPICAL DEPRESSION FAY WILL MOVE SLOWLY NORTHEAST
ACROSS THE DEEP SOUTH TODAY...CROSSING EASTERN TENNESSEE ON
WEDNESDAY. THE REMNANTS OF FAY SHOULD MOVE NORTH OF THE AREA BY LATE
IN THE WEEK...AS A COLD FRONT APPROACHES FROM THE NORTHWEST.
&&
.NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/...
WITH INCREASING UPSLOPE AND CONTINUING UPPER LEVEL DIVERGENCE...
PERIODS OF MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN WILL SPREAD TO COVER THE ENTIRE
CWA AND CONTINUE THRU TONIGHT AS THE REMNANTS OF FAY MOVE OVER THE
AREA. AN ADDITIONAL 4-5 INCHES RAINFALL IS EXPECTED ACROSS THE
MOUNTAINS AND ADJACENT FOOTHILLS WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS. WITH
THIS IN MIND THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH HAS BEEN EXPANDED ACROSS THE REST
OF THE MTNS AND ADJACENT NC FOOTHILLS. MODEL HELICITY INCREASES AS
THE CIRCULATION OF FAY APPROACHES AND THERE IS A THREAT OF TORNADOES
MAINLY THIS AFTN-EVE...ESP ACROSS THE W-N CWA AND THIS WILL BE
HIGHLIGHTED IN THE HWO. WITH OVERCAST SKIES AND PERIODS OF RAIN THRU
TONIGHT...TEMPS WILL BE WELL BELOW AVG WITH HIGHS GENERALLY IN THE
U70S S...M70S N AND M60S-L70S MTNS. LOWS TONIGHT WILL COOL TO AROUND
70 S...M60S N AND U50S-M60S MTNS.
&&
.SHORT TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT/...
AT 3 AM EDT...THE REMNANTS OF FAY WILL BE PASSING BY TO THE WEST OF
THE MOUNTAINS WEDNESDAY...WITH A SOUTHEASTERLY LOW LEVEL UPSLOPE
FLOW CONTINUING. THE PRESSURE GRADIENT BETWEEN FAY AND AN EAST COAST
SURFACE RIDGE WILL WEAKEN...DECREASING THE AMOUNT OF UPSLOPE FLOW BY
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON...HOWEVER UPSLOPE FLOW CONTINUES INTO WEDNESDAY
NIGHT. BY THURSDAY MORNING THE GFS AND NAM DIFFER IN THAT THE NAM
STILL HAS AN UPSLOPE FLOW COMPONENT BETWEEN THE SURFACE RIDGE AND
FAY...WHILE THE GFS MOVES FAY FARTHER EAST IN THE OH VALLEY...DRYING
OUR AREA OUT FROM THE WEST. A COMPROMISE SOLUTION WILL BE USED IN
THIS FORECAST PACKAGE...DRYING OUT THE WESTERN PORTION OF THE
AREA...AND MATCHING UP WITH NEIGHBORING OFFICES IN THAT REGARD.
WITH HIGH POPS AND EXTENSIVE CLOUD COVER ON WEDNESDAY...MAXIMUM
TEMPERATURES WILL BE SEVERAL CATEGORIES BELOW NORMAL. MAXIMUM
TEMPERATURES WILL RISE TO NEAR NORMAL VALUES ON THURSDAY AS
PRECIPITATION AND CLOUD COVER BEGIN TO DECREASE. MINIMUM
TEMPERATURES WILL RUN NEAR NORMAL.
&&
.LONG TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH MONDAY/...
AT 3 AM EDT...THE ECMWF AND GFS BECOME OUT OF PHASE IN THE NORTHERN
STREAM DURING THE MEDIUM RANGE PERIOD...WITH THE GFS BECOMING
CHARACTERISTICALLY FASTER THAN THE ECMWF. A BLOCK IN EASTERN
CANADA BREAKS DOWN EARLY IN THE PACKAGE...ALLOWING A LONGWAVE TROUGH
TO PROGRESS IN ITS WAKE. THE CURRENT RUN OF THE GFS STILL SUPPORTS
THE LATEST HPC SOLUTION...AND THIS FORECAST WILL BE MAINTAINED AT
THIS TIME. FRI FINDS OUR AREA IN THE WARM SECTOR BETWEEN A WARM FONT
IN THE POTOMAC VALLEY...AND A COLD FRONT IN THE CENTRAL PLAINS. THIS
COLD FRONT ADVANCES TO THE OH AND MID MS VALLEYS BY SAT...REACHING
THE CAROLINA COAST ON SUN...AND THE GULF STREAM ON MON. A WARM AND
MOIST AIR MASS AHEAD OF THE FRONT WILL SUPPORT SCATTERED CONVECTION.
DRYING WILL FOLLOW THE BOUNDARY ON SUN AND MON. TEMPERATURES WILL
RUN NEAR NORMAL AHEAD OF THE FRONT...THEN LOWER ABOUT A CATEGORY
AFTER THE FRONTAL PASSAGE.
&&
.AVIATION /12Z TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/...
EXPECT PREDOMINATE IFR CIGS/MVFR VSBY IN GOOD UPSLOPE FLOW THRU THE
DAY AS REMNANTS OF FAY REMAIN OVER THE AREA. RAIN WILL BE HEAVY AT
TIMES WITH LIFR PSBL IN HEAVIER SHOWERS. ISOLD TSTMS PSBL THRU THE
MORNING HOURS WITH SCT TSTMS EXPECTED THIS AFTN-EVE. WINDS WILL
GENERALLY BE 8-10 KTS FROM THE E...SE AT KAVL.
OUTLOOK...PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN AND LOW CIG/VSBY CAN BE EXPECTED
INTO THU AS FAY MOVES THRU THE AREA. LOW LEVEL MOISTURE WILL
CONTINUE INTO THE WEEKEND...WITH A CHANCE OF MORNING CIG/VSBY
RESTRICTIONS AND DIURNAL CONVECTION EACH DAY.
&&
.GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
GA...FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING FOR GAZ010-017-018.
NC...FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING FOR NCZ033-048>053-
058-059-062>065-501>510.
SC...FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING FOR SCZ001>007.
&&
SYNOPSIS...JAT
NEAR TERM...RB
SHORT TERM...JAT
LONG TERM...JAT
AVIATION...MCAVOY/RBHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 408 AM EDT TUE AUG 26 2008 GAZ026-028-029-NCZ035>037-056-057-068>072-082-SCZ008>014-019-270815- FRANKLIN-HART-ELBERT-ALEXANDER-IREDELL-DAVIE-CATAWBA-ROWAN-CLEVELAND- LINCOLN-GASTON-MECKLENBURG-CABARRUS-UNION NC-CHEROKEE-YORK-ANDERSON- ABBEVILLE-LAURENS-UNION SC-CHESTER-GREENWOOD- 408 AM EDT TUE AUG 26 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST GEORGIA...PIEDMONT NORTH CAROLINA...WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. AS THE REMNANTS OF TROPICAL SYSTEM FAY PASS JUST WEST OF THE APPALACHIANS...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE WIDESPREAD OVER THE WESTERN CAROLINAS AND NORTHEAST GEORGIA TODAY AND TONIGHT. LOCALIZED FLOODING WILL BE POSSIBLE FROM THE HEAVY RAINFALL... ESPECIALLY IN URBAN AREAS. ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE WITH ANY STRONGER THUNDERSTORMS...ESPECIALLY FOR LOCATIONS SOUTHEAST OF INTERSTATE 85. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CONTINUE INTO WEDNESDAY...THEN WILL BEGIN TO DECREASE IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS RETURN TO THE FORECAST FOR MUCH OF THE AREA ON SATURDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED. GAZ010-017-018-NCZ033-048>053-058-059-062>065-501>510-SCZ001>007- 270815- RABUN-HABERSHAM-STEPHENS-AVERY-MADISON-YANCEY-MITCHELL-SWAIN-HAYWOOD- BUNCOMBE-GRAHAM-NORTHERN JACKSON-MACON-SOUTHERN JACKSON-TRANSYLVANIA- HENDERSON-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- 408 AM EDT TUE AUG 26 2008 ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST GEORGIA...WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. FLASH FLOOD WATCH. THERE IS ALSO A THREAT FOR ISOLATED TORNADOES TODAY INTO TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. FLASH FLOOD WATCH. WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CONTINUE INTO WEDNESDAY...THEN WILL BEGIN TO DECREASE IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS RETURN TO THE FORECAST FOR MUCH OF THE AREA ON SATURDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED. 07
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 436 AM EDT TUE AUG 26 2008 SCZ001-260930- OCONEE MOUNTAINS- 436 AM EDT TUE AUG 26 2008 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHEASTERN OCONEE COUNTY THROUGH 530 AM EDT... AT 431 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 4 MILES SOUTH OF MOUNTAIN REST...OR 6 MILES NORTHWEST OF WALHALLA...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH. IN ADDITION TO THE POTENTIAL FOR WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH...THIS STORM IS SHOWING SIGNS OF ROTATION...AND IS BEING CLOSELY MONITORED FOR A POSSIBLE WARNING. PEOPLE IN NORTHEASTERN OCONEE COUNTY...INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING LOCATION... MOUNTAIN REST... SHOULD MONITOR THE WEATHER SITUATION CLOSELY. LISTEN FOR POSSIBLE WARNINGS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION SHOULD SEVERE WEATHER THREATEN. LANE
The Greer radar (KGSP), 60 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 12:01 UTC.
12 flash flood, 2 heavy rain, 2 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy rain caused a mudslide to develop on a hillside that had been cleared for construction. Water and debris entered a business at the bottom of the hill, causing some damage.
Around 6 inches of water flowed over highway 70 due to flooding along the Catawba River. Catawba River Rd was also flooded in the western part of the county. Also, Crooked Creek flooded Crooked Creek Rd in the western part of the county.
A combination of gusty winds and wet ground resulting from very heavy rainfall caused a tree to fall on a house, destroying a screen porch.
Flooding along Caney Fork resulted in the closing of Helen Zachary Rd and Caney Fork Rd.
Water from the Pigeon River flooded Max Thompson Rd, five miles west southwest of Canton, and Thickety Rd in Clyde. Also, Beaver Run Rd was closed after a small earthen dam gave way on Beaverdam Creek.
Several streams flooded across eastern portions of the county when up to 10 inches of rain fell in about a 24 hour period. Unofficial reports of up to 16 inches of rain were received. The South Toe River flooded portions of highway 80. Some streets were closed in Micaville due to urban flooding. A campground was flooded when the South Toe flooded just north of Celo. All of the camp sites were flooded, as were some outdoor facilities.
Water from the Linville River, Shooks Creek, and Sandy Bar covered Parks Dr 12.5 miles west northwest of Morganton. Also, the Johns River flooded part of Johns River Rd 7.5 miles north northwest of town. In addition, Bost Rd was closed near its intersection with Spainhour Rd due to flooding on Warrior Fork.
Wilson Creek flooded Brown Mountain Beach Rd about 10 miles west of Lenoir, while the Johns River flooded a portion of Playmore Beach Rd in the same general area.
Pine Ave and Moose St were inpassable due to flooding along Beaverdam Creek. Very high water was reported at an apartment complex in this same area.
A 25 foot section of East 1st St in Newton was washed out by water from Snow Hill Creek. Also, Rocky Ford Rd was closed due to flooding along the South Fork River. A section of Little Rd was washed out near the intersection of Albert Dr.
Severe flash flooding developed along Briar Creek in east Charlotte. Numerous cars were submerged on Independence Bvd, with some rescues required. Numerous evacuations were required of homes and apartments along the creek, as water entered dozens of structures. Uninsured losses included major damage to 147 homes and 1 business. Affected roads included Dunlavin Way, Harbinger Ct, Chantilly Lane, Cavalier Ct, and Dolphin Lane. Several houses and one apartment complex on these streets were condemned by the city.
Flooding began with closing of highway 152 and Atwell Rd in the southwest part of the county. Flooding quickly expanded to Salisbury and the Kannapolis area, with vehicles trapped in flood water on Old Concord Rd near Salisbury. A rest home was evacuated on Lush Dr in Salisbury when water began entering the building. Two families required rescue when their homes were flooded with at least a foot of water from Cane Creek near the intersection of Faith Rd and Byrd Rd. At least one motorist required rescue when water from Town Creek overflowed East Innes St at I-85. Floodwater in this area was several feet deep, causing damage to quite a few businesses. Poor drainage also caused deep standing water to form on N Long St, where at least one vehicle was submerged. By mid-morning numerous rescues were underway on Old Beatty Ford Rd in the Landis, Kannapolis area.
Numerous streets and roads were closed in and around Kannapolis, due to flooding streams and poor drainage. Evacuations were necessary at a rest home on Pine St. Closed roads included Sloop Rd, Trinity Church Rd, Dogwood Bvd, Dakota St, Lane St, Oakwood Ave, South Little Texas Rd, Mallard Point Rd, and East 1st St. At least 14 swift water rescues were necessary. Approximately 70 buildings were damaged by floodwater across Cabarrus County.
Numerous roads were closed, mainly due to stream flooding from Harrisburg to Concord to Mount Pleasant. Several homes received significant damage due to floodwater, with Harrisburg being the hardest hit. Closed roads included highway 73 near Dutch Rd, Red Bird Cir, Morehead Rd from highway 29 to highway 49, Miami Church Rd, Stough Rd near Marlboro Dr, Bowman Barrier Rd, Zion Church Rd at Flowes Store Rd, Pharr Mill Rd at Sequoia Hills Dr, and a portion of highway 200.
Although flash flooding ended across the area by mid-morning, stream levels remained elevated, and in some cases continued to slowly rise into the afternoon hours. In fact, the South Fork River did not crest until mid-evening. Numerous roads remained closed through the day.
Although flash flooding ended across the area by mid-morning, stream levels remained elevated, and in some cases continued to slowly rise into the afternoon hours. Numerous roads remained closed through the day.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in North Carolina in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in North Carolina, August 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: 133518, 131029, 133521, 131030, 131032, 131036, 131042, 131043, 131046, 131047, 131055, 132451, 132453, 132449, 132608, 132609.