Lightning caused a fire during the afternoon hours in the North Carolina foothills.
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.
Lightning caused a fire during the afternoon hours in the North Carolina foothills.
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 13, 1:32 PM EST, 28 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 232 PM EDT SUN JUL 13 2008 .SYNOPSIS... A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE WESTERN CAROLINAS AND NORTHEAST GEORGIA TONIGHT...THEN SOUTH OF THE AREA ON MONDAY. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD ACROSS THE AREA BEHIND THE FRONT AND LAST THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK...GRADUALLY MOVING OFF THE MID ATLANTIC COAST BEFORE THE WEEKEND. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH MONDAY/... CONVECTIVE COVERAGE HAS BEEN HIGHEST THIS AFTERNOON ALONG THE PRE FRONTAL TROUGH...AND THIS BAND OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL LIKELY MAINTAIN ITSELF AS IT MOVES EAST THROUGH THE HIGHER DEWPOINT AIR OF THE PIEDMONT. RIGHT ENTRANCE REGION DIVERGENCE AND H5 SHORTWAVES WILL MOVE INTO THE NC MTNS BETWEEN 00Z AND 06Z...AND THIS UPPER SUPPORT APPEARS TO BE FORCING ADDITIONAL SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS BACK ALONG THE FRONTAL ZONE TO THE NW OF THE FORECAST AREA. WILL THUS MAINTAIN FAIRLY HIGH CHANCE TO LIKELY POPS FOR THE OVERNIGHT HOURS FOR MOST LOCATIONS...AS THE APPROACHING COLD FRONT MOVES INTO THE MOUNTAINS THIS EVENING...AND THEN SLOWLY INTO THE PIEDMONT BY DAYBREAK MONDAY. LINGERING INSTABILITY ALONG THE FRONTAL ZONE WILL REQUIRE CHANCE POPS FOR THE MORNING HOURS. ANY CHANCES MON AFTN SHOULD BE RELEGATED TO THE EXTREME EAST/SOUTHEAST PIEDMONT AS DRY AIR AND COLD ADVECTION KICK IN BEHIND THE FRONT. && .SHORT TERM /MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY/... AS OF 215 PM SUNDAY...THE 12Z NAM CONTINUES AS THE QUICKER OF THE SHORT RANGE MODELS WRT TO THE FROPA AND THE 12Z GFS CONFERS MORESO WITH THE SREF QPF MEANS. SO...GOOD CONFIDENCE IS HAD IN FRONT EXITING THE CWFA EARLY MON NIGHT AND LOWER THETA/E WORKING INTO THE MTN VALLEYS. MOST OF THE DRIER AIR ASSOCIATED WITH THE OHIO VALLEY HIGH PUSHES SOUTHWEST OF THE APP MTNS...HOWEVER THE NAM AND GFS BOTH SUPPORT A N/LY WIND SHIFT EARLY TUE. MODEL SOUNDINGS INDICATE DEEP DRYING THROUGH THE DAY TUE AND DECENT MIXING. BUFKIT SHOWS 500 FT LAYERED SPECIFIC HUMIDITIES DROPPING TO 9 G/KG WHICH SHOULD SUPPORT MIXED TDS IN THE UPPER 50S. GOOD INSOLATION IS EXPECTED AND TEMPS WILL REACH RIGHT AROUND NORMAL SO LOW RH VALUES ARE EXPECTED...HOWEVER NO FIRE WX CONCERNS ARE FORESEEN ATTM. ALL IN ALL A NICE DRY DAY IS IN STORE TUE AND CONTINUING WED. HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS DIRECTLY OVERHEAD WED AND DEEP NE/LY WILL KEEP THE ATMOS STABLE AND DRY THROUGH A DEEP LAYER ONCE AGAIN. THE REMAINS OF THE UPPER LEVEL ILL/DEFINED AND WEAK TROF GETS REPLACED BY CONTINENTAL RIDGING WED WHICH WILL REMAIN IN PLACE IN CONJUCNTION WITH A RETROGRADING SUB TROPICAL HIGH OVER THE SE REGION AND STRENGTHEN THROUGH THE EXTENDED PERIOD. A FAIRLY STEEP SUBSIDENCE INVERSION SHOWS IN THE SOUNDINGS WED AND THU AND WILL EXPECT MAX TEMPS A FEW DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL WED THROUGH THU. POPS HAVE BEEN KEPT DRY WED AND SILENT 20 POPS WERE ADDED TO THE GRIDS THU AFTERNOON. WITH A VERY STABLE LAYER ALOFT ANY MOISTURE FLUX OFF THE ATL WILL HAVE A HARD TIME PRODUCING MUCH BESIDES FAIR WX CU/ACU...HOWEVER WITH SFC TDS RETURNING TO THE UPPER 60S A COUPLE LOCATIONS COULD SEE SOME PULSE SHRA/TS DEVELOPING. && .LONG TERM /THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY/... AS OF 230 PM SUNDAY...STRONG UPPER LEVEL RIDGING WILL BE THE MAIN PLAYER ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST REGION THROUGH THE EXTENDED PERIOD. THE 00Z ECMWF IS DIFFERING FROM THE 12Z GFS BY BRINGING MID LEVEL DISTURBANCE ACROSS THE WESTERN CAROLINAS AND NE GA FRI THROUGH SAT. THIS SCENARIO WAS SUPPORTED BY THE 12Z GFS 24 HOURS AGO...HOWEVER THE PRESENT 12Z GFS HAS BROAD UPPER LEVEL RIDGING...WITH ONLY A RELATIVE WEAKNESS BETWEEN THE TWO UPPER LEVEL HIGH CENTERS PERSISTING ACROSS THE REGION. SOUNDINGS INDICATE THE ATMOS WILL REMAIN VERY DRY THROUGH THIS TIME PERIOD AS STACKED RIDGING SLOWLY MOVES EAST OFF THE ATL COAST THROUGH SAT. THE LLVL WIND FIELD WILL BECOME MOISTER OUT OF THE SE LATE FRI AND THROUGH THE DAY SAT. SLIGHT CHANCE POPS ARE SHOTGUNNED ACROSS THE WHOLE CWFA FRI THROUGH THE WEEKEND AS ANY LOCATION COULD BE SUSPECT FOR A SHRA/TSA...HOWEVER A BIT HIGHER POPS FOR THE UPSLOPE REGIONS IS ADVERTISED EARLY SAT. THE ATMOS WILL BECOME FAIRLY STAGNANT DURING THE EXTENDED AND WILL ANTICIPATE PERSISTENCE MAX TEMPS AROUND 90 OUTSIDE THE MTNS AND MID 80S MTN VALLEYS. && .AVIATION /19Z SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... TEMPO THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED ALONG AND WEST OF A KHKY TO KAND LINE THROUGH LATE AFTERNOON...WITH SHRA/TSRA COVERAGE SPREADING EAST TOWARD KCLT BY 20Z. MVFR CIG AND VSBY WILL ACCOMPANY THE TSRA...AND BRIEF IFR WILL BE POSSIBLE DURING THE HEAVIEST SHOWERS. THIS FIRST BAND OF ACTIVITY IS ASSOCIATED WITH A PRE FRONTAL TROUGH. ADDITIONAL CONVECTION IS EXPECTED TONIGHT AS THE COLD FRONT MOVES INTO THE REGION...BUT THE COVERAGE SHOULD BE SOMEWHAT LESS. MOS INDICATES LOWER CIG/VSBY ONLY AT KAVL OVERNIGHT...BUT TAF SITES RECEIVING APPRECIABLE RAINFALL THIS AFTERNOON COULD SEE MVFR VSBY 06Z TO 12Z DESPITE THE CLOUDINESS. SW WINDS THIS AFTN WILL BECOME NORTHWEST WITH THE ARRIVAL OF THE FRONT THIS EVENING...WITH ALL SITES SWITCHING AROUND TO NORTHEAST FLOW ON THE COLD ADVECTION SIDE MONDAY MORNING. ONLY KCLT SHOULD SEE ANY LINGERING TSTM CHANCES BY MIDDAY ON MONDAY. OUTLOOK...DRY HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD ACROSS THE TERMINAL FORECAST AREA MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY...AND THEN LINGER THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK. && .GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... GA...NONE. NC...NONE. SC...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...TJB NEAR TERM...HG SHORT TERM...SBK LONG TERM...SBK AVIATION...HG
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 1115 AM EDT SUN JUL 13 2008 GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033-035>037-048>053-056>059-062>065- 068>072-082-501>510-SCZ001>014-019-141515- 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- 1115 AM EDT SUN JUL 13 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 THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING OVER THE MOUNTAINS AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT WILL STEADILY SPREAD EAST INTO THE THE PIEDMONT THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS. A FEW OF THE THUNDERSTORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE THIS AFTERNOON OR EVENING...PRODUCING LOCALIZED AREAS OF DAMAGING WIND AND PENNY SIZE HAIL. WHILE THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE MORE NUMEROUS OVER THE MOUNTAINS...THE POTENTIAL FOR DAMAGING WINDS WILL ACTUALLY BE A LITTLE HIGHER OUT OVER THE FOOTHILLS AND PIEDMONT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. HG
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 1138 AM EDT SUN JUL 13 2008 GAZ010-017-018-026-131645- FRANKLIN-HABERSHAM-RABUN-STEPHENS- 1138 AM EDT SUN JUL 13 2008 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT HABERSHAM...RABUN...STEPHENS AND WESTERN FRANKLIN COUNTIES THROUGH 1245 PM EDT... AT 1138 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 5 MILES WEST OF LAKE BURTON TO 6 MILES NORTH OF GAINESVILLE TO AUBURN...MOVING EAST AT 19 MPH. THESE STORMS WILL BE NEAR... CORNELIA BY 1210 PM EDT. CLAYTON BY 1220 PM EDT. TURNERVILLE BY 1225 PM EDT. TALLULAH FALLS BY 1230 PM EDT. PEA SIZE HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS. 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. HG
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 229 PM EDT SUN JUL 13 2008 NCZ068-508-SCZ007-008-013-131930- CHEROKEE-CLEVELAND-GREATER RUTHERFORD-SPARTANBURG-UNION- 229 PM EDT SUN JUL 13 2008 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT CHEROKEE...EASTERN SPARTANBURG... NORTHERN UNION...SOUTHEASTERN RUTHERFORD AND SOUTHWESTERN CLEVELAND COUNTIES THROUGH 330 PM EDT... AT 224 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 7 MILES NORTHWEST OF CHESNEE TO 4 MILES NORTHEAST OF SPARTANBURG TO 5 MILES SOUTH OF ROEBUCK...MOVING EAST AT 14 MPH. THESE STORMS WILL BE NEAR... MAYO BY 240 PM EDT. CHESNEE BY 245 PM EDT. COWPENS BY 250 PM EDT. THICKETTY BY 305 PM EDT. CLIFFSIDE BY 315 PM EDT. BOILING SPRINGS NC BY 330 PM EDT. PEA SIZE HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS. INTENSE LIGHTNING IS ALSO OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM. IF OUTDOORS...STAY AWAY FROM ISOLATED HIGH OBJECTS SUCH AS TREES. MOVE INDOORS IF POSSIBLE. HG
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 244 PM EDT SUN JUL 13 2008 NCZ035-036-056-501-502-504-131945- ALEXANDER-CALDWELL MOUNTAINS-CATAWBA-GREATER BURKE-GREATER CALDWELL-IREDELL- 244 PM EDT SUN JUL 13 2008 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT ALEXANDER...CATAWBA...EASTERN CALDWELL...IREDELL AND EASTERN BURKE COUNTIES THROUGH 345 PM EDT... AT 241 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 3 MILES WEST OF ELKVILLE TO 4 MILES NORTHWEST OF VALE...MOVING EAST AT 27 MPH. * OTHER LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO RUTHERFORD COLLEGE...LOOKOUT SHOALS LAKE...LAKE RHODHISS...LAKE HICKORY... KINGS CREEK...UNION GROVE...TURNERSBURG...TROUTMAN...TERRELL... TAYLORSVILLE...STONY POINT...STATESVILLE...ST. STEPHENS...SCOTTS... SAWMILLS...RHODHISS...NEWTON...MOORESVILLE...MILLERSVILLE... MAIDEN...LOVE VALLEY...LONGVIEW...LENOIR...ICARD...HUDSON... HILDEBRAN...HIDDENITE...HICKORY...GRANITE FALLS...ELLENDALE... COOKSVILLE...CONOVER...CONNELLY SPRINGS...CLAREMONT...CATAWBA... CAJAHS MOUNTAIN AND BETHLEHEM. WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH AND VERY HEAVY RAINFALL ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS. FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND HAIL WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE. 07
The Greer radar (KGSP), 125 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:59 UTC.
1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Lightning ignited a fire at a house on Forest Hill Ct. The fire destroyed much of the living room.
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, July 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: 128826.