North Carolina, 2008

Hail and Damaging Winds in North Carolina, July 21, 2008

July 21, 2008 · NWS GSP · 11 events in 7 counties and zones

Several severe storms affected western North Carolina during the afternoon and evening hours.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$500,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
11

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.

Several severe storms affected western North Carolina during the afternoon and evening hours.

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 Jul 21, 3:17 PM EST, 53 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 21, 3:17 PM EST, 53 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
417 PM EDT MON JUL 21 2008

.SYNOPSIS...
TROPICAL STORM CRISTOBAL WILL MOVE OFF THE OUTER BANKS AND CONTINUE
NORTHEAST INTO THE ATLANTIC. A WEAK COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO
APPROACH THE REGION LATE TUESDAY AND THEN GRADUALLY CROSS THE AREA
THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BEGIN TO BUILD IN
FROM THE NORTH ON THURSDAY.

&&

.NEAR TERM /THROUGH TUESDAY/...
I WILL ISSUE A QUICK UPDATE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 718 IN
EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM EDT THIS EVENING. THE WATCH AREA COVERS MOST OF
THE NC MTNS...EXCEPT TRANSYLVANIA AND HENDERSON COUNTIES. COVERAGE
ACROSS EASTERN TN HAS RECENTLY INCREASE WITH A VIGOROUS LINE OF
THUNDERSTORMS ALONG THE KY/TN LINE. THE UPDATE POPS WILL INCREASE TO
LIKELY ALONG THE TN LINE WITH CHC POPS EXTENDING INTO THE SC MTNS.
50-55 DBZ CORES NEAR 29KFT SEVERE WIND GUSTS AND 32-34KFT FOR SVR
HAIL.

ANY CONVECTION SHOULD DISSIPATE OVERNIGHT WITH A HAZY SUNRISE IN
STORE. EXCESSIVE HEAT WILL BE THE MAIN STORY ACROSS UPSTATE SC AND
PORTIONS OF NE GA ON TUE. HOTTER MAV TEMPS LOOK THE BEST CONSIDERING
THAT LOW LEVEL THICKNESS IS ACTUALLY FORECAST TO BE HIGHER THAN
TODAY. COUPLING MAX TEMPS CLOSE TO MAV GUIDANCE (100-103 RANGE) AND
DEWPOINTS PROBABLY NOT MIXING OUT LOWER THAN THE 65-68 RANGE WILL
HAVE HEAT INDEX VALUES AROUND 105 DEGREES FOR SEVERAL HOURS TUE AFTERNOON.
THIS MEETS HEAT ADVISORY CRITERIA SO WILL GO AHEAD AND ISSUE FOR ALL
OF UPSTATE SC EXCEPT THE SC MOUNTAINS...PLUS ELBERT...HART AND
FRANKLIN IN NE GA.

MODELS ARE RESPONDING LATE TUE AFTERNOON WITH A GOOD AMOUNT OF DEEP
CONVECTION MAINLY OVER NC WHERE BEST FORCING WILL EXIST AS WEAK
FRONTAL ZONE MOVES INTO THE AREA. HENCE...WILL HAVE HIGHEST POPS
OVER THE NORTH...HIGH CHANCE....TAPERING TO ISOLATED ACROSS THE FAR
S. HENCE...TEMPERATURES ACROSS NC ARE EXPECTED TO BE TEMPERED
SOMEWHAT BY CONVECTION DURING THE AFTERNOON. HOWEVER...HEAT INDEX
VALUES IN THE CHARLOTTE AREA WILL EXCEED 100 DEGREES FOR A FEW
HOURS...BUT SHORT OF HEAT ADVISORY CRITERIA.

&&

.SHORT TERM /TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY/...
AS OF 230 PM MONDAY...GFS SEEMS TO BE THE MODEL OF CHOICE THIS
AFTERNOON BASED ON MORE CONSISTENT APPROACH TO APPROACHING COLD.
AGREE WITH HPC  FORECAST THAT FRONT WILL STALL NEAR NC/SC BORDER AND
THEN DISSIPATE DURING THE LATER PART OF THE WEEK.  CAPE VALUES OF
MORE THAN 1000 COULD GIVE US SOME STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG
BOUNDARY WHEREVER IT SETTLES IN.

SOME CONCERN ABOUT DROPPING THE MAX TEMPERATURES FROM LOW 100S IN
THE PIEDMONT ON TUESDAY TO UPPER 80S ON WEDNESDAY AS INDICATED BY
MAV GUIDANCE.  SO I SPLIT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE MAV AND THE MET.

AFTER THAT THINGS START TO DRY OUT AS FRONTAL BOUNDARY WEAKENS OVER
THE AREA.

&&

.LONG TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY/...
AS OF 145 PM MONDAY...THE MAIN STORY FOR THE MEDIUM RANGE WILL BE
THE PERSISTENT EAST COAST TROUGH IN PLACE THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK.
THERE IS GOOD AGREEMENT AMONGST THE VARIOUS MODEL
SOLUTIONS...ESPECIALLY NOW THAT THE 12Z GFS HAS COME MORE IN LINE
WITH THE 00Z ECMWF AND HAS MOVED AWAY FROM ITS 06Z RUN THAT FEATURED
DRY HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE FA FOR THE FIRST PART OF THE EXTENDED.
THE SURFACE BOUNDARY STALLS ACROSS THE FA ON FRI AND ESSENTIALLY
WASHES OUT ON SATURDAY LEAVING BEHIND A MOIST AIR MASS IN ADVANCE OF
YET ANOTHER APPROACHING WEAK FRONTAL BOUNDARY. THIS FRONT ALSO LOOKS
LIKE IT WILL MAKE ONLY MINIMAL EASTWARD PROGRESS SUNDAY AND
MONDAY...SUPPORTING MAINLY DIURNAL CHC POPS EACH AND EVERY AFTERNOON
FOR THE EXTENDED. WITH THE UPPER TROUGH IN PLACE FOR THE ENTIRE
PERIOD...ANTICIPATE TEMPS TO BE SUPPRESSED NEAR NORMAL THROUGH THE
WEEKEND AND POSSIBLY SLIGHTLY COOLER BY MON AS THE UPPER TROUGH
DEEPENS A BIT.

&&

.AVIATION /20Z MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/...
VFR CONDITIONS AT ALL TAF SITES CURRENTLY SHOULD HOLD ON THROUGH THE
AFTERNOON AND MOST OF THE NIGHT. RADAR SHOWS SOME ISOLATED
THUDNERSTORMS DEVELOPING ACROSS UPSTATE SC...BUT THE ODDS OF A
STORM AFFECTING AN AIRFIELD IS QUITE LOW...SO NO MENTION OF VCTS OR
CB. MVFR HZ EXPECTED TO BE MORE WIDESPREAD IN THE 10Z-15Z TIMEFRAME
ON TUE AND HAVE HZ IN THE FORECAST EVERYWHERE. THUNDERSTORMS
EXPECTED TO BE MORE WIDESPREAD ON TUE AFTERNOON...ESPECIALLY ACROSS
THE MOUNTAINS....BUT EXPECT MOST IMPACT AFTER 18Z SO NO MENTION IN
THE 18Z TAF PACKAGE AT KAVL.

OUTLOOK...THUNDERSTORMS WILL GRADUALLY INCREASE IN COVERAGE TUESDAY
EVENING...THEN DIMINISH OVERNIGHT. THUNDERSTORM COVERAGE WILL
INCREASE AGAIN ON WED AS A COLD FRONT APPROACHES AND MOVES ACROSS
THE REGION. BEHIND THE FRONT...GENERALLY VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED
DURING THE DAY ON THU AND CONTINUING ON FRI.

&&

.GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
GA...HEAT ADVISORY FROM 12 PM TO 6 PM EDT TUESDAY FOR GAZ026-028-
     029.
NC...HEAT ADVISORY FROM 12 PM TO 6 PM EDT TUESDAY FOR NCZ082.
SC...HEAT ADVISORY FROM 12 PM TO 6 PM EDT TUESDAY FOR SCZ004>014-
     019.

&&

SYNOPSIS...BSH
NEAR TERM...NED/LG
SHORT TERM...VAD
LONG TERM...BSH
AVIATION...LG
Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 21, 2:55 PM EST, 1 hour 15 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
355 PM EDT MON JUL 21 2008

GAZ010-017-018-NCZ035>037-056-057-064-065-068>072-501>510-SCZ001>003-
222000-
RABUN-HABERSHAM-STEPHENS-ALEXANDER-IREDELL-DAVIE-CATAWBA-ROWAN-
TRANSYLVANIA-HENDERSON-CLEVELAND-LINCOLN-GASTON-MECKLENBURG-CABARRUS-
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-
355 PM EDT MON JUL 21 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.

ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP ACROSS THE
MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE COVERAGE
AND STRENGTH OF THE STORMS WILL REMAIN THE GREATEST OVER THE HIGH
TERRAIN.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY.

A COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO APPROACH FROM THE NORTHWEST TUESDAY
AND LINGER OVER THE AREA THROUGH THE WEEK. MOISTURE WILL INCREASE
AHEAD OF THIS SYSTEM...BRINGING A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH
DAY SEVEN.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

GAZ026-028-029-NCZ082-SCZ004>014-019-222000-
FRANKLIN-HART-ELBERT-UNION NC-GREATER OCONEE-GREATER PICKENS-
GREATER GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG-CHEROKEE-YORK-ANDERSON-ABBEVILLE-
LAURENS-UNION SC-CHESTER-GREENWOOD-
355 PM EDT MON JUL 21 2008

...HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 12 PM TO 6 PM EDT TUESDAY...

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST GEORGIA...PIEDMONT
NORTH CAROLINA AND UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP ACROSS THE
MOUNTAINS...FOOTHILLS...AND A PORTION OF THE PIEDMONT THIS
AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE COVERAGE AND STRENGTH OF THE STORMS
WILL REMAIN THE GREATEST OVER THE HIGH TERRAIN.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY.

PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE
INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS.

   HEAT ADVISORY.

ON TUESDAY...,.VERY HOT TEMPERATURES ALONG WITH VERY HUMID
CONDITIONS WILL AFFECT UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA AND PORTIONS OF
NORTHEAST GEORGIA. HEAT INDEX VALUES AROUND 105 DEGREES IN THE
AFTERNOON WILL CREATE DANGEROUS CONDITIONS FOR THOSE WORKING
OUTDOORS OR WITHOUT AIR CONDITIONING.

A COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO APPROACH FROM THE NORTHWEST TUESDAY
NIGHT AND LINGER OVER THE AREA THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT. MOISTURE
WILL INCREASE AHEAD OF THIS SYSTEM...BRINGING AN INCREASING CHANCE
OF THUNDERSTORMS...MAINLY ON WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT.
HOWEVER...
WIDELY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS CAN NOT BE RULED OUT THROUGH DAY
SEVEN.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

NCZ033-048>053-058-059-062-063-222000-
AVERY-MADISON-YANCEY-MITCHELL-SWAIN-HAYWOOD-BUNCOMBE-GRAHAM-
NORTHERN JACKSON-MACON-SOUTHERN JACKSON-
355 PM EDT MON JUL 21 2008

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 718 IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM EDT THIS
EVENING...

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN NORTH 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.

   SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY.

A COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO APPROACH FROM THE NORTHWEST TUESDAY
AND LINGER OVER THE AREA THROUGH THE WEEK. MOISTURE WILL INCREASE
AHEAD OF THIS SYSTEM...BRINGING A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH
DAY SEVEN.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 21, 2:19 PM EST, 1 hour 51 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Jul 21, 3:27 PM EST, 43 minutes before
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Local storm report, Jul 21, 4:08 PM EST, 2 minutes before
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The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

8 thunderstorm wind, 3 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Madison

When
July 21, 4:10 PM EST
Where
Madison County, 1.36 mi ENE of (Hss)hot Spgs
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
35.891, -82.830

A tree was blown down on Frisbee Court in Hot Springs and another blown down on highway 209 just west of Hot Springs.

Thunderstorm Wind, Avery

When
July 21, 4:18 PM EST
Where
Avery County, 0.5 mi S of Banner Elk
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Fire Department/Rescue
Coordinates
36.163, -81.871

A couple trees were blown down.

Hail, Jackson

When
July 21, 4:30 PM EST
Where
Jackson County, 1.09 mi SSE of Cashiers
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
Newspaper
Coordinates
35.105, -83.094

Thunderstorm Wind, Jackson

When
July 21, 5:00 PM EST
Where
Jackson County, Webster
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
35.350, -83.230

Several trees and power lines were blown down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Rowan

When
July 21, 5:29 PM EST
Where
Rowan County, 2.62 mi NE of Mill Bridge
Measured
70 kt (81 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
NWS Storm Survey
Coordinates
35.671, -80.611

Numerous trees were blown down along Goodnight Rd and Mountain View Rd. A barn was destroyed and a metal outbuilding heavily damaged on Goodnight Rd. Several homes also received minor roof and siding damage in this area.

Thunderstorm Wind, Swain

When
July 21, 5:55 PM EST
Where
Swain County, 5 mi SE of Bryson City
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
35.379, -83.387

Several trees were blown down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Transylvania

When
July 21, 6:00 PM EST
Where
Transylvania County, 0.36 mi E of Balsam Grove
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Post Office
Coordinates
35.230, -82.874

Trees were blown down on highway 215.

Hail, Transylvania

When
July 21, 6:00 PM EST
Where
Transylvania County, 0.36 mi E of Balsam Grove
Measured
0.88 in hail
Reported by
Post Office
Coordinates
35.230, -82.874

Nickel size hail was reported on highway 215.

Thunderstorm Wind, Rowan

When
July 21, 6:00 PM EST
Where
Rowan County, 1.06 mi E of China Grove
Measured
80 kt (92 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$500,000
Reported by
NWS Storm Survey
Coordinates
35.569, -80.581

Significant microburst damage occurred in the China Grove area, with major structural damage occurring to two buildings at a business on North Main St. The roof was blown off one building and a brick warehouse behind the business collapsed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Rutherford

When
July 21, 6:30 PM EST
Where
Rutherford County, 1 mi NE of Cliffside
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Fire Department/Rescue
Coordinates
35.240, -81.767

Trees were blown down.

Hail, Rutherford

When
July 21, 6:30 PM EST
Where
Rutherford County, 1 mi NE of Cliffside
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
Fire Department/Rescue
Coordinates
35.240, -81.767

What these are

Thunderstorm Wind
Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in North Carolina in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in North Carolina, July 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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 128260, 128263, 128264, 128267, 128275, 128680, 128686, 128688, 128689, 128706, 128707.