Scattered severe storms developed during the evening hours over western North Carolina.
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.
Scattered severe storms developed during the evening hours over western North Carolina.
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 23, 1:51 PM EST, 2 hours 14 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 251 PM EDT WED JUL 23 2008 .SYNOPSIS... A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE WESTERN CAROLINAS AND NORTHEAST GEORGIA TONIGHT. DRY HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD IN THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. THE FRONT WILL MOVE BACK INTO THE REGION ON SATURDAY AND BECOME STATIONARY AS A SERIES OF UPPER LOWS MOVE ACROSS THE AREA. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM THURSDAY MORNING/... A CLOSED H5 LOW WILL SLIGHTLY DEEPEN THIS EVE THRU TONIGHT...AS A POTENT S/W ROTATES AROUND FROM THE NW OVR ERN KY/TN. SEVERAL SHWRS AND TSTMS HAVE BEGUN TO DEVELOP WITH THIS FEATURE ACROSS TN AND THE SRN APPLNS. LAPS CAPES AT 18Z WERE GENERALLY 1500-2500 J/KG ACROSS THE AREA. SO NUMEROUS STORMS FOR LATE AFTN AND INTO THE EVE CAN BE EXPECTED. THERE IS ENOUGH SHEAR AND INSTABILITY TO SUPPORT MULTICELL CLUSTERS/LINES WITH POTENTIAL BOWING SEGMENTS AND LARGE HAIL. A COLD FRONT WILL PUSH THRU THE AREA FROM THE N LATE THIS EVE AND OVERNIGHT. GUIDANCE HAS PRECIP ENDING AND SKIES CLEARING WITH THE FROPA. OVERALL...GUIDANCE HAS COME INTO GOOD AGREEMENT ON THE FRONT ADVANCING S OF THE CWFA...WITH PLENTY OF DRY AND STABLE AIR OVR THE AREA. HENCE...NO POPS ARE CARRIED FOR THURSDAY...AND TEMPS ARE EXPECTED TO BE SLIGHTLY BELOW NORMAL. && .SHORT TERM /6 AM THURSDAY MORNING THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT/... AS OF 215 PM WEDNESDAY...LOOKING AT BUKFIT SOUNDINGS FROM THE NAM AND GFS...THE AIRMASS OVER THE WESTERN CAROLINAS AND NE GA SHOULD REMAIN STABLE THU NIGHT AND FRI. I DID KEEP SOME SLIGHT CHANCE POPS IN THE NC MTNS LATE FRI AND FRI NIGHT...AS A LITTLE INSTABILITY IS SHOWN BY THE MODELS STARTING IN THE EARLY EVENING HOURS OVER THE HIGH TERRAIN. THE AIRMASS WILL GRADUALLY MOISTEN OVER THE MOUNTAINS ON SATURDAY. THE OLD ECMWF BROUGHT AN MCS...OR PERHAPS THE REMNANTS OF ONE...ACROSS THE NRN PART OF THE FA SAT MORNING. THE GFS ALSO BRINGS THE REMNANTS OF A NW FLOW MCS OVER THE FA ON SAT...BUT FARTHER TO THE SOUTH AND A LITTLE EARLIER IN THE DAY. HAVING BOTH MODELS BRING SOMETHING THROUGH THE AREA IS A GOOD SIGN...AS ARE THE HIGH POPS ON THE SREF...BUT CONFIDENCE ON THE TIMING OR EXACT NATURE OF THE PCPN IS STILL NOT VERY HIGH. FOR NOW WILL CARRY 30 POPS OUTSIDE THE MTNS AND 40 TO 50 POPS OVER THE MOUNTAINS THROUGH THE DAY ON SAT. WITH THE ERN CONUS LONG WAVE BEGINNING TO AMPLIFY AGAIN...THE NW FLOW WILL STRENGTHEN A LITTLE SAT NIGHT. THEREFORE...I/VE KEPT CHANCE POPS IN THE FORECAST WELL INTO THE NIGHTTIME HOURS. && .LONG TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... AS OF 115 PM WEDNESDAY...THE THINKING REGARDING THE MEDIUM RANGE REMAINS CONSISTENT WITH A TROUGH CONTINUING ALONG THE EASTERN SEABOARD THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. AT THE SURFACE...A FRONTAL BOUNDARY IS EXPECTED TO DROP SOUTHWARD AND APPROACH THE FA DURING THE DAY ON SUN...BECOMING QUASI-STATIONARY THEREAFTER AND REMAINING IN THE AREA THROUGH MID WEEK. THEREFORE...WILL CONTINUE TO CARRY SOLID CHC POPS ACROSS THE REGION THROUGH WED...TAPERING OFF A LITTLE BIT TOWARDS THE END OF THE PERIOD AS HIGH PRESSURE TRIES TO BUILD IN FROM THE NORTH AND PUSH THE OLD BOUNDARY FURTHER SOUTH. AS FAR AS TEMPS GO...WARMEST DAY WILL BE SUN WITH TEMPS A FEW DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL...THEN RETURNING TO VALUES CLOSE TO CLIMO FOR EARLY AND MID WEEK. && .AVIATION /19Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY/... MAIN CONCERN FOR THE NEXT 6-8 HOURS WILL BE NUMEROUS TO WIDESPREAD SHWRS/TSTMS DEVELOPING ACROSS THE AREA. SINCE EXACT TIMING OF ANY ONE CELL AFFECTING A TAF SITE CANNOT BE MADE...VCTS AND CB WORDING WILL BE CARRIED WITH THE 18Z TAF ISSUANCE. AS TRENDS IN SAT/RADAR UNFOLD...AMENDMENTS WILL BE MADE TO BETTER TIME ANY RESTRICTIONS. OTRW...EXPECT VFR CONDITIONS...WITH WINDS VEERING TO NWLY THEN NELY OVERNIGHT AS A WEAK COLD FRONT SAGS S THRU THE AREA. IF CLOUDS CLEAR SOON ENOUGH...SOME VALLEY FOG IS POSSIBLE...HENCE A BRIEF MVFR VSBY RESTRICTION AT KAVL WAS RETAINED. HI PRES WILL BLD INTO THE REGION BY THURSDAY AFTN...RESULTING IN SKC AND LIGHT WINDS. OUTLOOK...HIGH PRESSURE WILL REMAIN OVER THE AREA THRU FRIDAY...PROVIDING GENERALLY VFR CONDITIONS. SCATTERED MAINLY AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS CAN BE EXPECTED FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. SOME MVFR CEILINGS AND VISIBILITY MAY OCCUR IN THUNDERSTORMS...WITH MVFR VISIBILITY AT NIGHT IN FOG WHERE RAIN FALLS. ANOTHER FRONT WILL BE IN THE AREA ON MONDAY...WHICH WILL SUPPORT MORE THUNDERSTORMS AND ASSOCIATED RESTRICTIONS. && .GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... GA...NONE. NC...NONE. SC...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...MCAVOY NEAR TERM...ARK SHORT TERM...MCAVOY LONG TERM...BSH AVIATION...ARK
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 344 PM EDT WED JUL 23 2008 GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ048>053-058-059-062>065-068-505>510- SCZ001>014-019-241945- RABUN-HABERSHAM-STEPHENS-FRANKLIN-HART-ELBERT-MADISON-YANCEY- MITCHELL-SWAIN-HAYWOOD-BUNCOMBE-GRAHAM-NORTHERN JACKSON-MACON- SOUTHERN JACKSON-TRANSYLVANIA-HENDERSON-CLEVELAND-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- 344 PM EDT WED JUL 23 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. SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP ACROSS THE REGION INTO THIS EVENING. A FEW OF THESE STORMS WILL BE SEVERE...PRODUCING LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WIND GUSTS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. THERE IS AT LEAST A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS SATURDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. NCZ033-035>037-056-057-069>072-082-501>504-241945- AVERY-ALEXANDER-IREDELL-DAVIE-CATAWBA-ROWAN-LINCOLN-GASTON- MECKLENBURG-CABARRUS-UNION NC-CALDWELL MOUNTAINS-GREATER CALDWELL- BURKE MOUNTAINS-GREATER BURKE- 344 PM EDT WED JUL 23 2008 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 739 IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM EDT THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PIEDMONT NORTH CAROLINA AND 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...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. THERE IS AT LEAST A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS SATURDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
405 PM EDT WED JUL 23 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0850 PM TSTM WND DMG MILLERSVILLE 35.86N 81.18W
07/22/2008 ALEXANDER NC UTILITY COMPANY
TREES ON POWER LINES.
0920 PM TSTM WND DMG HARMONY 35.96N 80.77W
07/22/2008 IREDELL NC UTILITY COMPANY
TREES ON POWER LINES.
&&
TBENTHALLPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
418 PM EDT WED JUL 23 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0311 PM HAIL 3 NNW SPARTANBURG 34.99N 81.95W
07/23/2008 E0.88 INCH SPARTANBURG SC TRAINED SPOTTER
PENNY TO NICKEL SIZED HAIL.
0345 PM HAIL 7 NW STARR 34.45N 82.78W
07/23/2008 E0.75 INCH ANDERSON SC TRAINED SPOTTER
PENNY SIZED HAIL NEAR HW-29.
&&
BSHSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 424 PM EDT WED JUL 23 2008 SCZ002-003-005-232130- GREATER PICKENS-GREENVILLE MOUNTAINS-PICKENS MOUNTAINS- 424 PM EDT WED JUL 23 2008 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHERN PICKENS AND NORTHWESTERN GREENVILLE COUNTIES THROUGH 530 PM EDT... AT 418 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 3 MILES WEST OF TABLE ROCK RESERVOIR...OR 12 MILES SOUTH OF BREVARD...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 11 MPH. THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR... 5 MILES NORTHEAST OF PICKENS BY 520 PM EDT. SMALL HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. KRENTZ
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</html>The Greer radar (KGSP), 91 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:05 UTC.
6 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Numerous trees and power lines were blown down.
Five trees were blown down across Old Highway 18.
Trees and power lines were blown down near the Catfish community.
Two trees were blown down in the Kannapolis area.
Large tree limbs were blown down.
Numerous trees were uprooted, two large storage containers blown around, and garage doors blown in on Stinson Hartis Rd.
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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 128779, 128781, 128782, 128783, 128785, 128786, 128791.