Thunderstorm Wind, Madison
- When
- August 4, 5:50 PM EST
- Where
- Madison County, 1.45 mi NNE of Barnard
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
- Reported by
- Public
- Coordinates
- 35.849, -82.739
Three trees were blown down.
Damaging Wind in North Carolina, August 4, 2009
A weakening mesoscale convective complex entered the North Carolina mountains from eastern Tennessee. The storms produced a little wind damage over the lower French Broad Valley.
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
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 1
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.
A weakening mesoscale convective complex entered the North Carolina mountains from eastern Tennessee. The storms produced a little wind damage over the lower French Broad Valley.
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 Aug 4, 1:53 PM EST, 3 hours 57 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Aug 4, 1:53 PM EST, 3 hours 57 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 253 PM EDT TUE AUG 4 2009 .SYNOPSIS... A TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE WILL REMAIN IN PLACE OVER THE AREA THROUGH THURSDAY. A STRONG RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL THEN DEVELOP OVER THE SOUTHEAST ON FRIDAY AND STRENGTHEN THROUGH SUNDAY. WARM AND HUMID CONDITIONS WILL PERSIST. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... AT 1850Z...ISOLATED SLOW-MOVING TSRA EXISTED ACROSS THE NC MTNS AND FOOTHILLS. COVERAGE OF SHRA/TSRA SHOULD BECOME NUM TO SCT OVER THE NC MTNS AS A COOL POOL ASSOCIATED WITH AN UPSTREAM MCS SURGES ACROSS THE NC MTNS AND FOOTHILLS. ISOLATED COVERAGE MAY DEVELOP ACROSS THE PIEDMONT OF THE CAROLINAS AND NE GA. LAPS CAPE ANALYSIS INDICATES THAT VALUES RANGE FROM 2000-2500 J/KG ACROSS THE WESTERN NC MTNS TO 1000-1500 J/KG ACROSS THE PIEDMONT. FZLVLS REMAIN AROUND 15 KFT...LIMITING SVR HAIL EVENTS. HOWEVER...DCAPE VALUES RANGE FROM 400-900 J/KG ACROSS THE CWA...POSSIBLY SUPPORTING A FEW SVR WIND EVENTS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. BY MID EVENING...COVERAGE SHOULD DECREASE ACROSS THE CWA. I WILL KEEP A MENTION OF SCT TO ISO SHRA/TSRA ACROSS THE NC MTNS. DEBRIS CLOUDS ARE FORECAST TO STREAM NW TO SE OVERNIGHT...AIDING LOW TEMPERATURES A DEGREE OR TWO ABOVE NORMAL. WEDNESDAY...DEBRIS CLOUDS WILL CONTINUE TO STREAM ACROSS THE CWA. HOWEVER...MILD THICKNESSES AND SLIGHT STRENGTHENING IN THE RETURN FLOW SHOULD RESULT IN SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL HIGH TEMPERATURES. FORECAST SOUNDINGS INDICATE A SLIGHTLY WEAKER MID LEVEL INVERSION ALONG WITH A LOWER LFC. REMNANTS MCS ACTIVITY/MCV/COOL POOL COMBINED WITH DIURNAL INSTABILITY SHOULD RESULT IN NUM TO SCT SHRA AND TSRA DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. MARGINAL WIND SHEAR/INSTABILITY...SLIGHTLY LOWER FZLVL...AND DRY BL AIR MAY SUPPORT SEVERAL SVR EVENTS. WE WILL MENTION IN THE HWO. && .SHORT TERM /WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT/... AS OF 230 PM TUESDAY...FRONT MOVES ACROSS CWA WED NIGHT THEN STALLS/WASHES OUT OVER AREA. EVEN WITH COOLING EXPECT WEAK FORCING OVERNIGHT SO KEPT CHANCE POPS UNTIL AFTER MIDNIGHT THEN SLIGHT CHANCE THRU DAYBREAK. HIGH PRES REMAINS OFF THE SE COAST AND BRINGS MOISTURE UP OVER AREA DURG DAY THU. GFS AND NAM BOTH SHOW WEAK PVA...COMBINED WITH HEATING AND A SLY MOISTURE FEED...KEPT CHANCE POPS THU. LOOK FOR SLIGHTLY BLO AVG HIGHS THU AFTN. WEAK UPPER RIDGE BUILDS IN FROM THE W FRI WITH WEAK NVA INDICATED. MOIST S FLOW CONTINUES IN LOW LEVELS HOWEVER...SO WITH TEMPS WARMING TO ABOVE AVG AND WEAK UPSLOPE...HELD ON TO CHANCE AFTN POPS ACRS S 2/3 CWA...SLIGHT CHANCE N. ALTHOUGH UPPER RIDGE TRIES TO BUILD IN FROM THE SW SAT...UPPER TROF REMAINS ALONG E COAST WITH WEAK SHORTWAVES MOVG OVER CWA IN NW FLOW. SFC BOUNDARY IS EXPECTED TO STAY WELL N OF THE AREA WHILE 850MB SW FLOW BRINGS GULF MOISTURE UP OVER THE REGION. WITH THIS SUMMERTIME PATTERN IN MIND...KEPT CHANCE POPS SAT. TEMPS SHOULD BE A CATEGORY OR SO ABOVE AVG. && .LONG TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... AS OF 205 PM TUESDAY...BOTH THE 12Z GFS AND 00Z ECMWF HAS THE CENTER OF THE UPPER RIDGE OVER GEORGIA OR ALABAMA AT 00Z SUNDAY. THIS RIDGE IS SLIGHTLY STRONGER FROM YESTERDAYS RUN. THIS STRENGHTENS THE CONFIDENCE THAT WE WILL HAVE HOT TEMPERATURES FORECAST TO REACH THE MID 90S IN NON MOUNTAIN AREAS SUNDAY TO MONDAY. DIURNAL CONVECTION WILL CONTINUE...BUT INCREASE AS A COLD FRONT GETS CLOSER INTO THE FIRST HALF OF THE WEEK. THIS FRONT SHOULD REACH OUR AREA FROM THE NORTH LATE TUESDAY OR TUESDAY NIGHT. POPS WILL BE HIGHER WITH THE PASSAGE OF THIS FRONT AND UPPER HEIGHTS WILL BE FALLING INTO MID WEEK. THEREFORE...THE HEAT WAVE SHOULD END WITH THIS FRONT AND THE SET UP OF YET ANOTHER EAST STATES UPPER TROUGH. THE EC HAS GREATER AMPLITUDE AT THE END OF THIS FORECAST PERIOD. && .AVIATION /19Z TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... ISO SHRA AND TSRA WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP OVER THE HIGH TERRAIN THROUGH THIS EVENING. KAVL AND KHKY WILL SEE THE GREATEST CHCS FOR DEEP CONVECTION. HOWEVER...CHCS APPEAR TOO LOW TO MENTION IN THE TAF...I WILL TEMPO CB IN THE SKY GROUP FOR KAVL BETWEEN 22-1Z. OTHERWISE...CONDITIONS WILL REMAIN VFR THE REST OF THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING WITH LIGHT SOUTHWEST WINDS. OVERNIGHT...HIGH DEBRIS CLOUDS WILL ADVANCE OUT OF THE NORTHWEST ACROSS THE WESTERN CAROLINAS. A MARGINALLY DRY BL AND BKN HIGH CLOUDS SHOULD REDUCE THE POTENTIAL FOR PRE DAWN FOG. I WILL TEMPO 5SM FOR BR AT KAVL AROUND SUNRISE. AFTER SUNRISE...SOUTHWEST WINDS SHOULD STRENGTHEN TO 5-8 KTS. DEEP CONVECTION IS NOT EXPECTED TO INITIATE UNTIL MID TO LATE AFTERNOON...WILL FORECAST SCT CU AROUND 050 KFT. AT KCLT...A LIGHT NORTH TO VARIABLE WIND WILL REMAIN OVER THE TERMINAL THROUGH MID AFTERNOON. OTHERWISE...WINDS SHOULD FAVOR A SOUTHWEST DIRECTION WITH SPEEDS RANGING FROM 4-7 KTS. SCT VFR CU IS EXPECTED TO LINGER THROUGH SUNSET. MTN SHRA/TSRA MAY SPREAD INTO THE FOOTHILLS LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...BUT SHOULD DISSIPATE BEFORE REACHING THE PIEDMONT. HIGH DEBRIS CLOUDS WILL INCREASE FROM THE NORTHWEST THIS EVENING...LIKELY BECOMING BKN BY 2Z AND REMAINING THROUGH SUNRISE. THE COMBINATION OF THE HIGH SKY COVER AND 4-6 DEGREE DEWPOINT DEPRESSION WILL NOT FAVOR FOG FORMATION OVERNIGHT. AFTER SUNRISE...SOUTHWEST WINDS SHOULD STRENGTHEN TO 5-8 KTS. DEEP CONVECTION IS NOT EXPECTED TO INITIATE UNTIL MID TO LATE AFTERNOON...WILL FORECAST SCT CU AROUND 050 KFT. OUTLOOK...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP EACH AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM WEDNESDAY THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK. LIGHT PATCHY EARLY MORNING FOG OR HAZE COULD OCCUR EACH MORNING...ESPECIALLY WITHIN THE MTN VALLEYS. && .GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... GA...NONE. NC...NONE. SC...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...DEO NEAR TERM...NED SHORT TERM...RB LONG TERM...DEO AVIATION...NED
Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 4, 2:33 PM EST, 3 hours 17 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 333 PM EDT TUE AUG 4 2009 GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033-035>037-048>053-056>059-062>065- 068>072-082-501>510-SCZ001>014-019-051945- 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- 333 PM EDT TUE AUG 4 2009 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 WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP ACROSS THE NORTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING WITH SCATTERED STORMS MOVING OUT ACROSS THE FOOTHILLS AND PIEDMONT. A FEW STORMS COULD PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND GUSTS OR LARGE HAIL. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. ORGANIZED THUNDERSTORMS WILL LIKELY MOVE INTO THE NORTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS WEDNESDAY MORNING...THEN INTENSIFY WITH HEATING AND INCREASING DYNAMICS...BEFORE SPREADING ACROSS THE FOOTHILLS AND PIEDMONT DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH SOME OF THESE STORMS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... NONE.
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Aug 4, 3:02 PM EST, 2 hours 48 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 402 PM EDT TUE AUG 4 2009 NCZ508-042100- GREATER RUTHERFORD- 402 PM EDT TUE AUG 4 2009 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTH CENTRAL RUTHERFORD COUNTY THROUGH 500 PM EDT... AT 401 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR THERMAL CITY...OR 11 MILES NORTH OF RUTHERFORDTON...MOVING SOUTH AT 10 MPH. SMALL 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. KRENTZ
Special weather statement, Aug 4, 4:02 PM EST, 1 hour 48 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 502 PM EDT TUE AUG 4 2009 NCZ509-510-SCZ007-042200- EASTERN POLK-POLK MOUNTAINS-SPARTANBURG- 502 PM EDT TUE AUG 4 2009 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT NORTHERN SPARTANBURG AND SOUTHERN POLK COUNTIES THROUGH 600 PM EDT... AT 501 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 5 MILES NORTHEAST OF COLUMBUS TO 3 MILES WEST OF TRYON...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 10 MPH. * OTHER LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO LAKE BOWEN...TRYON...SALUDA...MILL SPRING...COLUMBUS...LANDRUM... INMAN...FINGERVILLE...CHESNEE AND CAMPOBELLO. SMALL HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS. KRENTZ
Special weather statement, Aug 4, 4:28 PM EST, 1 hour 22 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 528 PM EDT TUE AUG 4 2009 NCZ065-SCZ003-042230- GREENVILLE MOUNTAINS-HENDERSON- 528 PM EDT TUE AUG 4 2009 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHWESTERN GREENVILLE AND SOUTHERN HENDERSON COUNTIES THROUGH 630 PM EDT... AT 527 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 3 MILES EAST OF JONES GAP STATE PARK...OR 13 MILES SOUTH OF HENDERSONVILLE...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 15 MPH. * OTHER LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO JONES GAP STATE PARK...TIGERVILLE...MARIETTA...CLEVELAND AND CAESARS HEAD. WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. KRENTZ
Local storm report, Aug 4, 4:58 PM EST, 52 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
558 PM EDT TUE AUG 04 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0538 PM TSTM WND DMG 7 N BOILING SPRINGS SC 35.15N 81.98W
08/04/2009 SPARTANBURG SC TRAINED SPOTTER
SPOTTER REPORTED ONE TREE DOWN ON HIS PROPERTY AND UP TO
1/4 INCH HAIL.
&&
JPTSpecial weather statement, Aug 4, 5:09 PM EST, 41 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 609 PM EDT TUE AUG 4 2009 SCZ008-042300- CHEROKEE- 609 PM EDT TUE AUG 4 2009 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT CHEROKEE COUNTY THROUGH 700 PM EDT... AT 606 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING PEA SIZE HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH. THE STORM WAS LOCATED 6 MILES NORTHWEST OF GAFFNEY...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 10 MPH. FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND VERY HEAVY RAINFALL ARE ALSO EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. PEOPLE IN GAFFNEY... SHOULD MONITOR THE WEATHER SITUATION CLOSELY. LISTEN FOR POSSIBLE WARNINGS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION SHOULD SEVERE WEATHER THREATEN. LANE
Local storm report, Aug 4, 5:48 PM EST, 2 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
648 PM EDT TUE AUG 04 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0538 PM TSTM WND DMG 7 N BOILING SPRINGS SC 35.15N 81.98W
08/04/2009 SPARTANBURG SC TRAINED SPOTTER
NUMEROUS TREES BLOWN DOWN.
&&
JPTThe radar
The Knoxville radar (KMRX), 69 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:47 UTC.
Event by event
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
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.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Flash Flooding and Hail in Kentucky, August 4, 2009
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Illinois, August 4, 2009
- Tornado and Flash Flood in Indiana, August 4, 2009
- Tornado and Flash Flood in Kentucky, August 4, 2009
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Nebraska, August 4, 2009
- Damaging Winds and Lightning Strike in Tennessee, August 4, 2009
- Flash Flooding and Flood in Kentucky, August 4 to 5, 2009
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Georgia, August 4, 2009
- Flash Flood and Hail in Missouri, August 4, 2009
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Tennessee, August 4, 2009
- Lightning Strike in Georgia, August 4, 2009
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in Indiana, August 4 to 5, 2009
More
Every storm in North Carolina in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in North Carolina, August 2009
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: 194608.