An old mesoscale convective vortex spawned numerous showers and thunderstorms over western North Carolina. A few of the storms produced large hail and damaging winds.
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.
An old mesoscale convective vortex spawned numerous showers and thunderstorms over western North Carolina. A few of the storms produced large hail and damaging winds. Severe urban flooding developed during the evening hours on the south side of Charlotte.
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 28, 1:24 PM EST, 2 hours 20 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 224 PM EDT TUE JUL 28 2009 .SYNOPSIS... ABUNDANT GULF MOISTURE WILL CONTINUE TO SPREAD ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST THROUGH WEDNESDAY. HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE ATLANTIC COMBINED WITH LOW PRESSURE WEST OF THE APPALACHIANS WILL KEEP DEEP MOISTURE OVER THE REGION THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK. ANOTHER FRONT MAY STALL OUT NEAR OUR REGION EARLY NEXT WEEK. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... NOT MUCH CHANGE IN THINKING FROM THE MORNING UPDATE. THE RUC CONTINUES TO BRING A STRONG UPSTREAM MCV INTO THE WRN FA EARLY THIS EVENING. THE TIMING ON THIS FEATURE HAS SLOWED A FEW HOURS DURING THE DAY. THIS HAS KEPT MOST OF THE FA UNDER NVA THIS AFTERNOON...WHICH IS PRIMARILY WHAT IS INHIBITING CONVECTION. SKIES REMAIN MOSTLY CLEAR AND SBCAPE VALUES HAVE RISEN TO BETWEEN 2500 AND 3000 ACROSS THE FA. LATEST DAPE VALUES FROM THE SPC MESO-ANALYSIS PAGE ARE OVER 1000 J/KG OVER A GOOD BIT OF THE FOOTHILLS AND PIEDMONT. CONSIDERING THE RESPECTABLE BUFKIT DELTA THETA-E VALUES AND THE SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF CAPE BETWEEN -10 AND -30 DEG C...THE MICROBURST POTENTIAL STILL LOOKS GOOD DURING THE REST OF THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. RIGHT NOW WE ARE THINKING THAT A 50-55 DBZ CORE UP AROUND 26-27 KFT OR A 60+ CORE AROUND 17-18 KFT WILL BE ENOUGH TO PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS. THE LATEST RUNS OF THE GFS AND NAM REMAIN CONSISTENT IN GENERATING A 30 TO 40 KT LLVL JET OVERNIGHT. AS THE AIRMASS BECOMES MORE SATURATED CLOSER TO THE SHORT WAVE...THE SEVERE CHANCES SHOULD LOWER...BUT CONVECTIVE CONVERGE SHOULD ACTUALLY INCREASE THROUGH THE NIGHT OWING TO THE GOOD LLVL WARM ADVECTION. THERE IS SOME HINT FROM THE GFS AND NAM PCPN FIELDS THAT CONVECTION MAY TRAIN OVER THE FOOTHILLS AND ERN SLOPES OF THE APPALACHIANS THIS EVENING. CONFIDENCE IS NOT NEARLY HIGH ENOUGH FOR ANY KIND OF FLASH FLOOD WATCH...BUT IT/S A TREND TO WATCH CLOSELY. NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD CONTINUE ACROSS THE REGION TOMORROW AS A CHAIN OF SHORT WAVES MOVE ACROSS THE REGION. THE MODELS KEEP THE AIRMASS SATURATED. THIS SHOULD LIMIT SEVERE POTENTIAL AND HOLD MAX TEMPS A FEW DEGREES BELOW NORMAL. && .SHORT TERM /WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY/... AS OF 145 PM TUESDAY...THE MEAN UPPER TROUGH WILL REMAIN OVER THE MS RIVER VALLEY THURSDAY AND FRIDAY...WITH A SHORTWAVE ROUNDING ITS BASE LATE THURSDAY. MOIST INFLOW FROM THE GULF AND ATLANTIC WILL SUPPORT WIDESPREAD CONVECTIVE COVERAGE WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY WHILE A STATIONARY FRONT REMAINS OVER THE OH RIVER VALLEY. A SURFACE WAVE MOVES UP THIS FRONT ON THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY IN RESPONSE TO THE SHORTWAVE...BUT APPEARS TO BE FAR ENOUGH WEST OF THE MOUNTAINS THAT ITS IMPACT ON OUR AREA WILL BE LIMITED. POPS WILL BE ABOVE CLIMATOLOGY. TEMPERATURES WILL NEAR SUMMERTIME NORMALS. && .LONG TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY/... AS OF 145 PM TUESDAY...THE MEAN UPPER TROUGH WILL PERSIST FROM THE GREAT LAKES TO THE GULF FROM SATURDAY THROUGH TUESDAY...REMAINING QUITE BROAD AND OF LOW AMPLITUDE...WITH MOST OF ITS ENERGY CROSSING THE NORTHERN TIER OF THE USA. A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE INTO OUR AREA FROM THE NORTHWEST FRIDAY NIGHT...THEN WILL LIFT NORTH AS A WARM FRONT ON SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT...LEAVING OUR AREA FIRMLY IN THE WARM SECTOR ON SUNDAY. WEAK HIGH PRESSURE LINGERS ON MONDAY...WITH LEE TROUGHING SUGGESTED BY THE MODELS AND HPC SOLUTION. A COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH FROM THE NORTHWEST ON TUESDAY. THE WARM AND HUMID AIR MASS WILL SUPPORT SCATTERED CONVECTION...WITH SURFACE BOUNDARIES SERVING AS FOCUSING MECHANISMS. TEMPERATURES WILL BE NEAR CLIMATOLOGY...AS THE UPPER TROUGH IS RATHER SHALLOW...AND THE UPPER RIDGE AXIS IS TO OUR EAST OVER THE ATLANTIC. && .AVIATION /19Z TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... KCLT AND ELSEWHERE...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE BEGINNING TO DEVELOP OVER THE UPSTATE AND NE GA AT ISSUANCE TIME. I/M NOT ADDING ANY TEMPO GROUPS FOR CONVECTION JUST YET...BUT THEY WILL BE NEEDED FAIRLY SOON ONCE WE SEE WHERE THE STORMS BECOME MORE ORGANIZED. I EXPECT THE UPSTATE TAF SITES WILL BE AFFECTED A COUPLE HOURS BEFORE THE NC SITES. THE PREVIOUS SET OF TAFS HAD MVFR CIGS AND PREVAILING SHRA LATER TONIGHT AT ALL SITES. I/VE CONTINUED THIS TREND FOR THIS PACKAGE...KEEPING SHOWERS AND MVFR CLOUDS AND VSBY/S IN THROUGH NOON TOMORROW. I HAVE GONE A LITTLE LOWER WITH CIGS WHICH MATCHES A BLEND OF THE MOS GUIDANCE. WINDS WILL BE OUT OF THE SSW FOR THE MOST PART THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD. SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON WILL PRODUCE MICROBURSTS...WITH 50KT+ WINDS POSSIBLE. OUTLOOK...AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH TO THE W WILL KEEP REGION UNSETTLED THRU THE WEEKEND. EARLY MRNG MVFR FOG WILL BE POSSIBLE EACH DAY... WITH ENHANCED AFTN-EVE SHWRS/TSTMS. && .GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... GA...NONE. NC...NONE. SC...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...DEO NEAR TERM...MCAVOY SHORT TERM...JAT LONG TERM...JAT AVIATION...MCAVOY
<!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="utf-8">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
<title>Service Notice</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="index.css">
</head>
<body>
<main class="wrap">
<section class="card" role="status" aria-live="polite">
<div class="status" id="status">Temporary Notice</div>
<h1 id="headline">This service is currently unavailable.</h1>
<p id="message1">
The site you requested is temporarily down for maintenance or an unexpected outage.
</p>
<p id="message2">
Please try again in a few minutes.
</p>
<p class="small" id="detail">
If you are an administrator, restore upstream service and remove the redirect/fallback rule when normal operations resume.
</p>
</section>
</main>
<script src="index.js"></script>
</body>
</html><!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="utf-8">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
<title>Service Notice</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="index.css">
</head>
<body>
<main class="wrap">
<section class="card" role="status" aria-live="polite">
<div class="status" id="status">Temporary Notice</div>
<h1 id="headline">This service is currently unavailable.</h1>
<p id="message1">
The site you requested is temporarily down for maintenance or an unexpected outage.
</p>
<p id="message2">
Please try again in a few minutes.
</p>
<p class="small" id="detail">
If you are an administrator, restore upstream service and remove the redirect/fallback rule when normal operations resume.
</p>
</section>
</main>
<script src="index.js"></script>
</body>
</html><!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="utf-8">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
<title>Service Notice</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="index.css">
</head>
<body>
<main class="wrap">
<section class="card" role="status" aria-live="polite">
<div class="status" id="status">Temporary Notice</div>
<h1 id="headline">This service is currently unavailable.</h1>
<p id="message1">
The site you requested is temporarily down for maintenance or an unexpected outage.
</p>
<p id="message2">
Please try again in a few minutes.
</p>
<p class="small" id="detail">
If you are an administrator, restore upstream service and remove the redirect/fallback rule when normal operations resume.
</p>
</section>
</main>
<script src="index.js"></script>
</body>
</html><!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="utf-8">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
<title>Service Notice</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="index.css">
</head>
<body>
<main class="wrap">
<section class="card" role="status" aria-live="polite">
<div class="status" id="status">Temporary Notice</div>
<h1 id="headline">This service is currently unavailable.</h1>
<p id="message1">
The site you requested is temporarily down for maintenance or an unexpected outage.
</p>
<p id="message2">
Please try again in a few minutes.
</p>
<p class="small" id="detail">
If you are an administrator, restore upstream service and remove the redirect/fallback rule when normal operations resume.
</p>
</section>
</main>
<script src="index.js"></script>
</body>
</html><!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="utf-8">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
<title>Service Notice</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="index.css">
</head>
<body>
<main class="wrap">
<section class="card" role="status" aria-live="polite">
<div class="status" id="status">Temporary Notice</div>
<h1 id="headline">This service is currently unavailable.</h1>
<p id="message1">
The site you requested is temporarily down for maintenance or an unexpected outage.
</p>
<p id="message2">
Please try again in a few minutes.
</p>
<p class="small" id="detail">
If you are an administrator, restore upstream service and remove the redirect/fallback rule when normal operations resume.
</p>
</section>
</main>
<script src="index.js"></script>
</body>
</html>SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 230 PM EDT TUE JUL 28 2009 GAZ017-018-281915- HABERSHAM-STEPHENS- 230 PM EDT TUE JUL 28 2009 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT SOUTHERN HABERSHAM AND WESTERN STEPHENS COUNTIES THROUGH 315 PM EDT... AT 229 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 6 MILES SOUTH OF TURNERVILLE...OR 6 MILES WEST OF TOCCOA...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH. * OTHER LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO TURNERVILLE...TOCCOA...MOUNT AIRY...HOLLYWOOD...DEMOREST... CORNELIA...CLARKESVILLE...BOYDVILLE AND BALDWIN. SMALL HAIL...VERY HEAVY RAIN AND WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. LG
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 430 PM EDT TUE JUL 28 2009 NCZ053-282130- BUNCOMBE- 430 PM EDT TUE JUL 28 2009 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT BUNCOMBE COUNTY THROUGH 530 PM EDT... AT 430 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 3 MILES WEST OF LAKE BOWEN...OR 10 MILES SOUTHEAST OF COLUMBUS. THIS STORM WAS NEARLY STATIONARY. * OTHER LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO DOWNTOWN ASHEVILLE...ASHEVILLE MALL...I-26 AT I-40...UNC ASHEVILLE... FAIRVIEW...WOODFIN...WEAVERVILLE...SWANNANOA...SKYLAND... MONTREAT...BLACK MOUNTAIN...BILTMORE FOREST...BENT CREEK... BARNARDSVILLE...AVERY CREEK AND ASHEVILLE. SMALL HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. 07
The Greer radar (KGSP), 72 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:42 UTC.
5 thunderstorm wind, 2 hail, 1 flash flood, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Trees were blown down on Mills Gap road a little east of Skyland.
Trees were blown down in the Concord Mountain area.
Trees were blown down on Poors Ford Rd.
A broad swath of wind damage affected the central and southern part of the county with numerous trees blown down. Several homes were struck and damaged by falling trees, including on 26th and 27th St, on Polk St, Elm Forest Dr and Wiseman Dr.
The road was closed at Rodman St and Sam Drenan Rd due to flood water and a sink hole. Also, Carmel Rd was closed due to flooding. McMullen Creek overflowed its banks, flooding Addison Dr and Lincrest Place with 6-12 inches of water, and Little Sugar Creek exceeded its established flood stage at Hillside Ave.
Trees were blown down on Old Dutch Rd just off highway 601, on highway 218, and on New Salem Rd.
Lightning ignited a fire at a business on W Airline Ave.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in North Carolina in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in North Carolina, July 2009
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: 190918, 190919, 190920, 190921, 190925, 190960, 190933, 190934, 191245.