Scattered showers and thunderstorms developed during the late afternoon hours over the lower part of Upstate South Carolina. The poorly organized storms produced a few areas of wind damage.
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 showers and thunderstorms developed during the late afternoon hours over the lower part of Upstate South Carolina. The poorly organized storms produced a few areas of wind damage.
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 11, 4:32 PM EST, 8 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 532 PM EDT TUE AUG 11 2009 .SYNOPSIS... AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WILL APPROACH THE REGION TONIGHT. THE ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT WILL CROSS THE CAROLINAS TONIGHT INTO EARLY WEDNESDAY AND BRING COOLER TEMPERATURES IN ITS WAKE. UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES WILL CONTINUE TO EFFECT THE AREA THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK WHILE THE BERMUDA HIGH MAINTAINS MOIST SOUTHERLY FLOW THROUGHOUT THE WEEKEND. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... LEADING EDGE OF COLD POOL FROM FOOTHILLS/PIEDMONT CONVECTION CONTINUES TO MOVE OUT WELL AHEAD OF STORMS...SO IT LOOKS SAFE TO LOP OFF SOME OF THE COUNTIES FROM THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH. STILL CANNOT RULE OUT A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IF ONLY ONE OR TWO COULD JUST GET THEIR ACT TOGETHER...WHAT WITH A VERY FAVORABLE HIGH DCAPE ENVIRONMENT. EXPECT THE REST OF THE COUNTIES IN THE GSP FORECAST AREA TO BE CLEARED AROUND/BY 2230 UTC. HAVE ADJUSTED POP TO ACCOUNT FOR RADAR TRENDS...MAINLY TO TEMPORARILY LOWER IT ON THE TN BORDER AND TO RAISE TO LIKELY/CATEGORICAL OVER MOST OF THE PIEDMONT OF THE CAROLINAS. TEMP TRENDS WILL ALSO BE ADDRESSED. UPPER DIVERGENCE IN THE RIGHT ENTRANCE REGION OF THE JETLET WILL MOVE OVER THE MTNS OVERNIGHT...AND THEN TRANSLATE EAST ACROSS THE PIEDMONT ON WED. THE ASSOCIATED SURFACE COLD FRONT WILL MOVE SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE FORECAST THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS AND SETTLE ACROSS THE SE PIEDMONT EARLY WED. LOW LEVEL CONVERGENCE WILL CONTINUE ALONG THIS BOUNDARY...WHILE INTERMITTENT UPPER SUPPORT WITH THE AMPLIFYING TROUGH TO THE W IS EXPECTED. WILL THUS RAMP POPS BACK UP FROM THE W PRIOR TO DAYBREAK...AND THEN SPREAD SOLID LIKELY POPS ACROSS THE AREA WED. INSTABILITY LOOKS QUITE LIMITED ACROSS THE REGION ON WED AS CLOUDS WILL BE MORE ABUNDANT. THE BEST COMBINATION OF FORCING AND INSTABILITY FOR STRONG TSTMS WILL BE ACROSS SE SECTIONS WED AFTN. THE HYDRO THREAT SHOULD BE SPREAD OUT ENOUGH ACROSS THE AREA THROUGH WED TO FOREGO A FLASH FLOOD WATCH PRESENTLY. && .SHORT TERM /WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY/... AS OF 145 PM TUESDAY...THE CWFA WILL CONTINUE TO BE WITHIN THE GENERAL ASCENT AREA ALONG THE FRONT SIDE OF MID/UPPER LVL TROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT. AT THE SFC...A STALLED BNDRY IS PROGGED TO BE EAST OF THE CWFA...WITH LLVL CONVERGENCE MAXIMA ALONG THIS FRONTAL ZONE. CERTAINLY WILL SHY AWAY FROM THE OP GFS FEEDBACK ISSUES IN DEVELOPING PIEDMONT QPF MAX...AND PLAN ON A NAM/SREF BLEND... ALTHOUGH AT THIS JUNCTURE...NOT THAT CONFIDENT IN THE SPEED OF MEAN DRYING THAT THE NAM IS FCSTG...SO WILL KEEP CHANCE POP IN GOING FOR THE MTNS ALL NIGHT AND LIKELY FOR THE PIEDMONT. THE 11/09 UTC SREF UPPER PATTERN IS ACTUALLY MORE SUPPORTIVE OF THE OP GFS SOLUTION FOR THURSDAY...KEEPING THE MEAN TROUGH AXIS ALONG THE APPALACHIAN SPINE...BUT STILL DO NOT LIKE THE OP GFS RESPONSE. BEST TO KEEP THE SENSIBLE WX SIMPLE FOR NOW...A GENERIC 12 HR POP OF CHANCE WEST TO LIKELY EAST...AND MAX TEMPS REMAINING BELOW CLIMO. WILL SHY AWAY FROM THE OP NAM SOLUTION IN LIFTING AND PROGRESSING TROUGH AXIS TOWARD THE MID-ATLANTIC COAST THU NITE AND FRIDAY... INSTEAD FAVORING THE GFS/SREF SOLUTION OF LINGERING WEAKENING AXIS OVER OR WEST OF THE MTNS THRU THE PERIOD. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS THU NITE WILL BECOME MORE NUMEROUS FRIDAY WITH BELOW NORMAL MAX TEMPS NEAR PERSISTENCE. && .LONG TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY/... AS OF 2 PM TUESDAY...FOR THE WEEKEND...THE MEAN PATTERN WILL BE SHIFTING BACK TOWARD A MORE TYPICAL AUGUST REGIME AS THE WESTERN EXTENT OF SUBTROPICAL ATLANTIC RIDGING BUILDS INTO THE SE CONUS. SENSIBLE WX FOR SATURDAY AND SUNDAY WILL BE MAX TEMPS CREEPING BACK TOWARD CLIMO AND DAILY...MAINLY DIURNAL TSTM CHANCES. THE 11/12 UTC OP GFS IS ROUGHLY SUPPORTIVE OF THE EARLIER GFS ENSEMBLE RUNS IN RISING HEIGHTS AND THE BUILDING OF DEEPER RIDGING ATOP THE SE FOR EARLY NEXT WEEK. IT IS NOT CONCLUSIVE AT THIS POINT THAT TEMPERATURES WILL EXHIBIT ANY DEPARTURE FROM NORMAL AND DAILY TSTM CHANCES WILL BE ENHANCED OR SUPPRESSED. && .AVIATION /22Z TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... WIDESPREAD THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE EASTWARD ACROSS THE NORTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS THIS AFTN...REQUIRING A TEMPO MENTION FOR TSRA FROM KAVL TO KHKY THROUGH APPROXIMATELY 23Z. AS THE OUTFLOW FROM THIS SYSTEM MOVES EAST ACROSS THE REST OF THE FOOTHILLS/PIEDMONT...ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT MAY APPROACH THE OTHER TAF LOCATIONS...BUT CONFIDENCE IN TSRA IS STILL TOO LOW TO MENTION ANYTHING MORE THAN VCTS OR CB AT THESE OTHER SITES. AS THE FRONT MOVES IN FROM THE NORTHWEST OVERNIGHT...WINDS WILL TURN NORTHWEST THEN NORTH. SCATTERED SHOWERS OR THUNDERSTORMS CANNOT BE RULED OUT AT JUST ABOUT TIME THROUGH 18Z WED. VFR CONDITIONS SHOULD BE PREDOMINANT...EXCEPT POSSIBLY TEMPO IFR TO MVFR IN ANY THUNDERSTORMS...AND MVFR TO IFR FOG AT KAVL TOWARD DAYBREAK. AT KCLT...SW FLOW WILL BACK TO NW THIS EVENING AS A FRONT APPROACHES FROM THE NW. THUNDERSTORMS MOVING EAST FROM THE MTNS MAY COME CLOSE TO KCLT AFTER 22Z...WARRANTING A VCTS MENTION. CONDITIONS SHOULD REMAIN VFR OUTSIDE OF ANY HEAVY SHOWERS OR TSTMS. WINDS WILL TURN MORE NORTHERLY AFTER THE FRONTAL PASSAGE WED MORNING...WITH LOWERING VFR CIGS AND INCREASING SHRA/TSRA CHANCES NEAR THE END OF THE PERIOD. OUTLOOK...A FRONT WILL REMAIN STALLED IN THE REGION LATE WED THROUGH SUNDAY...WITH FAIRLY ABUNDANT MOISTURE LINGERING ACROSS THE AREA. PERSISTENT SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THE PERIOD WITH MORNING IFR TO MVFR FOG AND STRATUS POSSIBLE. && .GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... GA...NONE. NC...NONE. SC...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...SBK NEAR TERM...HG/PM SHORT TERM...CSH LONG TERM...CSH AVIATION...HG
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 453 PM EDT TUE AUG 11 2009 NCZ035>037-056-057-068>072-507>510-122100- ALEXANDER-IREDELL-DAVIE-CATAWBA-ROWAN-CLEVELAND-LINCOLN-GASTON- MECKLENBURG-CABARRUS-RUTHERFORD MOUNTAINS-GREATER RUTHERFORD- POLK MOUNTAINS-EASTERN POLK- 453 PM EDT TUE AUG 11 2009 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 699 IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM EDT THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PIEDMONT NORTH CAROLINA AND WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...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...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. WITH THE APPROACH OF A COLD FRONT...SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY EVENING. SOME OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE AND PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL...HEAVY RAINFALL...AND DANGEROUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTERS ARE REQUESTED TO FORWARD ANY REPORTS OF LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...TORNADOES OR FLASH FLOODING TO OUR OFFICE. GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ062>065-082-501>506-SCZ001>014-019- 122100- RABUN-HABERSHAM-STEPHENS-FRANKLIN-HART-ELBERT-MACON-SOUTHERN JACKSON- TRANSYLVANIA-HENDERSON-UNION NC-CALDWELL MOUNTAINS-GREATER CALDWELL- BURKE MOUNTAINS-GREATER BURKE-MCDOWELL MOUNTAINS-EASTERN MCDOWELL- OCONEE MOUNTAINS-PICKENS MOUNTAINS-GREENVILLE MOUNTAINS- GREATER OCONEE-GREATER PICKENS-GREATER GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG- CHEROKEE-YORK-ANDERSON-ABBEVILLE-LAURENS-UNION SC-CHESTER-GREENWOOD- 453 PM EDT TUE AUG 11 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST GEORGIA...PIEDMONT NORTH CAROLINA...WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. LOCALLY STRONG...AND PERHAPS ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS REMAIN POSSIBLE INTO THIS EVENING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. WITH THE APPROACH OF A COLD FRONT...SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY EVENING. SOME OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE AND PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL...HEAVY RAINFALL...AND DANGEROUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTERS ARE REQUESTED TO FORWARD ANY REPORTS OF LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...TORNADOES OR FLASH FLOODING TO OUR OFFICE. NCZ033-048>053-058-059-122100- AVERY-MADISON-YANCEY-MITCHELL-SWAIN-HAYWOOD-BUNCOMBE-GRAHAM- NORTHERN JACKSON- 453 PM EDT TUE AUG 11 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. WITH THE APPROACH OF A COLD FRONT...SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY EVENING. SOME OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE AND PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL...HEAVY RAINFALL...AND DANGEROUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTERS ARE REQUESTED TO FORWARD ANY REPORTS OF LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...TORNADOES OR FLASH FLOODING TO OUR OFFICE.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 407 PM EDT TUE AUG 11 2009 NCZ508-510-112045- EASTERN POLK-GREATER RUTHERFORD- 407 PM EDT TUE AUG 11 2009 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHEASTERN POLK AND SOUTHERN RUTHERFORD COUNTIES THROUGH 445 PM EDT... AT 406 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 7 MILES EAST OF LAKE ADGER...OR 8 MILES SOUTHWEST OF RUTHERFORDTON...MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH. * OTHER LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO BOSTIC... SPINDALE...RUTHERFORDTON...MILL SPRING...HARRIS...FOREST CITY... ELLENBORO...CLIFFSIDE AND ALEXANDER MILLS. WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. ARK
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 434 PM EDT TUE AUG 11 2009 GAZ026-028-112130- FRANKLIN-HART- 434 PM EDT TUE AUG 11 2009 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT FRANKLIN AND HART COUNTIES THROUGH 530 PM EDT... AT 433 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 3 MILES NORTHWEST OF CARNESVILLE...MOVING EAST AT 20 MPH. THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR... CARNESVILLE... LAVONIA... CANON... ROYSTON... VANNA... HARTWELL... WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. KRENTZ
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 439 PM EDT TUE AUG 11 2009 NCZ068-070-112145- CLEVELAND-GASTON- 439 PM EDT TUE AUG 11 2009 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT CLEVELAND AND WESTERN GASTON COUNTIES THROUGH 545 PM EDT... AT 438 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 3 MILES SOUTHWEST OF LAWNDALE...OR 7 MILES NORTHWEST OF SHELBY...MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH. * OTHER LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO WACO... SHELBY...POLKVILLE...PATTERSON SPRINGS...MOORESBORO...LAWNDALE... LATTIMORE...KINGSTOWN...KINGS MOUNTAIN...GROVER...FALLSTON... EARL...DALLAS...CHERRYVILLE...BOILING SPRINGS NC AND BESSEMER CITY. WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. ARK
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
453 PM EDT TUE AUG 11 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0130 PM TSTM WND DMG 9 E HOT SPRINGS 35.89N 82.67W
08/11/2009 MADISON NC PUBLIC
REPORT OF TWO TREES DOWN ALONG REVERE ROAD. ONE TREE WAS
14 INCHES IN DIAMETER AND THE OTHER WAS 8 INCHES. BOTH
SNAPPED ABOUT HALF WAY UP.
&&
BSHSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 457 PM EDT TUE AUG 11 2009 NCZ036-057-068>072-SCZ009-112200- CABARRUS-CLEVELAND-GASTON-IREDELL-LINCOLN-MECKLENBURG-ROWAN-YORK- 457 PM EDT TUE AUG 11 2009 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT CABARRUS...EASTERN LINCOLN... GASTON...MECKLENBURG...NORTHEASTERN YORK...SOUTHEASTERN CLEVELAND... SOUTHEASTERN IREDELL AND SOUTHWESTERN ROWAN COUNTIES THROUGH 600 PM EDT... AT 455 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM MOORESVILLE TO 3 MILES EAST OF STANLEY TO 5 MILES WEST OF KINGS MOUNTAIN...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH. * OTHER LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO I-77 AT I-85...CAROWINDS...LOWES MOTOR SPEEDWAY...MOUNTAIN ISLAND LAKE... LAKE NORMAN...CENTER CITY CHARLOTTE...SOUTHPARK MALL...EASTLAND MALL...UNC CHARLOTTE...STANLEY...RANLO...PINEVILLE...PAW CREEK... PATTERSON SPRINGS...MOUNT ULLA...MOUNT PLEASANT...MOUNT HOLLY... MOORESVILLE...MINT HILL...MCADENVILLE...LUCIA...LOWESVILLE... LOWELL...LANDIS...KINGS MOUNTAIN...KANNAPOLIS...HUNTERSVILLE... HARRISBURG...GROVER...GASTONIA...ENOCHVILLE...EARL...DAVIDSON... DALLAS...CROWDERS...CROFT...CRAMERTON...CORNELIUS...CONCORD...CHINA GROVE...BESSEMER CITY...BELMONT...TEGA CAY...LAKE WYLIE...KINGS MOUNTAIN STATE PARK AND CLOVER. WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH...CAUSING SIGNIFICANT BLOWING DUST ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS. ARK
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 516 PM EDT TUE AUG 11 2009 GAZ028-029-SCZ010-011-112200- ABBEVILLE-ANDERSON-ELBERT-HART- 516 PM EDT TUE AUG 11 2009 ...GUSTY THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT NORTHERN ELBERT...SOUTHEASTERN HART...SOUTHERN ANDERSON AND WESTERN ABBEVILLE COUNTIES THROUGH 600 PM EDT... AT 515 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED STRONG STORMS 4 MILES NORTHEAST OF NUBERG...OR 7 MILES SOUTHEAST OF HARTWELL...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 30 MPH. * OTHER LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO LAKE RUSSELL...SECESSION LAKE...RUCKERSVILLE...NUBERG...MIDDLETON... HARTWELL...DEWY ROSE...BOWMAN...LOWNDESVILLE...IVA...CALHOUN FALLS AND ANTREVILLE. SMALL HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS. CSH
The Greer radar (KGSP), 62 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:40 UTC.
3 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Trees were blown down on Elrod Rd, about 6 miles south of downtown Anderson.
Two trees were blown down on Corbin Rd, about 4 miles north of the town of Donalds.
Trees were blown down along highway 72 a little to the southwest of Abbeville.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in South Carolina in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in South Carolina, August 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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 194850, 194853, 194854.