A cluster of thunderstorms bowed out over the western part of the Upstate, causing 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.
A cluster of thunderstorms bowed out over the western part of the Upstate, causing 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 20, 6:57 PM EST, 1 hour 15 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 757 PM EDT THU AUG 20 2009 .SYNOPSIS... AN UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM AND ITS ASSOCIATED SURFACE COLD FRONT WILL MOVE TOWARD THE REGION FROM THE NORTHWEST ON FRIDAY. THE FRONT SHOULD MOVE THROUGH EARLY SATURDAY. GRADUAL DRYING IS THEN EXPECTED SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY AS WEAK HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS OVER THE REGION. MOISTURE WILL SLOWLY RETURN THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK UNDER THE RIDGE. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH FRIDAY/... IMPULSES WITHIN THE DEEP AND MOIST SW FLOW WILL CONTINUE TO TRIGGER DEEP CONVECTION INTO THIS EVENING. POCKETS OF MODERATE INSTABILITY WILL SUPPORT A FEW STRONG STORMS...BUT HIGH FREEZING LVLS/WET BULB ZERO HEIGHTS WILL LIMIT THE MAIN THREAT TO LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN AS SNDGS INDICATE PWATS AROUND 2 INCHES. DEEP MOISTURE BAND LINGERS INTO THE OVERNIGHT...ESPECIALLY ACRS THE WESTERN CWFA. BUT... QUESTIONABLE AMOUNTS OF DEEP FORCING LEADS TO UNCERTAINTY WITH RESPECT TO NOCTURNAL PCPN CHANCES. WILL ON JUST A SHOTGUN CHANCE FOR THE BALANCE OF THE CWFA WITH HIGHER POP ACRS THE WESTERN MTNS AND WILL FAVOR HPC QPF...GENERALLY ON LIGHT SIDE. OTHERWISE...EXPECTING SOME DEGREE OF LOWER CLOUD REDEVELOPMENT...PATCHY MAINLY VALLEY/LOW SPOT BR...AND ANOTHER MUGGY NIGHT. AFOREMENTIONED DEEP RH BAND WILL CONTINUE TO BE A FACTOR FOR FRIDAY/S FCST...AS IT SLOWLY SAGS SE ACRS THE CWFA. SENSIBLE WX FCST WILL GENERALLY BE CLOSE TO PERSISTENCE...SHOWER AND TSTM CVRG INCREASING TO NUMEROUS CVRG BY THE AFTERNOON. && .SHORT TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT/... AS OF 230 PM THURSDAY...A REINFORCING UPPER WAVE IS EXPECTED TO ROUND THE MAIN LOW PRES SYSTEM OVER ERN CANADA FRI NIGHT INTO SAT...DIGGING INTO THE OH VALLEY. RECENT ECM RUNS HAVE FEATURED A DEEP CUTOFF LOW FORMING FROM THIS WAVE SE OF THE OH VALLEY...BUT THIS APPEARS TO BE AN OUTLIER...SO A CONSENSUS OF NAM/GFS AND ENSEMBLES WILL BE FEATURED WITH THE TIMING OF THE UPPER TROUGH. LINGERING CHANCE TO LIKELY FRI EVENING POPS WILL BE NEEDED AS THE DEEPER PRE/FRONTAL MOISTURE BAND TRAVERSES THE AREA. THE ASSOCIATED TRAILING SFC COLD FRONT WILL FINALLY PUSH INTO THE REGION BY DAYBREAK SAT AND WORK SLOWLY E OF THE FORECAST AREA THROUGH SAT NIGHT. THE BEST FORCING AHEAD OF THE TROUGH APPEARS TO COME TOGETHER LATE SAT WITH DECENT RIGHT ENTRANCE REGION JET DIVERGENCE COMBINING WITH THE DEEP LAYER DPVA. HOWEVER...DRYING WILL ONSET QUICKLY FROM SW WITH FROPA...AND THIS WILL COMBINE WITH A WESTERLY 850 MB DOWNSLOPE FLOW TO LIMIT POPS AND DIMINISH THEM FROM W TO E SAT THROUGH SAT NIGHT. THE LONGWAVE TROUGH AXIS SHOULD SLIP EAST OF THE AREA ON SUNDAY...BUT WITH A LINGERING UPPER LEVEL WEAKNESS ALONG THE SRN APPALACHIANS THROUGH SUN NIGHT. DRYING WILL CONTINUE THROUGH SUNDAY...BUT STEEPENING LAPSE RATES UNDER THE TROUGH AXIS COULD LEAD TO ISOLATED MTN CONVECTION DURING PEAK HEATING. TEMPERATURES WILL BE A BLEND OF MOS GUIDANCE THROUGHOUT. && .LONG TERM /MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... AS OF 230 PM THURSDAY...A WEAK TROUGH OR SHEAR AXIS WILL PERSIST ALONG THE APPALACHIANS MON THROUGH WED. LOW LEVEL FLOW WILL ACQUIRE AN EASTERLY UPSLOPE COMPONENT EARLY MON...LIKELY KEEPING OR REINFORCING LINGERING BOUNDARY LAYER MOISTURE ACROSS THE REGION. LOW LEVEL FLOW WILL STEADILY VEER SE ON TUE THEN SOUTHERLY ON WED...WITH UPSLOPE SHIFTING ACCORDINGLY. WILL FEATURE DIURNAL...MAINLY MTN...SLIGHT CHC POPS MON THROUGH WED. UPPER HEIGHTS WILL BRIEFLY RISE LATE WED...BEFORE ANOTHER SHORTWAVE APPROACHES FROM THE NW ON THU. THE GFS FEATURES LOWER HEIGHTS ACROSS THE E THAN THE OTHER MODELS/ENSEMBLES FOR THU. LEANING AWAY FROM THE OPERATIONAL GFS...WILL JUST KEEP ISOLATED DIURNAL TSTM CHANCES GOING IN THE FORECAST AS A BACKDOOR COLD FRONT SHOULD STAY NORTH OF THE AREA THU. && .AVIATION /00Z FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS MTN SHRA/TSRA AND SCT FOOTHILLS SHRA/TSRA WILL REMAIN THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE EVENING. COVERAGE SHOULD DECREASE SIGNIFICANTLY AROUND MIDNIGHT...HOWEVER...THE MTNS MAY CONTINUE TO OBSERVE CLUSTERS OF SHRA/TSRA OVERNIGHT. MOS AND PERSISTENCE SUPPORTS A MENTION OF STRATUS ACROSS THE WESTERN CAROLINAS DURING THE PRE DAWN HOURS. LOW CLOUDS WILL LIKELY MIX TO VFR BETWEEN 13-14Z. WESTERN CAROLINA SHRA AND TSRA WILL REDEVELOP BY MID DAY TOMORROW WITH AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT. CHCS APPEAR HIGH ENOUGH TO MENTION VCSH AND CB IN THE SKY GROUP WITHIN EACH TAF. AT KCLT...AT 2350Z...RECENT TCLT TDWR IMAGES INDICATED SEVERAL OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES DRIFTING AROUND THE METRO AREA. THESE BOUNDARIES COULD RESULT IN PERIODS OF GUSTY CONDITIONS...BUT DIRECTIONS SHOULD FAVOR THE SOUTH. MOS AND PERSISTENCE SUPPORTS A MENTION OF STRATUS AND LIGHT FOG ACROSS THE TERMINAL DURING THE PRE DAWN HOURS. LOW CLOUDS WILL LIKELY MIX TO VFR BETWEEN 13-14Z. SHRA AND TSRA WILL REDEVELOP BY MID DAY TOMORROW WITH AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT. CHCS APPEAR HIGH ENOUGH TO MENTION VCSH AND CB IN THE SKY GROUP. OUTLOOK...CIG/VSBY RESTRICTIONS EXPECTED AGAIN FRIDAY NIGHT. A COLD FRONT PUSHES THRU THE AREA EARLY SATURDAY...USHERING IN DRIER AIR. && .GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... GA...NONE. NC...NONE. SC...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...JPT NEAR TERM...CSH SHORT TERM...HG LONG TERM...HG AVIATION...NED
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 341 PM EDT THU AUG 20 2009 GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033-035>037-048>053-056>059-062>065- 068>072-082-501>510-SCZ001>014-019-211945- 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- 341 PM EDT THU AUG 20 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. NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP ACROSS THE WESTERN CAROLINAS AND NORTHEAST GEORGIA THROUGH TONIGHT. ONE OR TWO OF THE THUNDERSTORMS COULD PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND GUSTS...HOWEVER...THE MAIN THREAT FROM THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS. THE AIR MASS ACROSS THE REGION IS RICH IN TROPICAL MOISTURE WHICH SHOULD ALLOW SOME OF THE STORMS TO BE EFFICIENT RAIN PRODUCERS. THIS COULD RESULT IN LOCALIZED FLOODING WHERE SHOWERS PERSIST...ESPECIALLY TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE AREA AGAIN ON FRIDAY. HEAVY RAINFALL FROM THE THUNDERSTORMS COULD PRODUCE LOCALIZED FLOODING IN A FEW AREAS. AN ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM COULD PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND GUSTS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... NONE. HG
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 514 PM EDT THU AUG 20 2009 NCZ082-202145- UNION- 514 PM EDT THU AUG 20 2009 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT SOUTHWESTERN UNION COUNTY THROUGH 545 PM EDT... AT 513 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 6 MILES SOUTH OF WAXHAW...OR 9 MILES NORTHEAST OF LANCASTER...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH. * OTHER LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO MINERAL SPRINGS...WAXHAW...TRINITY AND MONROE. HEAVY RAIN...LIGHTNING...SMALL HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. RB
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 536 PM EDT THU AUG 20 2009 NCZ082-202200- UNION- 536 PM EDT THU AUG 20 2009 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHEASTERN UNION COUNTY THROUGH 600 PM EDT... AT 533 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 6 MILES NORTH OF MARSHVILLE...OR 12 MILES NORTHEAST OF MONROE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH. * OTHER LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO NEW SALEM AND OLIVE BRANCH. SMALL HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. RB
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 548 PM EDT THU AUG 20 2009 NCZ082-202245- UNION- 548 PM EDT THU AUG 20 2009 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT WESTERN UNION COUNTY THROUGH 645 PM EDT... AT 547 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 4 MILES SOUTHEAST OF WAXHAW...OR 11 MILES NORTHEAST OF LANCASTER...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH. * OTHER LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO MINERAL SPRINGS...WAXHAW AND MONROE. HEAVY RAIN...FREQUENT LIGHTNING...SMALL HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. HEAVY RAINS MAY FLOOD LOW LYING AREAS SUCH AS DITCHES AND UNDERPASSES. AVOID THESE AREAS AND DO NOT CROSS FLOODED ROADS. WATER LEVELS OF SMALL STREAMS AND RIVERS MAY ALSO RISE...THEREFORE SEEK HIGHER GROUND IF THREATENED BY FLOOD WATERS. INTENSE LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM. IF OUTDOORS...STAY AWAY FROM ISOLATED HIGH OBJECTS SUCH AS TREES. MOVE INDOORS IF POSSIBLE. WHEN INDOORS...STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS AND DOORS AND AVOID USING TELEPHONES UNLESS IT IS AN EMERGENCY. TRY TO UNPLUG UNNECESSARY ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES BEFORE THE THUNDERSTORM APPROACHES. RB
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 648 PM EDT THU AUG 20 2009 NCZ072-202330- CABARRUS- 648 PM EDT THU AUG 20 2009 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT EASTERN CABARRUS COUNTY THROUGH 730 PM EDT... AT 645 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 3 MILES SOUTH OF MIDLAND...OR 14 MILES NORTH OF MONROE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH. * OTHER LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO MOUNT PLEASANT AND MIDLAND. HEAVY RAIN...LIGHTNING...SMALL HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. RB
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 726 PM EDT THU AUG 20 2009 GAZ017-210000- HABERSHAM- 726 PM EDT THU AUG 20 2009 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT HABERSHAM COUNTY THROUGH 800 PM EDT... AT 724 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 5 MILES NORTHWEST OF ALTO...OR 10 MILES SOUTHWEST OF CLARKESVILLE...MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH. * OTHER LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO TURNERVILLE...MOUNT AIRY...HOLLYWOOD...DEMOREST...CORNELIA... CLARKESVILLE AND BALDWIN. HEAVY RAIN...FREQUENT LIGHTNING...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. MOVE INDOORS IF POSSIBLE. WHEN INDOORS...STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS AND DOORS AND AVOID USING TELEPHONES UNLESS IT IS AN EMERGENCY. TRY TO UNPLUG UNNECESSARY ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES BEFORE THE THUNDERSTORM APPROACHES. RB
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 858 PM EDT THU AUG 20 2009 SCZ001-002-005-210130- GREATER PICKENS-OCONEE MOUNTAINS-PICKENS MOUNTAINS- 858 PM EDT THU AUG 20 2009 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT EASTERN OCONEE AND PICKENS COUNTIES THROUGH 930 PM EDT... AT 858 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR LAKE KEOWEE...OR 9 MILES NORTHEAST OF WALHALLA...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH. * OTHER LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO LAKE KEOWEE...SIX MILE...SALEM...ROCKY BOTTOM...PICKENS AND NINE TIMES. HEAVY RAIN...LIGHTNING...SMALL HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. RB
The Greer radar (KGSP), 46 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 01:11 UTC.
2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Trees and power lines were blown down on the west and north side of the city of Pickens.
A tree was blown onto power lines in the Liberty area.
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: 194867, 194869.