Thunderstorms developed over western South Carolina during the afternoon hours. A cluster of storms over the lower part of the Upstate produced a fair amount of wind damage, with scattered pulse severe storms elsewhere across the region.
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.
Thunderstorms developed over western South Carolina during the afternoon hours. A cluster of storms over the lower part of the Upstate produced a fair amount of wind damage, with scattered pulse severe storms elsewhere across the region.
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 5, 12:55 PM EST, 15 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 155 PM EDT WED AUG 5 2009 .SYNOPSIS... A COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH FROM THE NORTHWEST TONIGHT...MOVE JUST SOUTH OF OUR AREA THURSDAY...THEN MOVE BACK NORTH AS A WARM FRONT THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY. A STRONG RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL DEVELOP ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST STATES FRIDAY THROUGH MONDAY...THOUGH WITH CONTINUED MOISTURE UNDER THE RIDGE. THE RIDGE WILL BREAK DOWN NEXT TUESDAY AS ANOTHER COLD FRONT APPROACHES FROM THE NORTHWEST. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... AT 15Z...SKY COVER ACROSS THE CWA WAS SUNNY TO MOSTLY SUNNY. RECENT SATELLITE IMAGES INDICATE THAT AN OLD OUTFLOW BOUNDARY ACROSS NRN GA AND EXTREME WESTERN NC AT 15Z. IN ADDITION...A POTENT S/W WAS LOCATED ON WATER VAPOR OVER EASTERN TN. THE OUTFLOW BOUNDARY SHOULD CONTINUE TO SLOWLY SLIDE EAST THROUGH THE EARLY AFTERNOON. THE VORT MAX IS EXPECTED TO CROSS THE NRN MTNS EARLY THIS AFTERNOON AND CONTINUE EAST ACROSS THE FOOTHILLS AND PIEDMONT LATE THIS AFTERNOON. AHEAD OF THESE FEATURES...TEMPERATURES WILL PEAK A DEGREE OR TWO ABOVE NORMAL WITH DEWPOINTS IN THE MID 60S. CAPE VALUES ACROSS THE CWA SHOULD BECOME MARGINALLY UNSTABLE WITH DCAPE VALUES BETWEEN 600-1000 J/KG. BASED ON TIMING OF THE S/W AND INSTABILITY...I WILL FORECAST SHRA/TSRA TO DEVELOP ACROSS THE MTNS BETWEEN 17-20Z. STEERING FLOW SHOULD CARRY THE CONVECTION EAST...POSSIBLY ORGANIZING ALONG A COLD POOL OVER THE NC FOOTHILLS. A BAND OF TSRA MAY SWEEP ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF THE FOOTHILLS AND NC PIEDMONT BETWEEN 20-3Z. ELSEWHERE...SCT COVERAGE OF SHRA/TSRA SHOULD DEVELOP DURING THE AFTERNOON AND REMAIN UNTIL MID TO LATE EVENING. THE MAIN THREAT ASSOCIATED WITH TODAY/S STORMS WILL BE SVR WIND GUSTS...A FEW STRONGER STORM CLUSTERS COULD PRODUCE LARGE HAIL. I WILL INCREASE POPS...ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE NC ZONES. CURRENT WORDING IN THE HWO HIGHLIGHTS THE THREATS WELL. && .SHORT TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT/... AS OF 230 AM WEDNESDAY...A DIFFLUENT UPPER FLOW PATTERN WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE AREA THU/THU NIGHT...AS THE ERN UPPER TROUGH AXIS MOVES INTO NEW ENGLAND AND RIDGING PERSISTS OVER THE SOUTHERN PLAINS. DEEP LAYER DRYING IS INDICATED EARLY THU JUST BEHIND THE WAVE DEPARTING TOWARD THE COAST. DESPITE THE FAVORABLE MCS TRACK STEERING FLOW FROM THE UPPER MIDWEST TO THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS...THE MODELS ARE NOT TOO KEEN ON DEVELOPING ANY SIGNIFICANT CONVECTIVE SYSTEM THU/THU NIGHT. PLUS...A NW DOWNSLOPE FLOW WILL HELP TO KEEP CONVECTION AT BAY EAST OF THE HIGH TERRAIN IN THE DRIER AIR. POPS HAVE THUS BEEN LOWERED TO SLIGHT CHANCE IN ALL BUT THE MOST UNSTABLE SRN PIEDMONT SECTIONS. A WEAK COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO SETTLE SOUTHWARD ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA THURSDAY NIGHT...WITH SFC HIGH PRES BUILDING OVER TO THE NORTH THROUGH FRIDAY. MEANWHILE...RIDGING ALOFT WILL BUILD EASTWARD OVER THE DEEP SOUTH...PUSHING THE MCS TRACK FARTHER TO THE NORTH. THE BEST CHANCE FOR ANY FORCING FRI WILL PROBABLY BE ASSOCIATED WITH A DEVELOPING LOW LEVEL SOUTHEASTERLY UPSLOPE FLOW LATE IN THE DAY. TEMPERATURES WILL BE NEAR NORMAL THROUGH THE PERIOD...WITH LOW LEVEL MOISTURE STEADILY REBOUNDING THROUGH FRI NIGHT. && .LONG TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... AS OF 120 PM WEDNESDAY...THE STRONG RIDGE CONTINUES OVER THE SOUTHEAST ON BOTH MEDIUM RANGE OPERATIONAL MODELS TO START THE UPCOMING WEEK. GUIDANCE HAS COME UP WITH TEMPERATURES...BUT STILL PREFER TO LEAN TOWARD THE HIGHER SIDE WITH THE STRENGTH OF THE RIDGE. LOW LEVEL MOISTURE HAS DECREASED IN THE MODELS AND HAVE DROPPED THE POPS A BIT FOR SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT. BASED ON GREATER CONFIDENCE IN THE LATTER PERIOD WITH THE APPROACH AND PASSAGE OF THE FRONT...HAVE RAISED POPS A BIT FOR TUESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY. AS FAR AS TEMPERATURES...WITH GREATER CLOUD COVER...ADJUSTED TEMPERATURES...STICKING CLOSE TO GUIDANCE AT THE END OF THE FORECAST PERIOD. && .AVIATION /18Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY/... COMMUNICATION PROBLEMS HAS LIMITED THE AVAILABILITY OF THE OBSERVATIONS FROM KGSP/KGMU/KAND. MAY NEED TO AMD NOT SKED IN THE KAND AND KGMU TAFS IF PROBLEMS PERSISTS. SCT TO NUMEROUS SHRA/TSRA WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP ACROSS THE WESTERN CAROLINAS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING S/W. TAFS CONTAIN A MENTION OF CB IN THE SKY GROUP THROUGH LATE EVENING. MOST SITES SHOULD SEE A TSRA PASS NEAR THE TERMINAL...WILL COVER WITH A TEMPO FROM 19-24Z. OVERNIGHT...CLEARING SKY COVER...RECENT RAINFALL...AND LIGHT WINDS WILL PROMOTE THE FORMATION OF FOG...ESPECIALLY WITHIN THE MTN VALLEYS. FOG WILL QUICKLY DISSIPATE AFTER SUNRISE WITH A LIGHT NORTH WIND. AT KCLT...SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE REST OF THE AFTERNOON. SHRA AND TSRA WILL INCREASE ACROSS THE CLT METRO AREA FROM 19Z THROUGH 3Z. A BAND OF TSRA COULD PASS ACROSS THE TERMINAL BETWEEN 21-24Z. ATTM...I WILL FORECAST GENERALLY GUSTY CONDITIONS WITH SOME LIMITED VIS...AMDS WILL BE NECESSARY AS CONVECTION APPROACHES. OVERNIGHT...CLEARING SKY COVER...RECENT RAINFALL...AND LIGHT WINDS WILL PROMOTE THE FORMATION OF LIGHT FOG. FOG WILL QUICKLY DISSIPATE AFTER SUNRISE WITH A LIGHT NORTH WIND OUTLOOK...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP EACH AFTERNOON AND EVENING 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...HG LONG TERM...HG AVIATION...NED
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 550 AM EDT WED AUG 5 2009 GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033-035>037-048>053-056>059-062>065- 068>072-082-501>510-SCZ001>014-019-061000- 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- 550 AM EDT WED AUG 5 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST GEORGIA...PIEDMONT NORTH CAROLINA...WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. AN APPROACHING UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL ALLOW SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO BECOME NUMEROUS ACROSS THE WESTERN CAROLINAS AND NORTHEAST GEORGIA THIS AFTERNOON. THUNDERSTORMS MAY BE MORE SCATTERED IN NATURE ACROSS PIEDMONT SECTIONS. ANY THUNDERSTORMS THAT DEVELOP WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE LARGE HAIL...WITH HAILSTONES THE SIZE OF PENNIES OR LARGER...AND DAMAGING WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH. KEEP A CLOSE EYE ON THE WEATHER TODAY IN CASE ANY SEVERE WEATHER WATCHES OR WARNINGS BECOME NECESSARY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTERS ARE REQUESTED TO FORWARD ANY REPORTS OF LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...TORNADOES OR FLASH FLOODING TO OUR OFFICE. HG
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 103 PM EDT WED AUG 5 2009 SCZ014-051745- CHESTER- 103 PM EDT WED AUG 5 2009 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT EASTERN CHESTER COUNTY THROUGH 145 PM EDT... AT 1255 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR RICHBURG...OR 9 MILES EAST OF CHESTER... MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH. * OTHER LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO RICHBURG... FORT LAWN AND EDGEMOOR. SMALL HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. 07
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 107 PM EDT WED AUG 5 2009 NCZ053-065-051800- BUNCOMBE-HENDERSON- 107 PM EDT WED AUG 5 2009 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT BUNCOMBE AND NORTHERN HENDERSON COUNTIES THROUGH 200 PM EDT... AT 107 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR AVERY CREEK...OR 7 MILES SOUTH OF ASHEVILLE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 10 MPH. * OTHER LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO DOWNTOWN ASHEVILLE...ASHEVILLE MALL...I-26 AT I-40...FAIRVIEW...SWANNANOA... SKYLAND...MILLS RIVER...FLETCHER...BLACK MOUNTAIN...BILTMORE FOREST...BENT CREEK...AVERY CREEK AND ASHEVILLE. SMALL HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. 07
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
121 PM EDT WED AUG 05 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0110 PM HAIL 9 SSE ASHEVILLE 35.45N 82.49W
08/05/2009 E0.75 INCH BUNCOMBE NC BROADCAST MEDIA
WINDS WERE ALSO ESTIMATED TO BE BETWEEN 40 - 45 MPH.
&&
LUKERSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 137 PM EDT WED AUG 5 2009 GAZ010-NCZ062-051830- MACON-RABUN- 137 PM EDT WED AUG 5 2009 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT RABUN AND SOUTHERN MACON COUNTIES THROUGH 230 PM EDT... AT 137 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 4 MILES NORTHWEST OF LAKE BURTON...OR 11 MILES WEST OF CLAYTON...MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH. * OTHER LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO LAKE BURTON...TIGER...SKY VALLEY...MOUNTAIN CITY...MOCCASIN CREEK STATE PARK...DILLARD...CLAYTON...SCALY AND OTTO. SMALL HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. 07
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 141 PM EDT WED AUG 5 2009 NCZ033-049-050-051845- AVERY-MITCHELL-YANCEY- 141 PM EDT WED AUG 5 2009 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHERN MITCHELL...NORTHERN YANCEY AND WESTERN AVERY COUNTIES THROUGH 245 PM EDT... AT 141 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 3 MILES NORTHWEST OF RAMSEYTOWN...OR 7 MILES SOUTH OF ERWIN...MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH. * OTHER LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO RAMSEYTOWN...POPLAR...MINNEAPOLIS...BULADEAN...BANDANA AND BAKERSVILLE. SMALL HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. 07
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 146 PM EDT WED AUG 5 2009 SCZ006-010-011-051845- ABBEVILLE-ANDERSON-GREATER GREENVILLE- 146 PM EDT WED AUG 5 2009 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHERN ABBEVILLE...SOUTHERN ANDERSON AND SOUTHERN GREENVILLE COUNTIES THROUGH 245 PM EDT... AT 146 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 3 MILES NORTH OF IVA...OR 12 MILES SOUTH OF ANDERSON...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH. * OTHER LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO SECESSION LAKE...BROADWAY LAKE...STARR...PRINCETON...IVA...HONEA PATH...DUE WEST...DONALDS...BELTON AND ANTREVILLE. SMALL HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. 07
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
11 thunderstorm wind, 6 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
A few trees were blown down to the north of the town of Honea Path.
Several trees and tree limbs were blown down on Mt Vernon Rd to the southeast of Callison.
Trees were blown down along highway 28 near Antreville.
Trees were blown down along highway 28 about two miles southeast of Antreville.
Trees were blown down, with some trees falling on cars, from the Due West area, along hwy 184 to Donalds. Other trees were blown down along highway 178 in the Donalds area.
Several trees were blown down.
Trees were blown down in and around the town of Ware Shoals.
Several trees were blown down across the city of Greenwood.
Trees were blown down in and to the north of Easley.
Trees were blown down near the intersection of Liberty Rd and Pinckney Rd, a few miles to the west of Chester.
Trees were blown down on highway 21 about 4 miles south of Fort Lawn.
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: 194655, 194657, 194659, 194660, 194662, 194663, 194664, 194666, 194667, 194668, 194669, 194670, 194671, 194672, 194673, 194674, 194675.