South Carolina, 2009

Damaging Winds in South Carolina, February 11, 2009

February 11, 2009 · NWS GSP · 7 events in 5 counties and zones

A narrow line of thunderstorms developed ahead of a cold front and moved rapidly across western South Carolina during the evening hours of the 11th. Several reports of straight line wind damage were received in association with the line.

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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$15,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
7

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 narrow line of thunderstorms developed ahead of a cold front and moved rapidly across western South Carolina during the evening hours of the 11th. Several reports of straight line wind damage were received in association with the line.

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 Feb 11, 6:42 PM EST, 29 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 11, 6:42 PM EST, 29 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 11, 7:09 PM EST, 2 minutes before
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In the hours before

Local storm report, Feb 11, 5:33 PM EST, 1 hour 38 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
533 PM EST WED FEB 11 2009

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0515 PM     TSTM WND DMG     ROBBINSVILLE            35.32N 83.81W
02/11/2009                   GRAHAM             NC   COUNTY OFFICIAL

            2 TREES REPORTED DOWN BY DOT ON TALLULAH AND OLD TALLULAH
            ROADS IN ROBBINSVILLE.

&&

JPT
Local storm report, Feb 11, 6:11 PM EST, 1 hour before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
611 PM EST WED FEB 11 2009

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0540 PM     TSTM WND GST     3 NW SYLVA              35.41N 83.26W
02/11/2009  E60 MPH          JACKSON            NC   TRAINED SPOTTER

            ESTIMATED WIND GUST TO 60 MPH WITH PASSAGE OF SQUALL LINE

&&

LGABRIC
Local storm report, Feb 11, 6:34 PM EST, 37 minutes before
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Local storm report, Feb 11, 6:40 PM EST, 31 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Feb 11, 6:48 PM EST, 23 minutes before
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Local storm report, Feb 11, 6:57 PM EST, 14 minutes before
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The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 62 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:11 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

7 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Anderson

When
February 11, 7:11 PM EST
Where
Anderson County, 2.83 mi SW of Sandy Spgs
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
34.569, -82.783

A tree was blown down on Sandy Springs Rd at Rowland.

Thunderstorm Wind, Anderson

When
February 11, 7:11 PM EST to 7:15 PM EST
Where
Anderson County, 3.15 mi NE of Evergreen Hills to 4.27 mi WNW of Cheddar
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
34.563, -82.641

Trees were blown down on Concord Rd and Brown Rd.

Thunderstorm Wind, Spartanburg

When
February 11, 7:26 PM EST
Where
Spartanburg County, 1.18 mi S of Grnvl Sprtnbrg Arpt
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
34.883, -82.222

A gust of 58 mph was measured by the ASOS equipment at the Greenville-Spartanburg airport.

Thunderstorm Wind, Spartanburg

When
February 11, 7:35 PM EST
Where
Spartanburg County, 1.23 mi NW of Whitney
Measured
55 kt (63 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$5,000
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
34.992, -81.947

The metal roof was blown off a car wash on Parris Bridge Rd.

Thunderstorm Wind, Cherokee

When
February 11, 7:40 PM EST to 8:00 PM EST
Where
Cherokee County, 3.28 mi W of Thicketty to 4.43 mi NE of Blacksburg
Measured
48 kt (55 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
35.018, -81.778

Numerous trees were blown down across the county, especially concentrated in the Gaffney and Blacksburg areas. Also, a greenhouse received major damage on Cherokee Ave.

Thunderstorm Wind, York

When
February 11, 8:14 PM EST
Where
York County, 2.56 mi SW of Bethany
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
County Official
Coordinates
35.093, -81.331

Two trees were blown down near the intersection of Bush Rd and highway 55.

Thunderstorm Wind, Laurens

When
February 11, 8:45 PM EST
Where
Laurens County, 1.2 mi S of Laurens
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
34.483, -82.016

Two trees were blown down. One tree was blown onto a power line.

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

More

Every storm in South Carolina in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in South Carolina, February 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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 156386, 156388, 156390, 156392, 156407, 156419, 156431.