A weakening line of thunderstorms moved out of the North Carolina Mountains and into the Upstate. The outflow from this line triggered new storms over the Upstate, which consolidated into another line of severe storms.
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 weakening line of thunderstorms moved out of the North Carolina Mountains and into the Upstate. The outflow from this line triggered new storms over the Upstate, which consolidated into another line of severe storms.
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 Jun 18, 1:57 PM EST, 1 hour 8 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 257 PM EDT THU JUN 18 2009 .SYNOPSIS... HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILDS OVER THE AREA FROM THE SOUTH ON FRIDAY...THEN A WEAK COLD FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS OUR AREA ON SATURDAY. WEAK HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD OVER THE REGION NEXT WEEK. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH FRIDAY/... LINE OF SVR STORMS JUST ACROSS THE TN BORDER WILL MOVE INTO THE MTNS SHORTLY. THIS LINE SHOULD HOLD TOGETHER AS IT MOVES ACROSS THE MTNS GIVEN THE ORGANIZATION AND MODERATE SHEAR OVER THE AREA. EVEN IF THE LINE BRIEFLY DIMINISHES IN INTENSITY...IT SHOULD QUICKLY RE-INTENSIFY AS IF MOVES INTO THE FOOTHILLS AND PIEDMONT GIVEN THE MODERATE TO VERY UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE. DCAPE IS VERY HIGH AS WELL...OVER 1000 J/KG FOR MOST OF THE CWFA. FREEZING LEVELS ARE HIGH...BUT WET BULB ZERO IS SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER GIVEN THE MID LEVEL DRY AIR. THEREFORE...THE CHANCE OF SEVERE STORMS IS QUITE HIGH WITH DAMAGING WINDS THE MAIN THREAT. SOME LARGE HAIL IS ALSO POSSIBLE. THE WATCH MAY NEED TO BE EXPANDED OR LENGTHENED TO COVER THIS LINE AS IT MOVES THRU. PRECIP CHANCES SHOULD DIMINISH RAPIDLY BEHIND THE LINE. NO POP IS EXPECTED AFTER MIDNIGHT. STRONG UPPER RIDGE BUILDS INTO THE AREA FRIDAY. THIS PUSHES THE STORM TRACK TO OUR NORTH. THE MODELS STILL SHOW QUITE A BIT OF CAPE OVER THE AREA WITH VERY WARM TEMPS AND ONLY SLIGHTLY LOWER DEW POINTS. ONE WOULD THINK THAT INSTABILITY SHOULD BE MUCH LOWER DUE TO THE BUILDING RIDGE. HOWEVER...MDL SOUNDINGS DO NOT SHOW AN EXPECTED MID LEVEL SUBSIDENCE INVERSION. THAT SAID...DO NOT THINK THERE WILL BE MUCH OF A TRIGGER WITH THE STORM TRACK MOVING NORTH. WILL LIMIT POP TO SLIGHT CHC FOR THE NRN MTNS AND I-40 CORRIDOR. GUIDANCE HIGHS ARE VERY WARM AS EXPECTED WITH THE INCREASING HEIGHTS AND THICKNESSES. HOWEVER...MDLS HAVE BEEN TOO WARM RECENTLY. ALSO...GROUND IS QUITE MOIST WITH THE RECENT RAINFALL. WITH SOME OF THE HEATING GOING TO EVAPORATING THE MOISTURE...WILL UNDERCUT MOS SLIGHTLY AND KEEP TEMPS IN THE LOW TO MID 90S. && .SHORT TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY/... AS OF 205 PM EDT THU...THE MAIN SHORT TERM CONCERN WILL BE THE HEAT...AS THE UPPER RIDGE MAINTAINS CONTROL OVER THE SOUTHEAST. BROAD-SCALE SUBSIDENCE COMBINED WITH DOWNSLOPE FLOW WILL ALLOW TEMPS TO SOAR TO NEAR THE CENTURY MARK ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE PIEDMONT SAT AFTERNOON. DESPITE THE WARMING MID-LEVEL TEMPS...CONVECTION CANNOT BE RULED OUT...PARTICULARLY ACROSS THE NORTHERN ZONES LATE SAT AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING. THIS AREA WILL REMAIN CLOSE TO THE BAND OF STRONGER WESTERLIES...AND NEAR THE TRACK OF ANY MCS ORIGINATING FROM THE OHIO VALLEY. CHANCE POPS WILL BE CARRIED TO ACCOUNT FOR THIS. ALTHOUGH THE RIDGE BEGINS A RETREAT ON SUNDAY...MODEL GUIDANCE MAINTAINS ANY SIGNIFICANT MID-LEVEL SW TROUGH ACTIVITY WELL TO THE NORTH OF THE AREA. MEANWHILE...FORECAST SOUNDINGS ARE RATHER UNIMPRESSIVE. THEREFORE...OTHER THAN A SLIVER OF SLIGHT/LOW CHANCE POPS ALONG THE TENN BORDER (ACCOUNTING FOR LOW LEVEL NORTHWEST FLOW)...SUNDAY IS EXPECTED TO BE DRY. && .LONG TERM /SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY/... AS OF 220 PM EDT THU...THE MEDIUM RANGE MODELS AGREE THAT AN UPPER LOW WILL FORM EAST OF THE MID-ATLANTIC COAST EARLY NEXT WEEK...WITH THE RIDGE RETROGRADING TO THE LOWER MISS VALLEY. THIS LEAVES THE CAROLINAS AND NORTH GEORGIA IN RELATIVELY DEEP/DRY NORTHERLY FLOW. ALTHOUGH ISOLATED/WIDELY SCT DIURNAL CONVECTION CANNOT BE COMPLETELY RULED OUT...ESP OVER THE MTNS...IT APPEARS THAT THIS WILL RESULT IN A DRIER AND SLIGHTLY COOLER PATTERN. && .AVIATION /19Z THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... MCS DROPPING TOWARD THE AREA SHOULD REMAIN IN TACT AND BRING A LINE OF TSRA...SOME SEVERE...ACROSS THE CWFA LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. MADE SOME MINOR CHANGES TO VCTS WORDING TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT CURRENT EXPECTED TIMING. WEST TO SOUTHWEST...NNW AT KAVL... WINDS WILL CONTINUE AHEAD OF THIS SYSTEM. WILL LIKELY BE AN INCREASE IN WINDS AND WIND SHIFT WITH THE CONVECTION...BUT WILL HAVE TO AMD AS IT MOVES IN TO MAKE SURE TIMING IS ACCURATE. EXPECT RAPIDLY IMPROVING CONDITIONS BEHIND THE SYSTEM THIS EVENING. WINDS SHOULD BECOME LIGHT AND VARIABLE. GUIDANCE ALL SHOWS VFR CIGS WITH ONLY POSSIBLE MVFR FOG OVERNIGHT. THEREFORE...HAVE KEPT ALL AREAS VFR FOR NOW...BUT LOWER CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE. UPPER RIDGE BUILDS IN FRIDAY...MOVING STORM TRACK TO OUR NORTH. KHKY HAS THE BEST CHC OF SEEING ANY CONVECTION...BUT CHC LOW FOR NOW. ANY CU DEVELOPMENT WILL ALSO BE LATE IN THE DAY. LIGHT WEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS DEVELOP WITH MIXING. OUTLOOK...DRIER HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS INTO THE REGION THU NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY. A COLD FRONT WILL BRING A CHANCE OF TSTMS SATURDAY WITH DRY CONDITIONS TO FOLLOW AGAIN SUNDAY AND MONDAY. && .CLIMATE... RECORD HIGHS FOR FRIDAY JUNE 19TH: ASHEVILLE (KAVL): 92 SET IN 1933 GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG AREA (KGSP): 98 SET IN 1944 CHARLOTTE METRO AREA (KCLT): 102 SET IN 1944 && .GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... GA...NONE. NC...NONE. SC...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...JDL NEAR TERM...RWH SHORT TERM...JDL LONG TERM...JDL AVIATION...RWH CLIMATE...ARK
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 341 PM EDT THU JUN 18 2009 GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ051-052-058-059-062>064-SCZ001-002-004- 005-010-011-191945- RABUN-HABERSHAM-STEPHENS-FRANKLIN-HART-ELBERT-SWAIN-HAYWOOD-GRAHAM- NORTHERN JACKSON-MACON-SOUTHERN JACKSON-TRANSYLVANIA- OCONEE MOUNTAINS-PICKENS MOUNTAINS-GREATER OCONEE-GREATER PICKENS- ANDERSON-ABBEVILLE- 341 PM EDT THU JUN 18 2009 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 461 IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM EDT THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST GEORGIA...WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND 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...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. 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. NCZ033-035>037-048>050-053-056-057-065-068>072-082-501>510-SCZ003- 006>009-012>014-019-191945- AVERY-ALEXANDER-IREDELL-DAVIE-MADISON-YANCEY-MITCHELL-BUNCOMBE- CATAWBA-ROWAN-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- GREENVILLE MOUNTAINS-GREATER GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG-CHEROKEE-YORK- LAURENS-UNION SC-CHESTER-GREENWOOD- 341 PM EDT THU JUN 18 2009 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 466 IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM EDT THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PIEDMONT NORTH CAROLINA...WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND 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...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. 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. LANE
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1011 AM EDT THU JUN 18 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1027 PM TSTM WND DMG 1 SW IVA 34.30N 82.68W
06/17/2009 ANDERSON SC COUNTY OFFICIAL
SEVERAL TREES DOWN ON PROJECT RD NEAR IVA
&&
PTANNERPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1014 AM EDT THU JUN 18 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1015 PM HAIL 6 W PICKENS 34.88N 82.81W
06/17/2009 E0.75 INCH PICKENS SC CO-OP OBSERVER
COCRAHS OBSERVER REPORTED 0.75 INCH HAIL
&&
PTANNERPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1044 AM EDT THU JUN 18 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0643 PM TSTM WND DMG CLEMSON 34.68N 82.81W
06/17/2009 PICKENS SC DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
NUMEROUS TREES DOWN
&&
LGPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
102 PM EDT THU JUN 18 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1213 AM TSTM WND DMG 4 ESE CORNELIA 34.49N 83.46W
06/18/2009 HABERSHAM GA DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
COUPLE TREES BLOWN DOWN
&&
LGPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
117 PM EDT THU JUN 18 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1051 PM TSTM WND DMG 5 N CLAYTON 34.95N 83.40W
06/17/2009 RABUN GA DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
FEW TREES DOWN
&&
LGThe Greer radar (KGSP), 24 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:03 UTC.
16 thunderstorm wind, 5 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Trees were blown down from Gibson Dr and Farrs Bridge Rd south through Berea, to Allen St in Greenville. Several trees were also blown down on Vale St. The area of wind damage ended about 5 miles southwest of Greenville, where large branches were blown down.
A large tree fell through a mobile home on Crosswell School Rd. Other trees were reported down in the area.
Large tree limbs and two telephone poles were blown down in Pelzer. Shingles were blown off a roof on Beaverdam Rd west of Williamston and several trees were also blown down in the Williamston area, including one on a home on Spring St.
The ASOS at the Greenville-Spartanburg airport measured a wind gust of 58 mph. Several trees were uprooted and large limbs snapped on the airport grounds, with at least 1 vehicle damaged by a falling tree. A hangar also received some minor damage.
Trees were blown down along highway 76 south of Belton.
Numerous trees were blown down throughout Greenwood County, with at least three trees on homes in the city of Greenwood.
For the second time in three days, a severe thunderstorm moved across the city of Laurens, downing numerous trees. At least three trees fell on homes.
Large tree limbs blown down at the intersection of highway 11 and Old Metal Rd.|Several trees were uprooted and shingles blown off a home near the intersection of Morgan Dr and highway 29.
Several trees were blown down on highway 274.
Several trees were blown down throughout the city.
Trees were blown down along highway 29 in the Cowpens area.
A tree was blown down on the roof of a home and an awning blown off a residence on highway 150 five miles southwest of Gaffney. A tree was blown also blown down on a mobile home on Fortanbarry Rd, and a metal shed and a dog kennel were damaged at the intersection of highway 18 and Burnt Gin Rd.
Trees were blown down on highway 150 near the Cherokee County line.
Numerous trees were blown down across the southern part of the county, with damage running from the city of Greenwood to Troy.
Two trees were blown down in extreme southwest York County.
Several large trees were uprooted along highway 9 just west of Lockhart.
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, June 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: 184591, 184598, 184599, 184602, 184965, 184966, 184968, 184969, 184970, 184977, 184980, 184982, 184983, 184985, 184986, 184987, 184988, 184989, 184992, 184993, 184994.