A thunderstorm produced an isolated area of wind damage during the evening hours over Upstate South Carolina. Severe weather was more widespread over North Carolina this day.
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 thunderstorm produced an isolated area of wind damage during the evening hours over Upstate South Carolina. Severe weather was more widespread over North Carolina this 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 May 9, 1:19 PM EST, 3 hours 56 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 219 PM EDT SAT MAY 9 2009 .SYNOPSIS... A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE SOUTH OF OUR AREA TONIGHT...BECOMING STATIONARY OVER THE GULF STATES. THIS FRONT WILL MOVE FARTHER SOUTH LATE MONDAY AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS OVER THE REGION THROUGH MID WEEK. ANOTHER FRONT WILL APPROACH FROM THE NORTHWEST ON THURSDAY. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH SUNDAY/... SHORTWAVE APPROACHING FROM THE W WITH ASSOC SFC FRONT. DEW POINTS IN M60S...GOOD INSOLATION...SOME DRY AIR IN MID LEVELS AND CAPE VALUES 1000-2000 J/KG...ALL POINT TOWARD ACTIVE CONVECTION THIS AFTN-EVE... ESP NC FOOTHILLS/PIEDMONT. WINDS GENERALLY WLY ALOFT WITH DAMAGING WIND AND LARGE HAIL THE MOST LIKELY SEVERE THREAT. EXPECT CONVECTION TO TAPER OFF MID EVE WITH JUST A SLIGHT CHANCE OVERNIGHT. MRNG TEMPS WILL COOL TO NEAR 60...WITH 50S MTNS. FRONT STALLS JUST S OF CWA SUN AND MODELS IN FAIR AGREEMENT DEVELOPING A WEAK WAVE ALONG BOUNDARY TO THE W AND MOVG IT INTO W ZONES LATE IN THE DAY. HAVE INCREASING CHANCE POPS AHEAD OF THIS FEATURE DURING THE DAY WITH CHANCE OF SHWRS FROM THE W IN THE MRNG...THEN CHANCE SHWRS OVER MTNS AND W CWA..SLIGHT CHANCE ELSEWHERE. ALSO WENT FOR A SLIGHT CHANCE OF TSTMS AFTER 18Z FOR THE MTNS AND W. HIGHS WILL BE COOLER WITH M-U70S ACROSS THE PIEDMONT...M60S-L70S MTNS. && .SHORT TERM /SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY/... AS OF 200 PM SATURDAY...AS ADDITIONAL ENERGY ROTATES THRU AMPLIFYING FLOW ALOFT...LOWER LVL RESPONSE WILL BE TO RETURN MOISTURE BACK NORTH ACRS THE CWFA SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY. GIVEN STABLE AIRMASS REMAINING NORTH OF STALLED FRONT...EXPECTING SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS...ESPECIALLY FROM ABOUT 06-18 UTC SUNDAY AND ACRS THE WESTERN CWFA WHERE TERRAIN EFFECTS SHOULD ENHANCE PCPN. LINGERING CLOUDS AND PCPN WITHIN THE COOL AIRMASS SHOULD RESULT IN FAIRLY COOL CONDS ON MONDAY...PERHAPS SOME 8-10 DEG F BELOW NORMAL. DEEPER DRYING...SFC RIDGING AND COOL TEMPS TO ENCROACH UPON THE FA MONDAY NIGHT WITH LLVL RIDGE AXIS TRANSLATING OFFSHORE TUESDAY. SOME WEAK RETURN FLOW DOES GET UNDERWAY WITH SHORT RANGE MODELS PROGGING A WEAK RESPONSE WITHIN THE LLVL CONVERGENCE AREA ACRS THE MTNS...BUT WITH WARMING ALOFT AND OVERALL DEPTH OF DRY AIR...PLAN ON KEEPING FCST DRY WITH MAX TEMPS WARMING BACK TOWARD CLIMO. && .LONG TERM /TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY/... AS OF 200 PM SATURDAY...DESPITE LOW AMPLITUDE UPPER RIDGE BUILDING ATOP THE SE CONUS ON WEDNESDAY...MEDIUM RANGE MODELS HAVE BEEN TRENDING MORE AGRESSIVE WITH THE SE RETURN FLOW. THEREFORE...HAVE INTRODUCED SLIGHT CHANCE POP FOR THE MTNS IN THE AFTERNOON. THE TIMING OF THE EASTWARD PROGRESSION OF COLD FRONT CONTINUES TO REMAIN AN ISSUE FOR THURSDAY WITH THE OP GFS SOLUTION STILL THE FASTEST OF THE BUNCH. NOT SURE THIS REALLY MAKES MUCH OF DIFFERENCE FOR THE SENSIBLE WX FCST FOR THURSDAY...AS TSTM CHANCES IN THE RETURN FLOW OUT AHEAD OF THE FRONT SEEM TO BE INCREASING. FOR FRIDAY THOUGH...IT IS HARD NOT GO GIVE AT LEAST SOME PROPS TO THE CONSISTENTLY FASTER OP GFS AND WILL BACK OFF POP TO A HEDGE SLIGHT CHANCE...AND IF NEEDED...WILL DROP POP IN LATER PACKAGES IF THE DRY SOLUTION BECOMES THE FAVORED ONE. ONLY NOMINAL EVIDENCE EXISTS AT THIS JUNCTURE WHICH WOULD POINT TO ANYTHING DIFFERENT THAN A FAIR AND SEASONABLY WARM FCST FOR NEXT SATURDAY. && .AVIATION /18Z SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... KCLT AND ELSEWHERE...PREDOMINATE VFR. AT LEAST SCT TSTMS INTO THIS EVE WITH ASSOC CIG/VSBY RESTRICTIONS IN HEAVIER SHWRS AS SHORTWAVE AND ASSOC FRONT APPROACH FROM THE W. STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND LARGE HAIL MOST LIKELY CONCERN WITH ANY STORM TODAY. S-SW WINDS TAPERING OFF THIS EVE...TURNING N-NE SUN MRNG. WITH FRONT STALLED ALONG S CWA EXPECT LOW VFR TO MVFR CIGS FOR SC TERMINALS SUN MRNG WITH INCRSNG CHANCE CONVECTION TOWARD AFTN. OUTLOOK...THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE LESS LIKELY SUNDAY AND MONDAY WITH THE FRONT TO THE SOUTH. GENERALLY VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED FROM SUNDAY MORNING ON. && .GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... GA...NONE. NC...NONE. SC...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...DEO NEAR TERM...RB SHORT TERM...CSH LONG TERM...CSH AVIATION...RB
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 451 PM EDT SAT MAY 9 2009 NCZ036-037-056-057-069>072-082-102100- IREDELL-DAVIE-CATAWBA-ROWAN-LINCOLN-GASTON-MECKLENBURG-CABARRUS- UNION NC- 451 PM EDT SAT MAY 9 2009 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 281 IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 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...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. 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. NCZ033-035-048>053-058-059-062>065-068-501>510-102100- AVERY-ALEXANDER-MADISON-YANCEY-MITCHELL-SWAIN-HAYWOOD-BUNCOMBE- GRAHAM-NORTHERN JACKSON-MACON-SOUTHERN JACKSON-TRANSYLVANIA- HENDERSON-CLEVELAND-CALDWELL MOUNTAINS-GREATER CALDWELL- BURKE MOUNTAINS-GREATER BURKE-MCDOWELL MOUNTAINS-EASTERN MCDOWELL- RUTHERFORD MOUNTAINS-GREATER RUTHERFORD-POLK MOUNTAINS-EASTERN POLK- 451 PM EDT SAT MAY 9 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PIEDMONT NORTH CAROLINA AND WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... NONE. GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-SCZ001>014-019-102100- RABUN-HABERSHAM-STEPHENS-FRANKLIN-HART-ELBERT-OCONEE MOUNTAINS- PICKENS MOUNTAINS-GREENVILLE MOUNTAINS-GREATER OCONEE- GREATER PICKENS-GREATER GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG-CHEROKEE-YORK- ANDERSON-ABBEVILLE-LAURENS-UNION SC-CHESTER-GREENWOOD- 451 PM EDT SAT MAY 9 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST GEORGIA AND UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. THUNDERSTORM CHANCES WILL REMAIN INTO THIS EVENING WITH A FEW STRONG IF NOT SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... NONE.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
430 PM EDT SAT MAY 09 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0354 PM TSTM WND DMG HICKORY 35.74N 81.33W
05/09/2009 CATAWBA NC LAW ENFORCEMENT
FOUR REPORTS OF TREES DOWN AND LINES DOWN IN THE CITY.
REPORTS WERE JUST STARTING TO COME IN.
&&
MCAVOYPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
443 PM EDT SAT MAY 09 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0410 PM TSTM WND DMG LINCOLNTON 35.48N 81.25W
05/09/2009 LINCOLN NC COUNTY OFFICIAL
THREE OR FOUR REPORTS OF TREES ON POWER LINES.
&&
MCAVOYPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
444 PM EDT SAT MAY 09 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0406 PM HAIL CHERRYVILLE 35.38N 81.38W
05/09/2009 E0.88 INCH GASTON NC FIRE DEPT/RESCUE
&&
MCAVOYPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
457 PM EDT SAT MAY 09 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0423 PM TSTM WND DMG STATESVILLE 35.79N 80.89W
05/09/2009 IREDELL NC COUNTY OFFICIAL
10 TO 15 REPORTS OF TREES AND LINES DOWN AROUND THE CITY.
&&
MCAVOYPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
538 PM EDT SAT MAY 09 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0455 PM TSTM WND DMG 3 E SPENCER 35.69N 80.38W
05/09/2009 ROWAN NC TRAINED SPOTTER
TREES DOWN ON POWER LINES ON LONG FERRY ROAD DUE EAST OF
SPENCER.
&&
JPTSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 601 PM EDT SAT MAY 9 2009 SCZ006-010-092230- ANDERSON-GREATER GREENVILLE- 601 PM EDT SAT MAY 9 2009 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT CENTRAL ANDERSON AND SOUTHERN GREENVILLE COUNTIES THROUGH 630 PM EDT... AT 601 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 7 MILES NORTH OF ANDERSON...MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH. THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR... WILLIAMSTON... PEA SIZE 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. NED
The Greer radar (KGSP), 46 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:16 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Several trees were blown down along highway 29. One tree caused minor damage to a home.
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, May 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: 172462.