Flash Flood and Damaging Winds in North Carolina, August 6, 2010

Name: Flash Flood and Damaging Winds in North Carolina, August 6, 2010
Start: 2010-08-06T18:00
End: 2010-08-06T23:00
Location: North Carolina

August 6, 2010 · NWS GSP · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

A couple thunderstorms developed along a cold front over the western North Carolina piedmont during the early evening hours. The storms produced a little wind damage.

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: $20,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 3

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 couple thunderstorms developed along a cold front over the western North Carolina piedmont during the early evening hours. The storms produced a little wind damage.

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 Aug 6, 1:38 PM EST, 4 hours 22 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 6, 1:38 PM EST, 4 hours 22 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
238 PM EDT FRI AUG 6 2010

.SYNOPSIS...
A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE AREA AND CONTINUE SOUTH TONIGHT.
HIGH PRESSURE WILL THEN BUILD IN FROM THE NORTHEAST FOR THE WEEKEND
AND REMAIN OVER THE EASTERN PART OF THE COUNTRY THROUGH THE MIDDLE
OF NEXT WEEK.

&&

.NEAR TERM /THROUGH SATURDAY/...
AS OF 215 PM...A SHORTWAVE IMPULSE BEGINNING TO ENTER THE SRN
APPALACHIANS AS IT ROUNDS THE BASE OF A BROAD H5 TROF. SO CONVECTION
HAS BEGUN TO FIRE ACRS ERN TN AND OUR SWRN MTN ZONES WITHIN THE
DPVA. THIS ACTIVITY IS EXPECTED TO ROLL OFF INTO THE PIEDMONT...AS
DEEP WLY UNIDIRECTIONAL SHEAR SHUD HELP THE CONVECTION ORGANIZE
ALONG COLD POOL BNDRYS. WITH THAT IN MIND...LIKELY POPS FOR NE GA
THE UPSTATE...EXTREME SRN NC PIEDMONT WITH A SEVERE TSTM WATCH IN
AFFECT TIL 9 PM EDT.

OVERNIGHT...A COLD FRONT WILL PUSH THRU THE AREA FROM THE NORTH...AS
HIGH PRES BUILDS EWD ACRS THE OH VLY TO THE MID ATLC COAST. LLVL
FLOW TURNS OUT OF THE EAST UNDER SOME THINNING DEBRIS CLOUDINESS.
BOTH THE NAM AND GFS TIME-HGT SECTIONS SHOW RELATIVELY DRY AIR
WITHIN THIS FLOW...SO DESPITE THE UPSLOPE AND THE EXPECTED RAIN
TODAY...CONFIDENCE ON STRATUS DEVELOP IS LOW. FOR NOW WILL KEEP JUST
PCLDY SKIES WITH TEMPS AT MOS CONSENSUS.

SATURDAY...LOWER THETA-E AIR WORKS IN THE LLVLS...HELPING TO LIMIT
CAPE AND CONVECTIVE CHANCES. STILL SHUD SEE SOME INSTBY ALONG THE
SRN THIRD OF CWA CLOSEST TO THE FRONT. IF STRATUS IS ABLE TO DEVELOP
AND HOLD ON FOR AWHILE CHCS MAY BE EVEN LOWER. TEMPS WILL STILL BE
ABOVE NORMAL...AS THICKNESSES DO NOT DROP MUCH AT ALL BEHIND THE SFC
FNT (H8 FNT WILL REMAIN TO THE NORTH).

&&

.SHORT TERM /SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT/...
AS OF 230 PM FRIDAY...UPPER TROF LIFTS NE SAT NIGHT-SUN BUT MOIST
LOW LEVEL E FLOW INCREASES AND MODEL BLEND YIELDS SLIGHT CHANCE POPS
ACROSS THE CWA WITH LOW END CHANCE IN THE AREA OF BEST UPSLOPE ALONG
THE BLUE RIDGE INTO THE MTNS. POPS TAPER OFF TO SLIGHT CHC
OVERNIGHT. UPPER RIDGE BEGINS TO BUILD IN FROM THE W MON WHICH
SHOULD TEND TO SUPRESS CONVECTION. WITH ABOVE AVG TEMPS EXPECTED
AGAIN AND SOME MOISTURE/INSTABILITY OVER THE MTNS...HELD ON TO
SLIGHT CHC POPS THERE...KEEPING A DRY FCST ACROSS THE PIEDMONT.
CONVECTION WILL DIMINISH WITH COOLING MON NIGHT.

&&

.LONG TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/...
AS OF 230 PM FRIDAY...MODELS IN DECENT AGREEMENT BUILDING UPPER
RIDGE OVER THE REGION TUE-WED...THEN WEAKENING IT THRU THE END OF
THE WEEK. SFC HIGH PRESSURE WILL ALSO BE CENTERED OVER THE AREA
TUE...THEN BEGIN TO WEAKEN WED. HELD ON TO SLIGHT CHC POPS OVER MTNS
TUE...THEN ACROSS THE CWA WED WITH LOW END CHC MTNS. THINGS BEGIN TO
SLOWLY CHANGE THU-FRI AS UPPER RIDGE CONTINUES TO WEAKEN AND BEGINS
TO MOVE E...ALLOWING WEAK SHORTWAVES TO APPROACH FROM THE W TO SW.
AT THE SAME TIME THE BERMUDA HIGH BECOMES THE DOMINANT SFC FEATURE
WHICH WILL LIKELY INCREASE WARM... MOIST S FLOW. THIS IS EXPECTED TO
INCREASE THE CHANCE OF CONVECTION OVER THE REGION WITH CHC POPS MTNS
AND ADJACENT FOOTHILLS TAPERING TO SLIGHT CHC IN THE PIEDMONT.
MODELS IN DECENT AGREEMENT ON BETTER UPPER FORCING FRI SO EXPECT
SOLID CHC POPS ACROSS THE CWA BY FRIN AFTN. TEMPS REMAIN WELL ABOVE
AVG THRU THE PD.

&&

.AVIATION /19Z FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/...
AT KCLT AND ELSEWHERE...CONVECTION BEGINNING TO FIRE ACROSS THE WRN
NC MTNS AND NE GA. THE COVERAGE SHOULD INCREASE DURING THE AFTN...AS
THE STORMS ROLL OFF THE MTNS INTO THE PIEDMONT. GUIDANCE COMING
TOGETHER ON SHOWING NUMEROUS STORMS ACRS THE UPSTATE AND SW NC
PIEDMONT. STILL NOT CONFIDENT ENUF TO PUT IN ANY TEMPO GROUPS AS
CLUSTERS HAVE NOT FORMED YET. HOWEVER...AMENDMENTS WILL BE MADE AS
SOON AS TRENDS ARE ESTABLISHED. OTHERWISE...SHOULD REMAIN VFR WITH
SWLY WINDS (NW AT KAVL) UNTIL OUTFLOW FROM STORMS BLOWS THRU.

OVERNIGHT...EXPECT STORMS TO DISSIPATE IN COVERAGE AND PUSH SOUTH OF
THE TERMINALS. MID-HIGH DEBRIS CLOUDS WILL LINGER. AS COLD FRONT
PUSHES THRU WINDS WILL INCR OUT OF THE NE. AN ELY UPSLOPE FLOW WILL
DEVELOP BY DAYBREAK. HOWEVER...NON OF THE GUIDANCE IS SHOWING ANY
STRATUS DEVELOPMENT WITH THIS FLOW. ALSO...VSBY RESTRICTIONS SHOWN
IN THE MOS ARE QUESTIONABLE DUE TO INCREASED MIXING BEHIND THE
FRONT. ANY RESTRICTIONS THAT DEVELOP (MAINLY AT KAVL) SHUD IMPROVE
AFTER DAYBREAK.

OUTLOOK...ONLY ISOLD TO WIDELY SCATTERED SHRA/TSRA EXPECTED SAT
MAINLY OVR THE UPSTATE AND SRN NC MTNS. MAINLY MTN CONVECTION
EXPECTED SUN AFTN. FOG POSSIBLE EACH MORNING AT KAVL.

&&

.GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
GA...NONE.
NC...NONE.
SC...NONE.

&&

SYNOPSIS...RB
NEAR TERM...ARK
SHORT TERM...RB
LONG TERM...RB
AVIATION...ARK

Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 6, 4:44 PM EST, 1 hour 16 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
544 PM EDT FRI AUG 6 2010

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-NCZ033-035>037-048>053-056>059-062>065-
068>072-082-501>510-SCZ001>010-072145-
RABUN-HABERSHAM-STEPHENS-FRANKLIN-HART-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-
544 PM EDT FRI AUG 6 2010

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST GEORGIA...PIEDMONT
NORTH CAROLINA...WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

NONE.

GAZ029-SCZ011>014-019-072145-
ELBERT-ABBEVILLE-LAURENS-UNION SC-CHESTER-GREENWOOD-
544 PM EDT FRI AUG 6 2010

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 579 IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM EDT THIS
EVENING...

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST GEORGIA AND UPSTATE
SOUTH 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...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY.

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.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Aug 6, 4:37 PM EST, 1 hour 23 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
537 PM EDT FRI AUG 06 2010

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

0429 PM     TSTM WND DMG     3 SSW LAURENS           34.46N 82.05W
08/06/2010                   LAURENS            SC   COUNTY OFFICIAL

            ONE TREE DOWN ON EASY ROAD.

&&

BSH

Special weather statement, Aug 6, 4:43 PM EST, 1 hour 17 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
543 PM EDT FRI AUG 6 2010

SCZ014-062230-
CHESTER-
543 PM EDT FRI AUG 6 2010

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT CHESTER COUNTY THROUGH 630 PM
EDT...

AT 539 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 4 MILES EAST OF LEEDS...OR 9 MILES SOUTHWEST OF
CHESTER...MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.

PEOPLE IN CHESTER COUNTY...INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...

CHESTER...RICHBURG AND FORT LAWN...

SHOULD MONITOR THE WEATHER SITUATION CLOSELY. LISTEN FOR POSSIBLE
WARNINGS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION SHOULD SEVERE
WEATHER THREATEN.

SMALL HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS UP 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.

LAT...LON 3465 8089 3462 8087 3454 8087 3454 8106
      3456 8142 3457 8143 3463 8142 3464 8144
      3469 8145 3482 8099 3482 8088 3471 8086

MOORE

Local storm report, Aug 6, 4:51 PM EST, 1 hour 9 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
551 PM EDT FRI AUG 06 2010

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

0500 PM     TSTM WND DMG     2 WNW GREENWOOD         34.20N 82.19W
08/06/2010                   GREENWOOD          SC   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            TREE ACROSS OLD ABBEVILLE HWY

&&

Local storm report, Aug 6, 4:52 PM EST, 1 hour 8 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
552 PM EDT FRI AUG 06 2010

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

0436 PM     TSTM WND DMG     5 SSW ELBERTON          34.04N 82.90W
08/06/2010                   ELBERT             GA   COUNTY OFFICIAL

            TWO TREES DOWN ON JONES FERRY ROAD. ONE AT DANTON ROAD
            AND THE OTHER AT BODIE RAYLE ROAD.

0436 PM     TSTM WND DMG     7 S ELBERTON            34.00N 82.86W
08/06/2010                   ELBERT             GA   COUNTY OFFICIAL

            ONE TREE DOWN ON RIVER ROAD.

&&

BSH

Local storm report, Aug 6, 5:03 PM EST, 57 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
603 PM EDT FRI AUG 06 2010

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

0400 PM     TSTM WND DMG     3 ESE CARNESVILLE       34.35N 83.18W
08/06/2010                   FRANKLIN           GA   COUNTY OFFICIAL

            ONE TREE DOWN ON JACKSON BRIDGE ROAD.

0400 PM     TSTM WND DMG     LAVONIA                 34.44N 83.11W
08/06/2010                   FRANKLIN           GA   COUNTY OFFICIAL

            ONE TREE DOWN ON RAINBOW DRIVE.

&&

BSH

Special weather statement, Aug 6, 5:08 PM EST, 52 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
608 PM EDT FRI AUG 6 2010

NCZ036-057-062300-
IREDELL-ROWAN-
608 PM EDT FRI AUG 6 2010

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT SOUTHERN IREDELL AND WESTERN
ROWAN COUNTIES THROUGH 700 PM EDT...

AT 604 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 3 MILES EAST OF STATESVILLE...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT
15 MPH.

PEOPLE IN SOUTHERN IREDELL AND WESTERN ROWAN COUNTIES...INCLUDING THE
FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...

STATESVILLE AND CLEVELAND...

SHOULD MONITOR THE WEATHER SITUATION CLOSELY. LISTEN FOR POSSIBLE
WARNINGS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION SHOULD SEVERE
WEATHER THREATEN.

SMALL HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS UP 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.

LAT...LON 3570 8042 3551 8072 3578 8098 3590 8082

MOORE

The radar

The Roanoke radar (KFCX), 132 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:58 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 thunderstorm wind, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Davie

When: August 6, 6:00 PM EST
Where: Davie County, 4.87 mi S of Cornatzer
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 35.850, -80.490

Multiple large tree limbs were blown down off highway 801.

Thunderstorm Wind, Rowan

When: August 6, 6:05 PM EST
Where: Rowan County, 0.56 mi W of Landis
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 35.550, -80.630

Multiple large tree limbs were blown down about 3 miles west southwest of China Grove.

Flash Flood, Mecklenburg

When: August 6, 9:00 PM EST to 11:00 PM EST
Where: Mecklenburg County, 1.29 mi NNE of Haskings Mills to 1.02 mi ESE of Thomasboro
Cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: $20,000
Reported by: River/Stream Gage
Coordinates: 35.288, -80.874

A stream gauge on Irwin Creek at Statesville Rd exceeded the established flood stage by more than 2 feet, flooding a portion of Dilworth Rd. Flash flooding along Stewart Creek forced evacuations of an apartment complex on Southwest Bvd. Water rescues from automobiles were also reported on the north side of the city during this time.

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.
Flash Flood: Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in North Carolina in 2010 Every state in 2010 This day in weather history Warnings in North Carolina, August 2010

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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 257231, 257233, 257238.