Damaging Winds in South Carolina, August 6, 2010

Name: Damaging Winds in South Carolina, August 6, 2010
Start: 2010-08-06T13:20
End: 2010-08-06T15:55
Location: South Carolina

August 6, 2010 · NWS GSP · 4 events in 3 counties and zones

A cold front moved across the western Carolinas during the afternoon hours. The front triggered thunderstorms over the southern mountains of North Carolina which then moved into the Upstate.

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: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 4

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 cold front moved across the western Carolinas during the afternoon hours. The front triggered thunderstorms over the southern mountains of North Carolina which then moved into the Upstate. Some of the storms produced areas of damaging wind.

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, 12:42 PM EST, 38 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 6, 12:42 PM EST, 38 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 6, 12:32 PM EST, 48 minutes before

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

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ070>072-082-SCZ001>014-019-071745-
RABUN-HABERSHAM-STEPHENS-FRANKLIN-HART-ELBERT-GASTON-MECKLENBURG-
CABARRUS-UNION NC-OCONEE MOUNTAINS-PICKENS MOUNTAINS-
GREENVILLE MOUNTAINS-GREATER OCONEE-GREATER PICKENS-
GREATER GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG-CHEROKEE-YORK-ANDERSON-ABBEVILLE-
LAURENS-UNION SC-CHESTER-GREENWOOD-
132 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...PIEDMONT
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.

SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED AGAIN THROUGH
THIS EVENING. MANY OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL PRODUCE DANGEROUS
CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...HEAVY RAINFALL...AND GUSTY WINDS.
SEVERAL THUNDERSTORMS WILL LIKELY PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AND
LARGE HAIL. IN ADDITION...THUNDERSTORMS THAT REPEATEDLY AFFECT A
GIVEN LOCATION MAY PRODUCE LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING.

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

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

NONE.

NCZ033-035>037-048>053-056>059-062>065-068-069-501>510-071745-
AVERY-ALEXANDER-IREDELL-DAVIE-MADISON-YANCEY-MITCHELL-SWAIN-HAYWOOD-
BUNCOMBE-CATAWBA-ROWAN-GRAHAM-NORTHERN JACKSON-MACON-
SOUTHERN JACKSON-TRANSYLVANIA-HENDERSON-CLEVELAND-LINCOLN-
CALDWELL MOUNTAINS-GREATER CALDWELL-BURKE MOUNTAINS-GREATER BURKE-
MCDOWELL MOUNTAINS-EASTERN MCDOWELL-RUTHERFORD MOUNTAINS-
GREATER RUTHERFORD-POLK MOUNTAINS-EASTERN POLK-
132 PM EDT FRI AUG 6 2010

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PIEDMONT NORTH CAROLINA AND
WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED AGAIN THROUGH
THIS EVENING. MANY OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL PRODUCE DANGEROUS
CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...HEAVY RAINFALL...AND GUSTY WINDS.
SEVERAL THUNDERSTORMS MAY ALSO PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AND
LARGE HAIL. IN ADDITION...THUNDERSTORMS THAT REPEATEDLY AFFECT A
GIVEN LOCATION MAY PRODUCE LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING.

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

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

NONE.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Aug 6, 11:12 AM EST, 2 hours 8 minutes before

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Local storm report, Aug 6, 11:15 AM EST, 2 hours 5 minutes before

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Local storm report, Aug 6, 11:33 AM EST, 1 hour 47 minutes before

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Local storm report, Aug 6, 11:35 AM EST, 1 hour 45 minutes before

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Special weather statement, Aug 6, 12:24 PM EST, 56 minutes before

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Special weather statement, Aug 6, 12:42 PM EST, 38 minutes before

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The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 72 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:21 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

4 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Oconee

When: August 6, 1:20 PM EST
Where: Oconee County, 2.99 mi NNE of Tamassee
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 34.910, -83.010

Several trees were blown down along Little River Rd.

Thunderstorm Wind, Oconee

When: August 6, 2:33 PM EST to 2:35 PM EST
Where: Oconee County, 0.57 mi W of Walhalla to 0.61 mi SW of West Union
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 34.770, -83.080

Multiple trees and power lines were blown down from the west side of Walhalla to the downtown area. One tree was blown onto a home near Muller Rd and Coffee Rd.

Thunderstorm Wind, Abbeville

When: August 6, 3:25 PM EST
Where: Abbeville County, 2.15 mi NNE of Abbeyville Davis Arp
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: County Official
Coordinates: 34.180, -82.340

Trees were blown down on highway 72 just east of Abbeville.

Thunderstorm Wind, Laurens

When: August 6, 3:55 PM EST
Where: Laurens County, 2.07 mi S of Joanna
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 34.390, -81.800

Several large tree limbs were blown down about 2 miles south of the town of Joanna.

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

Every storm in South Carolina in 2010 Every state in 2010 This day in weather history Warnings in South 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: 257039, 257040, 257041, 257042.