Numerous thunderstorms developed during the afternoon hours along a warm front over Upstate South Carolina. Some of the storms produced damaging winds and small hail.
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.
Numerous thunderstorms developed during the afternoon hours along a warm front over Upstate South Carolina. Some of the storms produced damaging winds and small hail.
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 16, 1:07 PM EST, 36 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 207 PM EDT SUN MAY 16 2010 .SYNOPSIS... A WEAK FRONT WILL REMAIN STALLED OVER THE AREA THROUGH MONDAY. ANOTHER COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH FROM THE WEST MONDAY AND CROSS THE AREA MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY. HIGH PRESSURE WILL SLOWLY BUILD IN FROM THE NORTH FOR MID TO LATE WEEK. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... AT 15Z SFC OBSERVATIONS INDICATE A STATIONARY FRONT ACROSS EXTREME NE GA AND EAST ALONG THE I-85 CORRIDOR. RECENT REGIONAL RADAR IMAGES SHOW SEVERAL SHRA/TSRA ACROSS NRN GA AND SE TN...LIFTING NORTH. THE CONVECTION IS LIKELY RESPONDING TO THE SFC BOUNDARY AND THE APPROACH OF MID LEVEL VORT. EXPECT DEEP CONVECTION TO INITIATE OVER THE HIGH TERRAIN AS THE ATMOSPHERE DESTABILIZES AND MID LEVEL DISTURBANCE APPROACHES. NEAR TERM MODELS INDICATES THAT A SFC WAVE MAY DEVELOP ALONG THE FRONT ACROSS THE UPPER SAVANNAH RIVER VALLEY AND THE UPSTATE OF SC LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. LLVL CONVERGENCE WITHIN THE LOW AND ALONG THE FRONT SHOULD SUPPORT INITIATION ACROSS MOST THE FORECAST AREA. I WILL DELAY POPS EAST OF THE MTNS UNTIL THE MID TO LATE AFTERNOON...BUT I WILL INCREASE POPS TO CATE TO HIGH LIKELY. CAPE VALUES THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING SHOULD RANGE FROM 1000-1500 J/KG. FREEZING LEVELS WILL RANGE FROM 12 TO 13 KFT...PLACE FIRST GUESS CORE HEIGHTS BETWEEN 23.5 TO 25 KFT. WEAK WIND FIELDS SHOULD RESULT IN LOOSELY ORGANIZED STORM STRUCTURE. HOWEVER...A FEW STORMS MAY PRODUCE SVR HAIL OR WINDS. SLOW STORM MOTIONS AND PW NEAR 1.6 INCHES WILL ALLOW SEVERAL STORMS TO PRODUCE VERY HEAVY DOWNPOURS AND POSSIBLY EXCESSIVE RAINFALL. WE WILL CONTINUE TO MENTION SVR WX AND HEAVY RAIN IN THE HWO. TONIGHT...CONVECTION WILL LIKELY REMAIN THROUGH MOST OF THE NIGHT WITH GREATER UPPER SUPPORT...LINGERING INSTABILITY...AND LOW LCL. PW VALUES MAY INCREASE OVERNIGHT...APPROACHING 1.9 INCHES IN A FEW AREAS. IN ADDITION...K-INDEX VALUES WILL INCREASE INTO THE MID TO U30S. HEAVY RAIN WILL REMAIN OVERNIGHT...ESPECIALLY AS CONVECTION DEVELOPS WITH AREAS OF ISENTROPIC LIFT AND ALONG A WEAK COLD FRONT. THE COMBINATION OF LIFT/INSTABILITY AND RECENT TSRA ACTIVITY WILL INCREASE THE THREAT OF FF OVERNIGHT. && .SHORT TERM /MONDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT/... AS OF 300 AM SUNDAY...H5 SHORTWAVES CONTINUE TO MOVE ACROSS THE CWA MON WITH DEEP S FLOW DEVELOPING AS COLD FRONT APPROACHES FROM THE W. UPPER FORCING CONTINUES THRU THE DAY WITH MODEL CAPES OF OVER 1000 J/KG SO KEPT CATEGORICAL POPS WITH SHWRS AND TSTMS. BEST FORCING AND MOISTURE SHIFTS NE MON NIGHT-TUE AND POPS BEGIN TO TAPER OFF FROM THE W BUT EXPECT CHC POPS TO LINGER ACROSS THE CWA TUE... ESP NC MTNS AND E OF I-77. TEMPS REMAIN ABOVE AVG...THEN COOL TO NEAR AVG TUE NIGHT. && .LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/... AS OF 300 AM SUNDAY...MODELS IN DECENT AGREEMENT SHOWING HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING TO THE N WHICH KEEPS SOME MOISTURE AND E FLOW OVER THE AREA. THE MAIN THREAT FOR PRECIP REMAINS TO THE E...BUT EXPECT ENOUGH MOISTURE TO KEEP SLIGHT CHANCE DIURNAL CONVECTION EACH DAY. CLOUDS AND E FLOW SHOULD KEEP LOWS NEAR AVG AND HIGHS BELOW AVG WED AND THU. NEXT SYSTEM APPROACHES FROM THE W FRI AND SAT WHICH WILL KEEP A SLIGHT CHC OF DIURNAL CONVECTION OVER THE AREA. WITH S FLOW INCREASING LATE IN THE WEEK EXPECT TEMPS WITHIN A DEG OR SO OF AVG. && .AVIATION /18Z SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... AT KCLT...A STATIONARY FRONT WILL REMAIN OVER THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE CLT METRO AREA THIS AFTERNOON. THE BOUNDARY WILL SERVE AS A FOCUS FOR DEEP CONVECTION THIS AFTERNOON AND INTO THE EVENING. STORM MOTIONS SHOULD REMAIN FAIRLY SLOW...POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A SIGNIFICANT PERIOD OF FLIGHT RESTRICTIONS FOR VIS AND CEILING IF A STORM TRACKS OVER THE TERMINAL. AT THIS TIME...I WILL INDICATE A TSRA FROM 20Z UNTIL 3Z. OVERNIGHT...BANDS OF SHRA/TSRA WILL MOVE ACROSS THE REGION. INCREASING MOISTURE AND COVERAGE OF RA SHOULD RESULT IN A GRADUAL REDUCTION IN CEILING HEIGHTS AND VIS. CONDITIONS SHOULD BOTTOM OUT IFR FROM AROUND MIDNIGHT THROUGH DAWN MONDAY. CONDITIONS MAY IMPROVE TO MVFR FROM MID MORNING THROUGH 18Z. ELSEWHERE...A STATIONARY FRONT WILL REMAIN NEAR THE I-85 CORRIDOR THIS AFTERNOON. THE BOUNDARY WILL SERVE AS A FOCUS FOR DEEP CONVECTION THIS AFTERNOON AND INTO THE EVENING. STORM MOTIONS SHOULD REMAIN FAIRLY SLOW...POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A SIGNIFICANT PERIOD OF FLIGHT RESTRICTIONS FOR VIS AND CEILING IF A STORM TRACKS OVER THE TERMINAL. AT THIS TIME...I WILL INDICATE A TSRA FROM 20Z-21Z UNTIL 2-3Z. OVERNIGHT...BANDS OF SHRA/TSRA WILL MOVE ACROSS THE REGION. INCREASING MOISTURE AND COVERAGE OF RA SHOULD RESULT IN A GRADUAL REDUCTION IN CEILING HEIGHTS AND VIS. CONDITIONS SHOULD BOTTOM OUT IFR FROM AROUND MIDNIGHT THROUGH DAWN MONDAY. CONDITIONS MAY IMPROVE TO MVFR FROM MID MORNING THROUGH 18Z. OUTLOOK...A COLD FRONT WILL REMAIN STALLED OVER THE REGION INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK...WITH CONVECTION ASSOCIATED RESTRICTIONS IN THE AREA DURING THE AFTERNOONS AND EVENINGS...AND POSSIBLE FOG AND STRATUS RESTRICTIONS EACH MORNING WHERE IT RAINS. IMPROVEMENT WILL FOLLOW A FRONTAL PASSAGE AT MID WEEK. && .GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... GA...NONE. NC...NONE. SC...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...RWH NEAR TERM...NED SHORT TERM...RB LONG TERM...RB AVIATION...NED
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 328 AM EDT SUN MAY 16 2010 GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033-035>037-048>053-056>059-062>065- 068>072-082-501>510-SCZ001>014-019-170730- RABUN-HABERSHAM-STEPHENS-FRANKLIN-HART-ELBERT-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-ABBEVILLE-LAURENS-UNION SC-CHESTER-GREENWOOD- 328 AM EDT SUN MAY 16 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST GEORGIA...PIEDMONT NORTH CAROLINA...WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. SOME STORMS WILL BECOME SEVERE WITH DAMAGING WIND AND LARGE HAIL. SLOW MOVING STORMS COULD PRODUCE AREAS OF EXCESSIVE RAINFALL. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED AGAIN MONDAY. SOME OF THESE STORMS COULD ALSO BECOME SEVERE WITH DAMAGING WIND AND LARGE HAIL. SEVERAL OF THE STORMS WILL PRODUCE VERY HEAVY RAINFALL...POSSIBLY RESULTING IN AREAS OF FLASH FLOODING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... NONE.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
113 PM EDT SUN MAY 16 2010
NCZ069-070-161745-
GASTON-LINCOLN-
113 PM EDT SUN MAY 16 2010
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT LINCOLN AND WESTERN GASTON
COUNTIES THROUGH 145 PM EDT...
AT 110 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 3 MILES EAST OF CHERRYVILLE...OR 9 MILES
SOUTHWEST OF LINCOLNTON...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 10 MPH.
THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR...
LINCOLNTON...
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.
LAT...LON 3516 8124 3531 8137 3533 8136 3536 8141
3540 8144 3556 8132 3554 8096
NEDSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 156 PM EDT SUN MAY 16 2010 NCZ069>071-161830- GASTON-LINCOLN-MECKLENBURG- 156 PM EDT SUN MAY 16 2010 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT GASTON...LINCOLN AND WESTERN MECKLENBURG COUNTIES THROUGH 230 PM EDT... AT 152 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM LINCOLNTON TO LOWELL...MOVING EAST AT 10 MPH. THESE STORMS WILL BE NEAR... BELMONT... BOGER CITY... IRON STATION... MOUNT HOLLY... PAW CREEK... MOTHBALL SIZE HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS. 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 3554 8096 3519 8089 3516 8122 3552 8139 NED
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
158 PM EDT SUN MAY 16 2010
GAZ028-SCZ004>006-010-011-161845-
ABBEVILLE-ANDERSON-GREATER GREENVILLE-GREATER OCONEE-GREATER
PICKENS-HART-
158 PM EDT SUN MAY 16 2010
...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT ANDERSON...NORTHERN ABBEVILLE...
NORTHERN HART...SOUTHEASTERN OCONEE...SOUTHERN GREENVILLE AND
SOUTHERN PICKENS COUNTIES THROUGH 245 PM EDT...
AT 156 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 3 MILES EAST OF FAIR
PLAY TO 7 MILES WEST OF BROADWAY LAKE TO ANTREVILLE...MOVING
NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.
PEOPLE IN ANDERSON...NORTHERN ABBEVILLE...NORTHERN HART...
SOUTHEASTERN OCONEE...SOUTHERN GREENVILLE AND SOUTHERN PICKENS
COUNTIES...INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
ANTREVILLE...SECESSION LAKE...FAIR PLAY...REED CREEK...IVA...BROADWAY
LAKE...ANDERSON...DUE WEST...SANDY SPRINGS AND PENDLETON...
SHOULD MONITOR THE WEATHER SITUATION CLOSELY. LISTEN FOR POSSIBLE
WARNINGS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION SHOULD SEVERE
WEATHER THREATEN.
PEA SIZE HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH
THESE STORMS.
LAT...LON 3436 8276 3448 8306 3449 8306 3450 8307
3451 8307 3482 8274 3469 8240 3454 8222
3448 8231 3442 8226 3418 8254
RWHSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
201 PM EDT SUN MAY 16 2010
NCZ071-161830-
MECKLENBURG-
201 PM EDT SUN MAY 16 2010
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT CENTRAL MECKLENBURG COUNTY
THROUGH 230 PM EDT...
AT 156 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 3 MILES WEST OF UNC CHARLOTTE...MOVING NORTHEAST
AT 10 MPH.
THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR...
UNC CHARLOTTE...
PEA SIZE HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 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 3517 8077 3530 8093 3542 8076 3540 8076
3537 8073 3529 8066 3527 8066
NEDSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
222 PM EDT SUN MAY 16 2010
NCZ069>072-161900-
CABARRUS-GASTON-LINCOLN-MECKLENBURG-
222 PM EDT SUN MAY 16 2010
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT EASTERN GASTON...NORTHERN
MECKLENBURG...NORTHWESTERN CABARRUS AND SOUTHEASTERN LINCOLN COUNTIES
THROUGH 300 PM EDT...
AT 217 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR MOUNT HOLLY...OR 8 MILES EAST OF GASTONIA...
MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH.
* OTHER LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO I-77 AT
I-85...CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY...MOUNTAIN ISLAND LAKE...
LOWESVILLE...UNC CHARLOTTE...PAW CREEK...HUNTERSVILLE...DAVIDSON...
CROFT...CORNELIUS...HARRISBURG...STANLEY...RANLO...MOUNT HOLLY...
MCADENVILLE...LUCIA...LOWELL...CRAMERTON AND BELMONT.
VERY HEAVY RAINFALL...SMALL HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE
EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.
LAT...LON 3516 8101 3528 8118 3553 8096 3551 8095
3550 8080 3536 8055
07SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
225 PM EDT SUN MAY 16 2010
NCZ056-069-161915-
CATAWBA-LINCOLN-
225 PM EDT SUN MAY 16 2010
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT CENTRAL LINCOLN AND EASTERN
CATAWBA COUNTIES THROUGH 315 PM EDT...
AT 222 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR LINCOLNTON...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH.
* OTHER LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO TERRELL...
NEWTON...MAIDEN...CLAREMONT...CATAWBA...LINCOLNTON...DENVER AND
BOGER CITY.
VERY HEAVY RAINFALL...SMALL HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE
EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.
LAT...LON 3574 8107 3571 8105 3571 8102 3567 8097
3563 8093 3559 8094 3540 8121 3541 8126
3551 8139 3578 8113
07The Greer radar (KGSP), 48 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:43 UTC.
7 thunderstorm wind, 3 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
A tree and multiple large limbs, up to 5 inches in diameter, were blown down on Shackleburg Rd.
Dime size hail fell near the intersection of highways 18 and 105.
A tree was blown down near the intersection of Hayes Rd and McKenzie Dr about 5 miles south southeast of Anderson.
Large tree limbs were blown down on the southeast side of Anderson.
Multiple trees and large limbs were blown down on Barclay Ave. A tree fell on a home near the Beech St intersection. Other trees were blown down along New St and Oneal St.
Trees were blown down across the Blacksburg area.
Penny size hail was reported on I-85 at the Broad River bridge.
A tree was blown down on Stone Rd about 6 miles southwest of Fork Shoals.
A tree was blown down near the intersection of Dunklin Bridge Rd and McKelvey Rd.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in South Carolina in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in South Carolina, May 2010
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: 233695, 233696, 233705, 233706, 233707, 233710, 233713, 233714, 233715, 233716.