A weakly organized area of thunderstorms moved into northeast Georgia during the afternoon hours. Some of the storms produced straight-line wind damage.
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 weakly organized area of thunderstorms moved into northeast Georgia during the afternoon hours. Some of the storms produced straight-line wind damage.
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 8, 1:57 PM EST, 48 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 257 PM EDT MON AUG 8 2011 .SYNOPSIS... A WEAK FRONTAL BOUNDARY ALONG WITH A HOT AND HUMID AIRMASS WILL LINGER ATOP THE REGION INTO TUESDAY. DRIER HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD OVER THE AREA ON WEDNESDAY. ANOTHER FRONT WILL ENTER THE AREA ON SATURDAY, BRINGING A CHANCE FOR RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TUESDAY/... THE NEXT 24 HOURS SHOULD BE CONVECTIVELY ACTIVE...WITH ONE BROKEN LINE OF CONVECTION CONSOLIDATING IN ERN TN/WRN NC AT 19Z AND THE POSSIBILITY OF MORE LATE TONIGHT. HAVE DRAMATICALLY RAISED THE POP OVER THE MTNS TO DEAL WITH THE CONVECTIVE TREND. EAST OF THE MTNS THE PICTURE IS NOT AS CLEAR AS THE AIR MASS IS NOT AS FAVORABLE OWING TO DEWPT IN THE LOW/MID 60S...SO THERE MIGHT BE SOME STRUGGLE TO MAINTAIN IT OFF THE BLUE RIDGE. THE NAM AND 4KM WRF SUGGEST THAT LOW LEVEL CONVERGENCE IN THE WNW FLOW WILL MAINTAIN THE CONVECTION DOWN ACROSS THE I-26/I-385 CORRIDOR...SO HAVE INCREASED THE POP THERE AS WELL. OVER TOWARD I-77...NOT SO MUCH. SOME STRONGER MID LEVEL FLOW WILL SUPPORT A WIND DAMAGE THREAT INTO THE EVENING. TEMP TRENDS HAVE NOT KEPT UP WITH THE PREVIOUS FCST...SO A HEAT ADVISORY SEEMS LESS LIKELY FOR THE LATE AFTERNOON. OVERNIGHT...THE MODELS ARE SUGGESTING THAT ANOTHER MCS WILL DEVELOP UPSTREAM OVER THE OZARKS OR MID MS VALLEY LATER THIS EVENING...AND THAT IT WILL MAKE A RUN AT THE MTNS LATE TONIGHT. WILL ALLOW THE POP TO WANE THIS EVENING AS THE FIRST CONVECTIVE LINE LEAVES...BUT WILL RETAIN THE CHANCE POP ON THE TN BORDER IN CASE THIS WORKS OUT. MIN TEMPS WERE KEPT ABOVE GUIDANCE...ESPECIALLY WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF PLENTY OF CONVECTIVE DEBRIS CLOUDS. ON TUESDAY...IF THERE ARE NO CONVECTIVE REMNANTS...AN MCV IS A VERY REAL POSSIBILITY. WE REMAIN UNDER A BROAD UPPER TROF THAT IS GENERALLY FAVORABLE WITH SOME WEAK UPPER Q CONVERGENCE. ALMOST THE ENTIRE FCST AREA IS IN THE SLIGHT RISK BECAUSE OF THIS AND THE STRONGER MID LEVEL FLOW. THE SREF HAS A VERY HIGH POP FOR THE AFTERNOON SO SOME UPWARD ADJUSTMENT WAS MADE. TEMPS WERE NUDGED TOWARD A GUIDANCE BLEND. && .SHORT TERM /TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY/... AS OF 2 PM MONDAY...THE SHORT TERM FCST PICKS UP AT 00Z ON WEDNESDAY WITH THE AXIS OF THE GREAT LAKES H5 TROF ORIENTED N/S JUST TO OUR WEST. THE MODELS SUGGEST THAT SOME SORT OF WEAK H5 SHORTWAVE WILL BE MOVING OVER THE FCST AREA AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PERIOD FOLLOWED BY A SERIES OF ADDITIONAL UPPER SHORTWAVES TRANSLATING OVER THE REGION LATE WED AND INTO THURS. HEIGHTS BEGIN TO SLOWLY RISE AGAIN TOWARDS THE END OF THE PERIOD AS THE WEST CONUS H5 RIDGE MODERATELY BUILDS. LATE TUES AND EARLY WEDNESDAY...THE LOW LVL FRONTAL BOUNDARY SHOULD MOVE SE OF THE CWFA AND USHER IN DRIER NWLY FLOW. GREATEST CHANCE FOR ANY WIDESPREAD CONVECTION WILL BE DURING THE FIRST 6 HRS OR SO OF THE PERIOD WITH THE BOUNDARY LAYER PW VALUES DROPPING FAIRLY QUICKLY AFTER 06Z. EXPECT MOSTLY DRY CONDITIONS WITH MODERATE DOWNSLOPE FLOW AND JUST A SLIGHT CHANCE POP OVER THE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL NC MTS DURING THE DAY/EVENING. HIGHS WILL BE A BIT COOLER BUT STILL PROGGED TO REACH THE MID 90S OVER THE LOWER ELEVATIONS. ON THURS...THE CENTER OF THE SFC HIGH WILL SLIDE JUST TO OUR NORTH PROVIDING MORE NORTHERLY LOW LVL FLOW AND BRINGING TEMPS DOWN A FEW MORE DEGREES TO THE LOWER 90S OVER THE PIEDMONT AND FOOTHILLS. I KEPT A SLIGHT CHANCE OVER THE WESTERN NC MTS AND FAR NE GA ZONES FROM ABOUT NOON TO 7PM...HOWEVER PROFILES MAY BE TOO DRY TO SEE ANY PRECIP. && .LONG TERM /THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY/... AS OF 3 PM MONDAY...A BLEND OF THE ECMWF AND GFS WILL BE USED FOR THE EXTENDED RANGE FORECAST. A LONG WAVE TROF WILL REMAIN EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER VALLEY THROUGH THE LATE WEEK AND WEEKEND. ON FRIDAY...MID LEVEL HEIGHTS REMAIN SLIGHTLY NORTHWEST WITH WEAK HIGH PRESSURE CENTERED OVER THE MID ATLANTIC STATES. BASED ON THE LLVL THICKNESSES AND DECENT INSOLATION IT APPEARS THAT HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN A FEW DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. FORECAST SOUNDINGS INDICATE THAT GREATEST POTENTIAL INSTABILITY WILL OCCUR ACROSS THE UPPER SAVANNAH RIVER VALLEY AND THE UPSTATE OF SC. I WILL ADVERTISE SCHC POPS FOR AFTERNOON AND EVENING TSRA. SATURDAY AND SUNDAY...A NOTABLE S/W WILL DIVE ACROSS THE MID WEST AND OHIO RIVER VALLEY...POSSIBLY MOVING ACROSS THE REGION ON SUNDAY. FORECAST SOUNDINGS INDICATE WIDESPREAD WEAK INSTABILITY EACH AFTERNOON AND EVENING. BASED ON THE SIGNIFICANT S/W...INCREASING WIND FIELDS...AND WIDESPREAD INSTABILITY IT APPEARS THAT 30 TO 50 POPS ARE JUSTIFIED EACH DAY. ON MONDAY...MID LEVEL TROF AXIS APPEARS TO AMPLIFY ACROSS THE REGION WITH SOME WRAP AROUND MOISTURE. BASED ON NATIONAL GUIDANCE AND MID LEVEL PATTERN IT APPEARS THAT AT LEAST SCHC POPS ARE REASONABLE DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. TEMPERATURES SHOULD RANGE AROUND NORMAL THROUGH THE WEEKEND INTO MONDAY. && .AVIATION /19Z MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/... AT KCLT...VFR CONDITIONS THROUGH THE PERIOD. FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...MAINLY A WIND FCST. TCLT RADAR WIND PROFILE SHOWS NW IN THE BOUNDARY LAYER SO EXPECT NW WINDS TO CONTINUE AT THE SFC FOR AT LEAST THE REMAINDER OF THE DAYLIGHT HOURS. FOR CLOUDS...ONLY A FEW HIGH-BASED STRATOCU TO DEAL WITH...ALTHO THERE IS A VERY REMOTE POSSIBILITY OF A SHOWER LATE THIS AFTERNOON. AM WATCHING CONVECTION MOVING ACROSS ERN TN WITH SOME INTEREST. WESTERLY WIND ALOFT IS LESS FAVORABLE FOR IT REACHING THE PIEDMONT. THERE IS A LOW CHANCE OF ANY RESTRICTIONS IN THE MORNING. SOME CONVECTIVE DEBRIS CLOUDS SHOULD ROLL IN AFTER SUNRISE TUESDAY. THINK ANY DEEPER CONVECTION WILL PROBABLY HOLD OFF UNTIL AFTER THE END OF THE TAF PERIOD. ELSEWHERE...GENERALLY A WESTERLY COMPONENT TO THE WIND THIS AFTERNOON...FUNNELLED BY THE TERRAIN. CONVECTION OVER ERN TN WILL BE WATCHED FOR IMPACT AT KAVL AND OTHER TAF SITES AND WILL AMEND ACCORDINGLY. THE BEST CHANCE MIGHT BE AROUND KGSP AROUND 21Z AS CONVERGENCE IN WNW FLOW MAY AID THE REDEVELOPMENT OF THE CONVECTION...AS SHOWN BY THE NAM AND WRF-NMM MODELS. FOR NOW...WILL LEAVE IT OUT. LATER TONIGHT A MORE ORGANIZED AREA OF SHRA/TSTMS MAY MOVE INTO THE MTNS. SOME FOG IS POSSIBLE AT KAVL AROUND SUNRISE. THERE SHOULD BE MORE CONVECTIVE DEBRIS CLOUDS AFTER SUNRISE TUESDAY. OUTLOOK...MOISTURE WILL GRADUALLY DIMINISH EARLY NEXT WEEK IN PERSISTENT WESTERLY FLOW. STILL EXPECT ISOLD-SCT SHWRS/TSTMS THRU THE PERIOD. AN EXPERIMENTAL AVIATION FORECAST CONSISTENCY TABLE SHOWING THE PERCENTAGE OF GUIDANCE MEMBERS AGREEING WITH THE SCHEDULED ISSUANCE CATEGORY IS AVAILABLE AT FOLLOWING LINK (USE LOWER CASE)... WWW.WEATHER.GOV/GSP/AVIATION/TABLES.HTM && .GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... GA...NONE. NC...NONE. SC...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...JPT NEAR TERM...PM SHORT TERM...JPT LONG TERM...NED AVIATION...PM
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 344 PM EDT MON AUG 8 2011 NCZ035>037-056-057-069>072-082-SCZ009-014-091945- ALEXANDER-IREDELL-DAVIE-CATAWBA-ROWAN-LINCOLN-GASTON-MECKLENBURG- CABARRUS-UNION NC-YORK-CHESTER- 344 PM EDT MON AUG 8 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PIEDMONT NORTH CAROLINA...WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE WEST TO EAST ACROSS THE WESTERN CAROLINAS THROUGH THIS EVENING. THE COMMON THREAT WITH THESE STORMS WILL BE CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...GUSTY WINDS...AND HEAVY DOWNPOURS. HOWEVER...A FEW OF THESE STORMS MAY PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AND HAIL. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP OVER THE REGION TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. SEVERAL OF THESE STORMS MAY PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AND LARGE HAIL. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTERS ARE REQUESTED TO FORWARD ANY REPORTS OF LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...OR FLASH FLOODING TO OUR OFFICE. GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033-048>053-058-059-062>065-068- 501>510-SCZ001>008-010>013-019-091945- RABUN-HABERSHAM-STEPHENS-FRANKLIN-HART-ELBERT-AVERY-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-OCONEE MOUNTAINS-PICKENS MOUNTAINS- GREENVILLE MOUNTAINS-GREATER OCONEE-GREATER PICKENS- GREATER GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG-CHEROKEE-ANDERSON-ABBEVILLE-LAURENS- UNION SC-GREENWOOD- 344 PM EDT MON AUG 8 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST GEORGIA...PIEDMONT NORTH CAROLINA...WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE WEST TO EAST ACROSS THE WESTERN CAROLINAS AND NORTHEAST GEORGIA THROUGH THIS EVENING. THE COMMON THREAT WITH THESE STORMS WILL BE CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...GUSTY WINDS...AND HEAVY DOWNPOURS. HOWEVER...SEVERAL OF THESE STORMS MAY PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AND HAIL. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP OVER THE REGION TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. SEVERAL OF THESE STORMS MAY PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AND LARGE HAIL. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTERS ARE REQUESTED TO FORWARD ANY REPORTS OF LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...OR FLASH FLOODING TO OUR OFFICE.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1038 AM EDT MON AUG 08 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0728 PM HAIL 2 NE SPARTANBURG 34.97N 81.90W
08/07/2011 E1.75 INCH SPARTANBURG SC POST OFFICE
CUSTOMER AT DRAYTON POST OFFICE REPORTED GOLF BALL SIZE
HAIL THAT DAMAGED HER YARD. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR.
&&
ZHARGROVSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
208 PM EDT MON AUG 8 2011
NCZ051-058-081845-
GRAHAM-SWAIN-
208 PM EDT MON AUG 8 2011
...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT GRAHAM AND WESTERN SWAIN COUNTIES
THROUGH 245 PM EDT...
AT 204 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM TALASSEE TO 6 MILES
SOUTHEAST OF CITICO TO 6 MILES WEST OF MURPHY...MOVING EAST AT 25
MPH.
THESE STORMS WILL BE NEAR...
TAPOCO...
SANTEETLAH LAKE...
FONTANA VILLAGE...
ROBBINSVILLE...
FONTANA LAKE...
PEOPLE IN GRAHAM AND WESTERN SWAIN COUNTIES...INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING
LOCATIONS...
TAPOCO...SANTEETLAH LAKE...FONTANA VILLAGE...ROBBINSVILLE...FONTANA
LAKE AND STECOAH...
SHOULD MONITOR THE WEATHER SITUATION CLOSELY. LISTEN FOR POSSIBLE
WARNINGS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION SHOULD SEVERE
WEATHER THREATEN.
MOTHBALL SIZE HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH
THESE STORMS.
FREQUENT 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 3537 8401 3541 8403 3548 8392 3553 8388
3553 8383 3557 8377 3558 8360 3557 8353
3526 8369 3524 8373 3525 8384 3521 8396
3523 8401 3531 8404 3536 8404
NEDSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
313 PM EDT MON AUG 8 2011
NCZ052-059-062-063-082000-
HAYWOOD-MACON-NORTHERN JACKSON-SOUTHERN JACKSON-
313 PM EDT MON AUG 8 2011
...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT CENTRAL HAYWOOD...EASTERN MACON
AND JACKSON COUNTIES THROUGH 400 PM EDT...
AT 311 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM NEWFOUND GAP TO 5
MILES SOUTH OF ALARKA TO 4 MILES NORTHEAST OF HIAWASSEE...MOVING EAST
AT 30 MPH.
THESE STORMS WILL BE AFFECT LOCATIONS NEAR...
SYLVA...
CULLOWHEE...
THORPE RESERVOIR...
HIGHLANDS...
WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS.
LAT...LON 3533 8337 3533 8334 3535 8333 3540 8334
3541 8336 3546 8336 3547 8332 3553 8323
3551 8318 3555 8316 3560 8299 3510 8301
3506 8305 3502 8301 3500 8340
LANESPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
324 PM EDT MON AUG 8 2011
GAZ010-017-082015-
HABERSHAM-RABUN-
324 PM EDT MON AUG 8 2011
...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT HABERSHAM AND RABUN COUNTIES
THROUGH 415 PM EDT...
AT 320 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 3 MILES NORTHEAST OF
SHOOTING CREEK TO CAMP COLEMAN LAKE...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH.
THESE STORMS WILL BE NEAR...
LAKE BURTON...
DILLARD...
MOUNTAIN CITY...
LAKE RABUN...
TURNERVILLE...
WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS.
LAT...LON 3489 8366 3494 8360 3495 8356 3499 8356
3500 8339 3496 8313 3484 8327 3482 8327
3482 8330 3479 8333 3448 8346 3453 8365
3455 8362 3466 8367 3476 8363 3480 8368
LANEPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
331 PM EDT MON AUG 08 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0242 PM TSTM WND DMG 2 S ROBBINSVILLE 35.29N 83.81W
08/08/2011 GRAHAM NC DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
POWER LINES DOWN ON HWY 129.
&&
ZHARGROVPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
339 PM EDT MON AUG 08 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0311 PM TSTM WND DMG NANTAHALA LAKE 35.19N 83.65W
08/08/2011 MACON NC 911 CALL CENTER
POWER LINES DOWN ON WAYAH ROAD NEAR NANTAHALA LAKE.
&&
ZHARGROVThe Greer radar (KGSP), 125 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:45 UTC.
4 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Multiple trees and power lines were blown down throughout the county.
The tops were blown out of pine trees and two trees blown down in the N. Hicks Rd area.
Large tree limbs were blown down off Barrett Dr and a tree was blown down on Hunters Creek Rd.
Two trees were blown down on highway 328 in the northeast corner of the county.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Georgia in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in Georgia, August 2011
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: 340939, 340942, 341065, 341324.