A cluster of strong thunderstorms moved across northeast Georgia during the afternoon hours. The storms caused scattered areas of wind damage.
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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 cluster of strong thunderstorms moved across northeast Georgia during the afternoon hours. The storms caused scattered areas of 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 9, 1:35 PM EST, 2 hours 10 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 235 PM EDT TUE AUG 9 2011 .SYNOPSIS... A WEAK FRONTAL BOUNDARY ALONG WITH A HOT AND HUMID AIRMASS WILL LINGER OVER THE REGION THROUGH TONIGHT. A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE WITH DRIER AIR WILL BUILD BACK OVER THE AREA ON WEDNESDAY. ANOTHER FRONT WILL ENTER THE AREA ON SATURDAY...BRINGING A CHANCE FOR RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS ALONG WITH COOLER TEMPERATURES. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... BIG QUESTION FOR THE IMMEDIATE TERM IS THE EXTENT OF DEEP CONVECTION FOR THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. VISIBLE SATELLITE IMAGERY AT 1830 UTC SHOWS REMNANTS OF CONVECTIVE DEBRIS CLOUDINESS MOVING ACROSS THE WRN CAROLINAS. SO FAR...THIS APPEARS TO HAVE DELAYED INITIATION OF DEEP CONVECTION...BUT IN THE WAKE OF THIS FEATURE THERE IS SOME CU DEVELOPMENT IN WRN NC. THE MORE INTERESTING FEATURE IS THE APPARENT MVC OVER MIDDLE TN/NRN AL. THIS MAY GIVE A LITTLE KICK TO THE CONVECTION AS IT MAKES ITS WAY EASTWARD LATER TODAY. THE UPDATED DAY 1 OUTLOOK HAS THE SRN MTNS...NE GEORGIA AND THE UPSTATE IN THE SLIGHT RISK. IN THE MEAN TIME...CONFIDENCE CONTINUES TO DROP ABOUT THE EXTENT OF THE CONVECTION. THE 09Z SREF KEPT THE ENTIRE FCST AREA DRY THIS AFTERNOON. IN DEFERENCE TO THE SLIGHT RISK...WILL KEEP SOME LOW END CHANCE POP OVER THE SRN THIRD OF THE FCST AREA. THE CONVECTIVE POTENTIAL SHOULD MOVE EAST AND END WITH THE MVC PASSAGE...AFTER WHICH SKY SHOULD CLEAR. THE MODELS ALSO BRING THE SURFACE FRONT ACROSS THE REGION THIS EVENING WITH WINDS BECOMING N. HAVE KEPT THE FCST CLOSE TO A GUIDANCE BLEND OVERNIGHT. ON WEDNESDAY...WE REMAIN AT THE BOTTOM OF THE UPPER LONG WAVE TROF CENTERED OVER THE EASTERN PART OF THE COUNTRY. DEEP LAYER DRYING AND WARMER AIR ALOFT WILL SERIOUSLY CURTAIL OUR CONVECTIVE PRECIP CHANCES SO HAVE FOLLOWED THE SREF AND KEPT THE FCST AREA DRY. TEMPS WILL BE ABOUT THE SAME AS TODAY WITH MORE SUN...BUT LOWER DEWPOINTS. && .SHORT TERM /WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY/... AS OF 130 PM TUESDAY...THE SHORT TERM FCST PICKS UP AT 00Z ON THURSDAY WITH THE AXIS OF THE GREAT LAKES UPPER TROF TO OUR NORTH WITH NUMEROUS SHORTWAVES MOVING INTO THE REGION FROM THE WEST. THE UPPER TROF BEGINS TO LIFT NORTHWARD ON THURS AS THE UPPER RIDGE SLOWLY BUILDS TO OUR WEST. LATE WEDNESDAY INTO THURSDAY...THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL BE TO OUR SE BY LATE WED WITH COOLER AND DRIER NW FLOW IN ITS WAKE. AS THE SFC HIGH BEGINS TO MOVE EASTWARD...LOW LVL FLOW WILL QUICKLY BECOME NORTHERLY AND THEN TRANSITION TO LIGHT AND VARIABLE BY THURS AFTERNOON. MODELS CONTINUE TO SUGGEST THAT A WEAK MESO LOW COULD DEVELOP JUST TO OUR EAST WITH SOME SORT OF MCS/MCV...ASSOCIATED WITH AN UPPER LVL SHORTWAVE...DEVELOPING OVER TENN AND ADVECTING INTO OUR CWFA BY LATE AFTERNOON. RIGHT NOW...MODELS SOUNDINGS DO HAVE SOME SFC BASED INSTABILITY AND SMALL AMOUNTS OF HELICITY BUT IT PROBABLY WONT BE ENOUGH TO PRODUCE ANY SVR CONVECTION. TEMPS SHOULD BE A FEW DEGREES COOLER THAN THE PREVIOUS DAY WITH HIGHS IN THE LOWER 90S. ON FRIDAY...THE CENTER OF THE SFC HIGH WILL SLIDE FARTHER EAST WITH MOSTLY LIGHT AND VRB WINDS NEAR THE SFC. EXPECT PROFILES TO BE DRIER OVER THE FCST AREA...BUT WITH BETTER INSTABILITY THE POTENTIAL FOR PULSE TYPE SVR CONVECTION SHOULD BE GREATER. TEMPS ARE EXPECTED TO BE VERY SIMILAR TO THE PREVIOUS DAY WITH HIGHS NEAR CLIMO...IF NOT A DEGREE OR 2 ABOVE. && .LONG TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY/... AS OF 130 PM TUESDAY...THE MEDIUM RANGE MODELS ARE IN GOOD AGREEMENT WITH THE MID LEVEL PATTERN LATE THIS WEEK...INDICATING A L/W RIDGE ACROSS THE ROCKIES AND A DIGGING TROF ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES REGION. BROAD LIFT ASSOCIATED WITH THE APPROACHING MID LEVEL TROF WILL INCREASE ACROSS THE CWA THROUGH THE DAY ON SATURDAY. FORECAST SOUNDINGS INDICATE THAT DECENT LAPSE RATES WILL DEVELOP BETWEEN THE SFC AND H5 AS THE TROF APPROACHES AND THE CWA REMAINS IN THE WARM SECTOR...WITH CAPE VALUES AROUND 1K J/KG. GIVEN THE LARGE SCALE LIFT AND ADEQUATE INSTABILITY I WILL MAINTAIN A DEVELOPING SOLID CHC POPS ACROSS THE CWA SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE PEAK OF THE MID LEVEL LIFT IS EXPECTED TO MOVE ACROSS THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN REGION SATURDAY NIGHT. FORECAST SOUNDINGS CONTINUE TO INDICATE FAIRLY STEEP LAPSE RATES AND ELEVATED INSTABILITY DURING THE NIGHT. CONVECTION THAT INITIATES OVER THE REGION ON FRIDAY WILL LIKELY PERSISTS OVER THE CWA THROUGH THE NIGHT. IN FACT...GIVEN THE DEGREE AND DURATION OF THE LIFT AND INCREASING STEERING FLOW IT APPEARS THAT SHRA/TSRA COVERAGE WILL INCREASE DURING THE NIGHT. I WILL INCREASE POPS TO HIGH CHC NORTH TO SOLID CHC SOUTH. A SIGNIFICANT SFC FRONT IS EXPECTED TO SWEEP WEST TO EAST ACROSS THE REGION SUNDAY MORNING. BY DAYBREAK SUN...THE FRONT MAY RUN ALONG THE EAST FACING SLOPES OF THE MTNS. AREAS ALONG AND AHEAD OF THE FRONT MAY DEVELOP STEEP LAPSE RATES...AROUND 9C/KM BETWEEN THE SFC AND H7. I WILL MAINTAIN HIGH CHC POPS DURING THE MORNING AND INDICATE DECREASING POPS THROUGH THE DAY AS THE FRONT PUSHES EAST. ON MONDAY...0Z ECMWF IS CONSIDERABLY SLOWER THE GFS. USING A BLEND OF BOTH SOLUTIONS...LINGERING MOISTURE AND WEAK INSTABILITY MAY SUPPORT A FEW SHRA/TSRA. I WILL KEEP A DIURNAL SCHC POP ACROSS THE REGION. ON TUESDAY...THE ATMOSPHERE WILL DRY AS LARGE HIGH PRESSURE PIVOTS OVER THE MID ATLANTIC REGION. LLVL WINDS SHOULD BECOME EAST...RESULTING IN A LARGE AREA OF UPSLOPE FLOW ACROSS THE MTNS. WEAK INSTABILITY...UPSLOPE FLOW...AND RIDGETOP CONVERGENCE MAY YIELD A FEW HIGH TERRAIN SHRA/TSRA DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING. I WILL INDICATE SCHC POPS ACROSS THE MTNS AND DRY CONDITIONS EAST. TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE CWA MAY BEGIN THE PERIOD ON SATURDAY SLIGHTLY BELOW NORMAL AND END THE PERIOD AROUND NORMAL ON TUESDAY. && .AVIATION /19Z TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... AT KCLT...VFR THROUGH THE PERIOD. HIGH CLOUDS WILL MOVE OVERHEAD FOR THE NEXT FEW HOURS. AFTER 21Z...EXPECT SOME DEEP CONVECTION TO FIRE OVER THE PIEDMONT OF THE CAROLINAS...MOST LIKELY TO THE SOUTH OF THE AIR FIELD ALONG A LEE TROF. WILL INCLUDE A FEW CB. CONVECTION WILL DIMINISH BY MID EVENING...AFTER WHICH SKY WILL BE MOSTLY CLEAR. WIND WILL GENERALLY BE OUT OF THE NW THIS AFTERNOON AND THEN SHOULD VEER TO N TONIGHT AND NE AFTER SUNRISE. SPEED SHOULD BE LIGHT. ELSEWHERE...SCATTERED TSTMS ARE STILL EXPECTED TO DEVELOP OVER NE GEORGIA AND THE WRN PART OF THE UPSTATE IN THE LATE AFTERNOON... ALTHO CONFIDENCE CONTINUES TO DROP AS THE MODELS FAIL TO DEVELOP MUCH OF ANYTHING. WINDS WILL ONCE AGAIN HAVE A WESTERLY COMPONENT DURING THE AFTERNOON...GRADUALLY VEERING TO THE NW AT LIGHT SPEEDS TONIGHT. SKY SHOULD CLEAR BY MID EVENING. EXPECT A LIGHT N OR NE WIND ON WEDNESDAY. OUTLOOK...MAINLY VFR WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND NIGHT. SCATTERED TSTMS POSSIBLE OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. VFR AGAIN FRIDAY. THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE MORE NUMEROUS SATURDAY AND SUNDAY. 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...ZH NEAR TERM...PM SHORT TERM...JPT LONG TERM...NED AVIATION...PM
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 316 PM EDT TUE AUG 9 2011 GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033-035>037-048>053-056>059-062>065- 068>072-082-501>510-SCZ001>014-019-101930- 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- 316 PM EDT TUE AUG 9 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 SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE REGION THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. A FEW OF THESE STORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE...WITH DAMAGING WIND GUSTS BEING THE PRIMARY THREAT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... NONE. JPT
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
216 PM EDT TUE AUG 09 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0410 PM TSTM WND DMG 4 SSW TOCCOA 34.53N 83.35W
08/08/2011 STEPHENS GA TRAINED SPOTTER
TRAINED SPOTTER REPORTED THE TOPS OF PINE TREES SNAPPED
OFF AT NEIGHBORS HOUSE ON N HICKS RD. ALSO REPORTED TWO
TREES DOWN AT N HICKS RD AND GARLAND RD.
&&
ZHARGROVPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
310 PM EDT TUE AUG 09 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0730 PM TSTM WND DMG 1 SSE STANLEY 35.34N 81.09W
08/08/2011 GASTON NC BROADCAST MEDIA
MULTIPLE TREES WERE BLOWN DOWN IN THE JACKSON PARK
COMMUNITY OF STANLEY...WITH AT LEAST ONE TREE ON A HOME.
ANOTHER TREE FELL ON RAILROAD TRACKS IN THE AREA...AND A
TRAIN LATER COLLIDED WITH IT.
&&
LANESPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 427 PM EDT TUE AUG 9 2011 GAZ026-028-092100- FRANKLIN-HART- 427 PM EDT TUE AUG 9 2011 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT FRANKLIN AND HART COUNTIES THROUGH 5 PM... AT 426 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING WINDS UP TO 50 MPH. THE STORM WAS 7 MILES WEST OF CARNESVILLE...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH. LOCATIONS TO BE AFFECTED INCLUDE... ROYSTON... VANNA... LANE
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
432 PM EDT TUE AUG 9 2011
GAZ026-028-092100-
FRANKLIN-HART-
432 PM EDT TUE AUG 9 2011
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT SOUTHERN FRANKLIN AND
SOUTHWESTERN HART COUNTIES THROUGH 500 PM EDT...
AT 426 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 6 MILES SOUTHWEST OF CARNESVILLE...MOVING EAST AT
25 MPH.
THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR...
CARNESVILLE...
ROYSTON...
VANNA...
WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.
LAT...LON 3426 8313 3423 8317 3424 8326 3426 8329
3424 8335 3426 8334 3431 8339 3442 8334
3434 8294 3423 8305 3422 8307
LANEThe Greer radar (KGSP), 116 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:43 UTC.
2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A tree was blown down on highway 326 between Rock Pillar Rd and McAdams Rd, and another was blown down on Bold Springs Rd.
A tree was blown down on highway 172 near Bowman and a large limb blown down across highway 17 between Bowman and Dewy Rose.
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: 341338, 341339.