Widespread moderate to heavy rain fell across the western Carolinas during the nighttime hours of the 15th and the morning of the 16th. This resulted in some flash flooding and longer duration flooding over the mountains and foothills.
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.
Widespread moderate to heavy rain fell across the western Carolinas during the nighttime hours of the 15th and the morning of the 16th. This resulted in some flash flooding and longer duration flooding over the mountains and foothills. Strong wind shear and moderate instability ahead of the cold front initiated a line of storms over the western North Carolina Piedmont in the afternoon. These storms produced a few tornados as the line broke into discrete cells. The cells intensified into several supercell storms that went on to spawn numerous strong tornadoes over central and eastern North Carolina during the afternoon and evening hours.
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 Apr 16, 5:08 AM EST, 2 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
608 AM EDT SAT APR 16 2011
.SYNOPSIS...
A COLD FRONT WILL TRACK ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA TODAY...THEN MOVE
OFF THE COAST THIS EVENING. A SURFACE RIDGE WILL BUILD OVER THE
REGION SUNDAY AND REMAIN INTO MID WEEK. ANOTHER COLD FRONT IS
EXPECTED TO AFFECT THE AREA FOR THE LAST PART OF THE WEEK.
&&
.NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/...
AT 6 AM...A QUICK UPDATE TO INCLUDE TORNADO WATCH 149 FOR MOST OF
NORTHEAST GA...THE UPSTATE OF SC...AND THE CORRIDOR FROM AVL EAST TO
CLT.
LATEST WV IMAGES INDICATED A MID LEVEL LOW OVER THE CENTRAL CONUS
WITH A PLUME OF MOISTURE FROM THE FL PANHANDLE NORTH ACROSS THE
APPALACHIANS. DRY AIR WRAPPING ON THE SOUTHERN SIDE OF THE LOW
SHOULD BEGIN TO MOVE EAST ACROSS THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS DURING
THE PRE DAWN HOURS...PUSHING ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF THE CWA THROUGH
THE AFTERNOON. RECENT RADAR IMAGES SHOW A SHARP LINE OF WEAK
REFLECTIVITY ASSOCIATED WITH THE SFC COLD FRONT/DRY AIR NEAR THE
AL/GA/TN LINE. AREAS OF MODERATE SHRA AND ISO EMBEDDED TSRA EXTENDED
FROM THE VICINITY OF THE COLD FRONT EAST ACROSS THE PIEDMONT OF THE
CAROLINAS. CAPE ACROSS THE REGION REMAINS VERY LIMITED TO NEAR ZERO.
HOWEVER...0 TO 1 KM HELICITY VALUES RANGE FROM 300 TO 400 M2/S2
AHEAD OF THE FRONT. IN ADDITION...QG FORCING ASSOCIATED WITH THE
CENTRAL CONUS LOW WILL PEAK ACROSS THE CWA BETWEEN 12 TO 18Z. IT
APPEARS THAT THE SHRA CLUSTERS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE CWA AHEAD OF
THE COLD FRONT. THE COLD FRONT IS FORECAST TO MOVE ACROSS THE UPPER
SAVANNAH RIVER VALLEY AROUND 15Z...AND REACHING THE CLT METRO AREA
AROUND 21Z. POPS WILL REMAIN NEAR 100 PERCENT AHEAD OF THE
FRONT...BUT WILL FALL SHARPLY AS THE BOUNDARY BEGINS TO MOVE WEST TO
EAST ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA. SVR TSRA POTENTIAL APPEARS VERY
LIMITED THIS MORNING. INSTABILITY IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE RAPIDLY
AFTER SUNRISE...ESPECIALLY ALONG AND EAST OF THE I-77 CORRIDOR. 4KM
WRF INDICATES THAT A LINE OF ORGANIZED TSRA WILL DEVELOP ALONG THE
FRONT OVER THE NC PIEDMONT THIS AFTERNOON. BASED ON THE TIMING OF
THE FRONT I WOULD ANTICIPATE THAT THE LINE WILL INITIATE EAST OF
I-77 DURING THE MID TO LATE AFTERNOON. THE STORMS THAT DEVELOP
WITHIN THE CWA WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL FOR DAMAGING WINDS/HAIL AND
BRIEF TORNADOES...WILL HIGHLIGHT IN THE HWO.
OBSERVED RAINFALL ACROSS THE EAST FACING SLOPES OF THE WESTERN NC
MTNS RANGED FROM NEAR 3 INCHES TO 1 INCH. AREA RIVERS AND STREAMS
HAVE STARTED TO RISE...POSSIBLE YIELDING NEAR BANKFULL LEVELS WITHIN
THE HEADWATERS LATER TODAY. AN ADDITIONAL 1 TO 1.5 INCHES MAY FALL
OVER THE REGION BEFORE RAINFALL ENDS.
FORECAST SOUNDINGS INDICATE THAT POST FRONTAL MIXING HEIGHTS WILL
INCREASE TO 6 TO 8 KFT THIS AFTERNOON. WINDS WITHIN THE MIXED LAYER
WILL GENERALLY RANGE FROM 30 TO 40 KTS...WITH SFC GUSTS REACHING
NEAR 30 KTS. BASED ON THE CURRENT WIND OBS AND EXPECTED MIXING WINDS
TODAY...I WILL ISSUE A LAKE WIND ADVISORY FOR THE ENTIRE
CWA...KEEPING THE MORNING WIND ADVISORY FOR THE TN BORDER COUNTIES.
TEMPERATURES WILL PEAK NEAR NORMAL THIS AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT...CLEARING CONDITIONS WILL CAA SHOULD RESULT IN MIN TEMPS 3
TO 5 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL. TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE MTNS WILL RANGE
IN THE MID TO UPPER 30S...WITH BREEZY NORTHWEST WINDS.
&&
.SHORT TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT/...
AS OF 330 AM SATURDAY...FRONT MOVES WELL E OF CWA SAT NIGHT WITH NW
FLOW SHWRS LINGERING OVER TN BORDER MTNS AND A PERIOD OF LGT SNOW
MIXING IN WITH RAIN AT THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS BEFORE PRECIP ENDS
AROUND DAYBREAK. LOWS WILL BE WITHIN A DEG OR TWO OF AVG SAT
NIGHT...THEN A DEG OR TWO ABOVE AVG SUN AS A RIDGE BUILDS INTO THE
AREA UNDER MSUNNY SKIES. RIDGE AXIS MOVES OFFSHORE MON WITH S FLOW
DEVELOPING ACROSS THE REGION. TEMPS SHOULD BE A COUPLE CATEGORIES
ABOVE AVG.
&&
.LONG TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/...
AS OF 330 AM SATURDAY...A WEAK UPPER RIDGE BUILDS OVER THE AREA MON
NIGHT INTO TUE WITH A SFC HIGH OFF THE SE COAST RIDGING UP INTO THE
AREA. EXPECT PCLOUDY SKIES WITH ABOVE AVG TEMPS FOR THE FIRST PART
OF THE WEEK. A SERIES OF WEAK UPPER WAVES MOVE ACROSS THE REGION
WED-THU WITH A COLD FRONT EXPECTED TO APPROACH THE CWA FROM THE NW
WED NIGHT-THU. THIS WILL BRING A CHC OF SHWRS AND TSTMS TO THE
AREA...ESP TO THE MTNS. THE ECMWF PUSHES THE FRONT THRU THE CWA THU
AND WASHES IT OUT TO THE S WHILE THE GFS STALLS THE FRONT ALONG THE
S CWA AND MAINTAINS HIGHER CHC POPS THRU FRI. USED A BLEND FOR
SLIGHT CHC TO CHC POPS...ESP OVER THE MTNS...WED AFTN-FRI. TEMPS ARE
EXPECTED TO REMAIN ABOVE AVG.
&&
.AVIATION /10Z SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/...
AT KCLT...GUSTY SOUTHEAST WINDS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE TERMINAL
THROUGH THE PRE DAWN HOURS...THEN VEERING SOUTH AROUND SUNRISE. SHRA
WILL BRING TEMPO REDUCTIONS TO VIS THIS MORNING...HOWEVER...VIS
SHOULD FAVOR VFR THROUGH SUNRISE. MOS AND FORECAST SOUNDINGS
INDICATE THAT CEILINGS WILL LOWER TO IFR THIS MORNING...WITH A
GRADUAL IMPROVEMENT TO MVFR BY MID DAY. WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO VEER
THROUGH THE DAYLIGHT HOURS...ESPECIALLY AS A COLD FRONT CROSSES THE
TERMINAL DURING THE MID AFTERNOON. CB SHOULD HOLD OFF UNTIL MID
MORNING AND REMAIN UNTIL THE PASSAGE OF THE COLD FRONT. BY THIS
EVENING...EXPECTING CLEARING CONDITIONS WITH WINDS FAVORING A
WEST DIRECTION WITH SPEEDS BETWEEN 9 TO 13 KTS.
ELSEWHERE ACRS THE FA...PERIODS OF MODERATE SHRA WILL CONTINUE
ACROSS THE TERMINALS THIS MORNING...LOWERING VIS TEMPO TO MVFR/IFR
WITH HEAVIER RAINFALL. MOS AND FORECAST SOUNDINGS INDICATE THAT
CEILINGS WILL LOWER TO IFR THIS MORNING WITH GUSTY SOUTHEAST WINDS.
A GRADUAL IMPROVEMENT TO MVFR IS EXPECTED BY MID DAY...GUSTY WINDS
VEERING TO SOUTHWEST. CLEARING SKY COVER WILL ADVANCE SOUTHWEST TO
NORTHEAST ACROSS THE TERMINALS THIS AFTERNOON IN THE WAKE OF A COLD
FRONT. CB SHOULD HOLD OFF UNTIL MID MORNING AND REMAIN UNTIL THE
PASSAGE OF THE COLD FRONT. BY THIS EVENING...EXPECTING CLEAR
CONDITIONS WITH WINDS FAVORING A WEST DIRECTION WITH SPEEDS BETWEEN
9 TO 13 KTS.
OUTLOOK...DRY HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD OVER THE REGION ON SUNDAY AND
REMAIN THROUGH TUESDAY. ANOTHER COLD FRONT MAY SWEEP ACROSS THE
REGION WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT.
&&
.GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
GA...LAKE WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR GAZ010-017-
018-026-028-029.
NC...LAKE WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR NCZ035>037-
053-056-057-059-062>065-068>072-082-501>510.
WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 8 AM EDT THIS MORNING FOR NCZ033-048>052-
058.
SC...LAKE WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR SCZ001>014-
019.
&&
SYNOPSIS...RB
NEAR TERM...NED
SHORT TERM...RB
LONG TERM...RB
AVIATION...NEDHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 427 AM EDT SAT APR 16 2011 GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ035>037-053-056-057-059-062>065- 068>072-082-501>510-SCZ001>014-019-170830- RABUN-HABERSHAM-STEPHENS-FRANKLIN-HART-ELBERT-ALEXANDER-IREDELL- DAVIE-BUNCOMBE-CATAWBA-ROWAN-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- 427 AM EDT SAT APR 16 2011 ...LAKE WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST GEORGIA...PIEDMONT NORTH CAROLINA...WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. LAKE WIND ADVISORY. WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE EAST ACROSS THE AREA TODAY. DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WINDS AND ISOLATED TORNADOES WILL BE POSSIBLE...MAINLY ACROSS THE PIEDMONT. RAINFALL TOTALS OF 2 TO 3 INCHES ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS AND ADJACENT FOOTHILLS BY THE TIME THE RAIN ENDS LATER TODAY. SOME URBAN AND SMALL STREAM FLOODING CAN BE EXPECTED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... NONE. NCZ033-048>052-058-170830- AVERY-MADISON-YANCEY-MITCHELL-SWAIN-HAYWOOD-GRAHAM- 427 AM EDT SAT APR 16 2011 ...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 AM EDT THIS MORNING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. WIND ADVISORY. WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE EAST ACROSS THE AREA TODAY. DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WINDS AND ISOLATED TORNADOES WILL BE POSSIBLE...MAINLY ACROSS THE PIEDMONT. RAINFALL TOTALS OF 2 TO 3 INCHES ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS AND ADJACENT FOOTHILLS BY THE TIME THE RAIN ENDS LATER TODAY. SOME URBAN AND SMALL STREAM FLOODING ARE POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... NONE.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1240 AM EDT SAT APR 16 2011
SCZ011-019-160515-
ABBEVILLE-GREENWOOD-
1240 AM EDT SAT APR 16 2011
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHERN GREENWOOD AND
SOUTHEASTERN ABBEVILLE COUNTIES THROUGH 115 AM EDT...
AT 1237 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 7 MILES NORTHEAST OF MOUNT CARMEL...OR 8 MILES
SOUTH OF ABBEVILLE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH.
PEOPLE IN NORTHERN GREENWOOD AND SOUTHEASTERN ABBEVILLE COUNTIES...
INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
ABBEVILLE AND COKESBURY...
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.
LAT...LON 3406 8234 3406 8246 3407 8248 3407 8252
3409 8255 3442 8226 3435 8217 3433 8217
3433 8216 3431 8212 3430 8209 3424 8200
3402 8232
MOORESPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 117 AM EDT SAT APR 16 2011 SCZ012-019-160545- GREENWOOD-LAURENS- 117 AM EDT SAT APR 16 2011 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT LAURENS AND NORTHERN GREENWOOD COUNTIES THROUGH 145 AM EDT... AT 115 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 3 MILES EAST OF COKESBURY...OR 6 MILES NORTH OF GREENWOOD...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH. PEOPLE IN LAURENS AND NORTHERN GREENWOOD COUNTIES...INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS... COKESBURY AND LAURENS... 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 OF 40 TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. LAT...LON 3464 8196 3447 8174 3420 8216 3429 8226 MOORE
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
542 AM EDT SAT APR 16 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0520 AM FLASH FLOOD LITTLE RIVER 35.24N 82.63W
04/16/2011 TRANSYLVANIA NC OFFICIAL NWS OBS
THE STAGE OF THE LITTLE RIVER WAS 9.06 FT. FLOOD STAGE IS
9 FT.
0525 AM FLASH FLOOD HENDERSONVILLE 35.32N 82.46W
04/16/2011 HENDERSON NC OFFICIAL NWS OBS
THE STAGE ON MUD CREEK WAS 7.52 FT. FLOOD STAGE IS 7.5
FT.
&&
NEDThe Greer radar (KGSP), 55 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 10:11 UTC.
6 flash flood, 3 flood, 3 tornado, 2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Widespread 2.5 to 4 inch rainfall caused the Little River to go above flood stage, flooding portions of Cascade Lake Rd and Merrill Lane.
After widespread rainfall of 3 to 5 inches, flooding developed along Mud Creek and Bat Fork Creek on the south side of Hendersonville. Flooded roads included portions of Dana Rd, Tracy Grove Rd, and Airport Rd.
Flash flooding developed at a known flood-prone camping area along Wilson's Creek just off Brown Mountain Beach Rd. Several campers and tents were washed away. Nine people were caught in flood water, but seven managed to make it to safety. Two additional people were rescued, one from a camper, and another from an island in the middle of the stream. One person received minor injuries.
A stream gauge showed that the Johns River went out of it's banks, flooding parts of Johns River Rd, Old Johns River Rd, and Valley View Circle.
Flooding developed along Steele Creek in the northwest part of the county, with water over the highway 181 bridge and another road flooded.
Some tributaries of Warrior Creek also flooded just northwest of Morganton, with portions of Bost Rd and Spainhour Rd closed.
Although heavy rain tapered off during the late morning, high water conditions continued along the Little River into the afternoon.
Flooding developed along the French Broad River near Blantyre during the early afternoon, flooding several roads along the river. til 3 pm. Flooding persisted along the river until the 18th.
A tree was blown down on Mallard Creek Rd just west of I-85 with another blown down close to Huntersville.
Multiple trees and large limbs were blown down from highway 150 west of Salisbury to Sycamore and Willow Rd to Woodleaf Rd.
Tornado damage began in a wooded area between Thomason Rd and Henry Lane. The tornado continued northeast toward Elliot Dr, where a large section of roof was peeled off a mobile home and two large trees fell on and severely damaged a second mobile home. Additional uprooted trees, mainly pines were noted in this area. The tornado crossed highway 601 just north of Hidden Valley Rd. Some homes sustained minor roof damage and the roof was blown off an outbuilding as well. As the tornado crossed the highway, numerous pine trees were snapped off 10 to 20 feet high. The tornado apparently lifted briefly at this point before touching down again in a wooded area near Beck Rd. Numerous trees were snapped 10 to 20 feet off the ground. The roof was also blown off an outbuilding on Beck Rd. As the tornado continued northeast, a carport was destroyed on Old Mocsksville Rd across from the Newport Dr intersection, while most of the roof covering was removed from a frame home at the intersection of Newport Dr and Old Mocksville Rd. Another home on Newport Dr had much of its metal roof torn off while still another home was stripped of most of its shingles. Several large trees fell on another home on Newport Dr, severely damaging the structure. The damage path narrowd toward the end of Newport Dr, but remained fairly intense, with numerous trees downed in varying directions. The tornado may have lifted briefly at this point, but another damage path was found downstream in Davie County.
What was likely the continuation of the path of tornado damage that began in Rowan County north of Salisbury was found along Point Rd in extreme southeast Davie County. Numerous trees were blown down in this area.
An area of weak tornado damage began on the north side of Monroe, just west of highway 74 along Williams Rd. Part of the metal roof was blown off a building and some trees were blown down here. The tornado skipped northeast across highway 74 and damaged some outbuildings and blew out the plastic roof covering of an outdoor garden center. The tornado continued northeast, blowing down a few trees as it approached Secrest Shortcut Rd. Part of an outbuilding was destroyed just west of Red Fox Run Rd. The tornado continued over Secrest Hill Dr and Barbee Farm Dr, uprooting pine trees, snapping small trees and causing minor structural damage to homes. As the tornado continued northeast, it may have lifted briefly near Maple Hill Rd before touching down again near the intersection of Ridge Rd and Concord Highway. The metal roof of an outbuilding was tossed about 100 yards and some trees uprooted in a wooded area at this location. The tornado appeared to lift shortly thereafter, just before the intersection of Concord highway and Sikes Mill Rd.
Flooding continued into the evening across northern Burke County, mainly along the John's River.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in North Carolina in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for North Carolina, 2011Warnings in North Carolina, April 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: 299619, 299627, 299632, 299638, 299649, 299651, 299656, 299660, 299662, 299663, 299666, 300635, 300655, 300670.