North Carolina, 2011Tornado and Hail in North Carolina, August 18, 2011
August 18, 2011 · NWS GSP · 7 events in 2 counties and zones
A few thunderstorms developed over western North Carolina during the afternoon hours. One of the storms briefly took on supercell characteristics, despite weak wind shear, and produced a brief tornado.
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
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $500,000
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 7
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.
A few thunderstorms developed over western North Carolina during the afternoon hours. One of the storms briefly took on supercell characteristics, despite weak wind shear, and produced a brief tornado.
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 18, 2:46 PM EST, 1 hour 43 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Aug 18, 2:46 PM EST, 1 hour 43 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
346 PM EDT THU AUG 18 2011
.SYNOPSIS...
A WEAK SURFACE BOUNDARY WILL ENTER THE AREA FROM THE NORTHWEST
TONIGHT AND SHOULD DISSIPATE OVER THE AREA BY FRIDAY AFTERNOON.
BERMUDA HIGH PRESSURE WILL RIDGE OVER THE AREA SATURDAY INTO SUNDAY.
A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE IN FROM THE NORTHWEST EARLY MONDAY.
&&
.NEAR TERM /THROUGH FRIDAY/...
1945 UTC UPDATE...POPS HAVE BEEN RAISED IN THE FOOTHILLS PER THE
LATEST RADAR TRENDS...ESPECIALLY BETWEEN KFQD AND KGMU.
INSTABILITY ACROSS THE CWA WILL RANGE FROM 1000-2000 J/KG THROUGH
EARLY EVENING...WITH THE HIGHEST VALUES OVER THE MTNS AND FOOTHILLS.
SCT SHRA/TSRA SHOULD CONTINUE TO DEVELOP ACROSS THE HIGH TERRAIN AND
DRIFT EAST INTO THIS EVENING. GIVEN THE MARGINAL
INSTABILITY...RELATIVELY ELEVATED FZL AROUND 13.5 KFT...AND WEAK
WIND FIELDS...IT APPEARS THAT THE ENVIRONMENT WILL NOT FAVOR SVR
TSRA. HOWEVER...SLOW STORM MOTIONS AND PW AROUND 1.25 INCHES MAY
YIELD AREAS OF HEAVY RAIN. THE CURRENT HWO HIGHLIGHTS THE EXPECTED
CONDITIONS WELL.
DEEP CONVECTION SHOULD GRADUALLY ASH OUT WITH SUNSET THIS EVENING.
HOWEVER...THE 4KM WRF AND NAM12 INDICATES THAT CONVECTION MAY
CONTINUE OVERNIGHT AHEAD OF A WEAK CONVECTIVE DERIVED DISTURBANCE.
IN ADDITION...WEAK ELEVATED INSTABILITY WILL LINGER THROUGH SUNRISE
FRIDAY. I WILL PAINT THE WESTERN NC MTNS AND UPPER SAVANNAH RIVER
VALLEY WITH LCHC TO SCHC POPS OVERNIGHT. MIN TEMPS SHOULD RANGE FROM
L60S WITHIN THE MTN VALLEYS TO U60S EAST. FRIDAY...PATTERN WILL
CHANGE LITTLE FROM TODAY. MID LEVEL HEIGHTS WILL CONTINUE LIGHT NW
FLOW...POSSIBLY WITH EMBEDDED S/W. INSTABILITY VALUES ARE FORECAST
TO RANGE FROM 1000 TO 2000 J/KG. HOWEVER...A LAYER OF CIN WILL
LIKELY PERSIST EAST OF THE MTNS. GIVEN THE LACK OF FORCING AND
MARGINAL TEMP/DWPT PROFILES I WILL FORECAST CHC POPS OVER THE MTNS
DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENINGS WITH SCHC EAST. HIGH TEMPS SHOULD
VERIFY 1 TO 2 DEGREES ABOVE TODAY.
&&
.SHORT TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY/...
AS OF 130 PM THURSDAY...THE SHORT TERM FCST PICKS UP AT 00Z ON
SATURDAY WITH A BROAD AREA OF UPPER LVL DIVERGENCE TO OUR NORTH AND
A DECENT H5 SHORTWAVE MOVING INTO THE AREA AT THE START OF THE
PERIOD. THE SHORTWAVE WILL PASS OVER THE CWFA EARLY SAT WITH A VERY
BRIEF PERIOD OF RISING HEIGHTS FOLLOWED BY A CONTINUATION OF THE
LONGWAVE UPPER TROF PATTERN FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE PERIOD.
ON SATURDAY...THE SFC PATTERN IS STILL SOMEWHAT SPURIOUS. MODELS
AGREE THAT OVERALL WE SHOULD BE UNDER THE GENERAL INFLUENCE OF THE
BERMUDA HIGH TO OUR EAST WITH A SOUTH TO SWLY LOW LVL FLOW...BUT THE
THE NAM AND THE ECMWF DEPICT MOSTLY LIGHT AND VARIABLE WINDS THRU
MOST OF THE DAY/EVENING. A VERY WEAK BOUNDARY IS ALSO ANTICIPATED TO
MOVE OVER THE CWFA LATE FRI/EARLY SAT BUT AT THIS POINT IT IS
BECOMING MORE DIFFICULT TO DETECT. I DID NOT MAKE ANY MAJOR CHANGES
TO THE SENSIBLE FCST AND KEPT SLIGHT TO SOLID CHANCE POPS THRU THE
DAY/EVENING WITH HIGH TEMPS WARMING A COUPLE OF DEGREES COMPARED TO
FRI.
ON SUNDAY...THE PATTERN WILL BE SIMILAR TO SAT WITH SOME WEAK LOBES
OF SHORTWAVE ENERGY PROPAGATING JUST TO OUR NORTH AND MOIST SOUTH
SWLY FLOW. THE NAM AND ECMWF TRY TO DEVELOP A SFC LOW OVER THE OH
RIVER VALLEY EARLY IN DAY AND THEN MOVE A COLD FRONT OVER THE CWFA.
THE GFS AND CANADIAN ARE NOT ON BOARD WITH THIS SOLUTION. SO..FOR THE
TIME BEING I KEPT THE FCST MOSTLY UNCHANGED FROM THE PREVIOUS
UPDATES.
&&
.LONG TERM /SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY/...
AS OF 200 PM THURSDAY...THE 12 UTC RUNS OF THE OP NAM/GFS...
F84-96H...ARE TRENDING QUICKER WITH COLD FRONTAL TRANSLATION WITH
FROPA NOW PROGGED FOR EARLY MONDAY. GIVEN THIS...THERE IS THE
POTENTIAL FOR INHERITED CHANCE POP TO BE LOWERED...ESPECIALLY
AS MONDAY WEARS ON...BUT WILL HANG ON TO VIEW THE YET TO BE POSTED
12 UTC ECMWF BEFORE DOING SO.
SFC RIDGING ALONG WITH A POST-FRONTAL AIRMASS LOOKS TO BUILD ATOP
THE REGION ON TUESDAY. FOR THE LATTER HALF OF THE EXTENDED RANGE
PERIOD WILL FAVOR THE HPC/12 UTC ECMWF SOLUTIONS FEATURING LESS
DYNAMIC UPPER LEVEL LOW DEVELOPMENT WEST OF THE CWFA THAN WHAT
THE 12 UTC OP GFS IS PROGGING AND LESS MOISTURE TRANSPORT NORTH FROM
THE GULF. BASED ON THIS REASONING...SENSIBLE WX WILL BE GENERALLY
DRY WITH DAILY MAX TEMPS SLIGHTLY BELOW CLIMO.
&&
.AVIATION /20Z THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/...
AT KCLT AND ELSEWHERE...CLUSTERS OF MTN TSRA WILL GRADUALLY EXPAND
IN COVERAGE AND DRIFT EAST THIS AFTERNOON. CLEARING OVER THE
PIEDMONT SHOULD BE COMPLETE BY 19Z...RESULTING IN INCREASE
INSTABILITY AND EVENTUALLY PATCHES OF DEEP CONVECTION...REMAINING
INTO THE EARLY EVENING. I WILL INCLUDE CB AT ALL TAF SITES.
ALTHOUGH...KAVL...KGSP...KGMU WILL REMAIN IN THE HIGHEST RISK FOR A
TSRA THROUGH 1Z. MOS GUIDANCE CONSENSUS FAVORS FOG AT KAVL LATE
TONIGHT...I WILL INDICATE IFR BETWEEN 9Z TO 12Z. LIGHT SW WINDS ARE
FORECAST TO CONTINUE THROUGH 18Z FRI.
OUTLOOK...THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK...A SERIES OF WEAK COLD FRONTS
MOVING OVER THE AREA SHOULD RESULT IN CONTINUED DEVELOPMENT OF
ISOLATED TO WIDELY SCATTERED DIURNAL CONVECTION. MORNING FOG WILL
ALSO BE POSSIBLE...ESP IN MTN VALLEYS.
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...JAT/NED
SHORT TERM...JPT
LONG TERM...CSH
AVIATION...NED
Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 18, 1:54 PM EST, 2 hours 35 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
254 PM EDT THU AUG 18 2011
GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033-035>037-048>053-056>059-062>065-
068>072-082-501>510-SCZ001>014-019-191900-
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-
254 PM EDT THU AUG 18 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.
A FEW STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE SEEN INTO THIS EVENING...PRODUCING
LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL AND FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING.
VERY LOCALIZED GUSTY WIND AND HAIL IS POSSIBLE AS WELL.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY.
NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
NONE.
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Aug 18, 2:05 PM EST, 2 hours 24 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
305 PM EDT THU AUG 18 2011
NCZ505-507-508-181945-
GREATER RUTHERFORD-MCDOWELL MOUNTAINS-RUTHERFORD MOUNTAINS-
305 PM EDT THU AUG 18 2011
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHWESTERN RUTHERFORD AND
SOUTHWESTERN MCDOWELL COUNTIES THROUGH 345 PM EDT...
AT 300 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 5 MILES SOUTH OF OLD FORT...OR 11 MILES SOUTHWEST
OF MARION...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 10 MPH.
THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR...
LAKE LURE...
SMALL HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS
STORM.
LAT...LON 3560 8203 3554 8208 3553 8203 3555 8200
3544 8188 3534 8208 3541 8215 3540 8219
3548 8224 3552 8222 3553 8217 3556 8224
3559 8229 3568 8211
RWHSpecial weather statement, Aug 18, 2:45 PM EST, 1 hour 44 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
345 PM EDT THU AUG 18 2011
NCZ053-505>508-182030-
BUNCOMBE-EASTERN MCDOWELL-GREATER RUTHERFORD-MCDOWELL
MOUNTAINS-RUTHERFORD MOUNTAINS-
345 PM EDT THU AUG 18 2011
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHWESTERN RUTHERFORD...
SOUTHEASTERN BUNCOMBE AND SOUTHERN MCDOWELL COUNTIES THROUGH 430 PM
EDT...
AT 342 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 6 MILES NORTH OF LAKE LURE...OR 15 MILES
SOUTHWEST OF MARION...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 5 MPH.
THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR...
CHIMNEY ROCK...
LAKE LURE...
DIME 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 3563 8192 3550 8188 3534 8206 3541 8215
3540 8221 3544 8228 3546 8227 3550 8233
3549 8235 3553 8241 3570 8226
RWHSpecial weather statement, Aug 18, 4:05 PM EST, 24 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
505 PM EDT THU AUG 18 2011
NCZ035-036-182145-
ALEXANDER-IREDELL-
505 PM EDT THU AUG 18 2011
...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT ALEXANDER AND IREDELL COUNTIES
THROUGH 545 PM EDT...
AT 502 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM BUCK SHOALS TO 4
MILES SOUTHEAST OF LOVE VALLEY TO HIDDENITE...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 15
MPH.
THESE STORMS WILL BE NEAR...
STONY POINT...
HARMONY...
STATESVILLE...
SMALL HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS UP 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 3606 8070 3586 8070 3570 8076 3561 8092
3571 8100 3571 8105 3572 8107 3583 8115
3582 8121 3591 8134 3599 8133 3600 8132
3603 8127 3603 8108 3607 8098
RWHEvent by event
4 thunderstorm wind, 2 hail, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
Thunderstorm Wind, Alexander
- When
- August 18, 4:29 PM EST to 4:34 PM EST
- Where
- Alexander County, 2.63 mi S of Taylorsville to 1.09 mi NE of Millersville
- Measured
- 60 kt (69 mph) estimated gust
- Reported by
- NWS Storm Survey
- Coordinates
- 35.892, -81.170
An area of straight line wind damage affected an area from the Macedonia Church Rd area south to Millersville Rd. The porch was blown off a church. Several homes|received minor structural damage. Numerous trees were blown down in this area. One tree fell on a vehicle, briefly trapping someone inside. Also, a large chicken house was|damaged off Millersville Rd.
Hail, Alexander
- When
- August 18, 4:30 PM EST
- Where
- Alexander County, 0.89 mi SW of Taylorsville
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Reported by
- Fire Department/Rescue
- Coordinates
- 35.920, -81.180
Tornado, Alexander
- When
- August 18, 4:35 PM EST to 4:36 PM EST
- Where
- Alexander County, 1.94 mi NNW of Paynes Store to 1.58 mi NNW of Paynes Store
- Rating
- EF0
- Path length
- 0.36 mi
- Path width
- 150 yd
- Property damage
- $500,000
- Reported by
- NWS Storm Survey
- Coordinates
- 35.896, -81.143
A small area of tornadic damage was surveyed in the Powell Rd, Taylorsville Manufacturing Rd area. A manufactured home was pushed off its block foundation and several outbuildings were destroyed. Several homes also received damage due to wind-blown hail.
Thunderstorm Wind, Catawba
- When
- August 18, 5:00 PM EST to 5:15 PM EST
- Where
- Catawba County, 4.18 mi N of Claremont to 1.32 mi WSW of Catawba
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
- Coordinates
- 35.780, -81.140
Large tree limbs were blown down four miles north of Claremont. Trees were also down at highway 10 and highway 70, with two trees down on Oxford School Rd. One of those trees fell on a vehicle. Trees and lines were also blown down in other locations in the Claremont area.
Thunderstorm Wind, Catawba
- When
- August 18, 5:10 PM EST
- Where
- Catawba County, 0.69 mi N of Longview
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
- Reported by
- County Official
- Coordinates
- 35.740, -81.370
Power lines were blown down on 17th St NW.
Thunderstorm Wind, Catawba
- When
- August 18, 5:10 PM EST
- Where
- Catawba County, 4.18 mi N of Oyama
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
- Reported by
- County Official
- Coordinates
- 35.790, -81.260
A tree was blown down on Sulphur Springs Rd.
Hail, Catawba
- When
- August 18, 5:25 PM EST
- Where
- Catawba County, 0.69 mi S of Catawba
- Measured
- 0.88 in hail
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
- Coordinates
- 35.710, -81.080
- 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.
- Hail
- Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
- Tornado
- A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Missouri, August 18 to 19, 20112 injured · $1.2 million · 1.75 in hail · 71 events
- Flash Flooding and Hail in Utah, August 18 to 22, 20111 death · 1 injured · 0.75 in hail · 9 events
- Hail and Damaging Winds in South Dakota, August 18, 2011$2.5 million · 1.75 in hail · 17 events
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Iowa, August 18, 2011$3.4 million · 2.75 in hail · 10 events
- Hail in Ohio, August 18 to 19, 2011$650,000 · 2 in hail · 31 events
- Flash Flood and Damaging Winds in Arizona, August 18, 20111 injured · $1.1 million · 65 kt wind · 4 events
- Hail in South Dakota, August 18, 2011$945,000 · 2.75 in hail · 6 events
- Flash Flood and Hail in Nebraska, August 18, 2011$435,000 · 4.25 in hail · 18 events
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Pennsylvania, August 18 to 19, 2011$300,000 · 1.25 in hail · 16 events
- Flash Flood and Dust Storm in Arizona, August 18, 2011$285,000 · 54 kt wind · 8 events
- Tornado and Flash Flood in Nebraska, August 18, 20113 injured · $6,000 · EF0 · 51 events
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Iowa, August 18, 20115 injured · 3 in hail · 32 events
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: 343479, 343481, 343485, 343497, 343516, 343520, 343524.