A weakly organized area of thunderstorms moved out of upstate South Carolina and into the western piedmont of North Carolina during the evening 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 out of upstate South Carolina and into the western piedmont of North Carolina during the evening 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, 4 hours 30 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
630 PM EDT MON AUG 08 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0610 PM TSTM WND DMG 3 W SPARTANBURG 34.94N 81.98W
08/08/2011 SPARTANBURG SC NWS EMPLOYEE
OTHER LARGE LIMBS DOWN ALONG HW-29.
&&
BSHPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
650 PM EDT MON AUG 08 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0608 PM TSTM WND DMG 3 WNW SPARTANBURG 34.96N 81.98W
08/08/2011 SPARTANBURG SC LAW ENFORCEMENT
SC HIGHWAY PATROL REPORTS A TREE DOWN AND BLOCKING THE
ROADWAY ON FAIRFOREST ROAD NEAR THE INTERSECTION WITH
GORDON STREET.
0608 PM TSTM WND DMG 3 WSW SPARTANBURG 34.93N 81.98W
08/08/2011 SPARTANBURG SC LAW ENFORCEMENT
SC HIGHWAY PATROL REPORTS A TREE DOWN AND BLOCKING THE
ROADWAY ON HW-29 NEAR THE INTERSECTION WITH WILLIS ROAD.
&&
BSHSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
656 PM EDT MON AUG 8 2011
NCZ068-070-SCZ009-082345-
CLEVELAND-GASTON-YORK-
656 PM EDT MON AUG 8 2011
...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT SOUTHEASTERN CLEVELAND...SOUTHERN
GASTON AND YORK COUNTIES THROUGH 745 PM EDT...
AT 654 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 4 MILES WEST OF
KINGS MOUNTAIN TO 4 MILES NORTHWEST OF BULLOCK CREEK...MOVING EAST AT
20 MPH.
THESE STORMS WILL BE NEAR...
HICKORY GROVE...
KINGS MOUNTAIN...
BESSEMER CITY...
YORK...
DALLAS...
LOWELL...
WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS.
LAT...LON 3528 8101 3515 8101 3515 8105 3511 8104
3509 8106 3506 8106 3505 8103 3485 8105
3483 8146 3505 8144 3505 8141 3514 8140
3516 8137 3517 8142 3526 8141 3537 8099
LANEPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
700 PM EDT MON AUG 08 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0513 PM TSTM WND DMG 3 NW TRAVELERS REST 35.00N 82.48W
08/08/2011 GREENVILLE SC LAW ENFORCEMENT
SC HIGHWAY PATROL REPORTS A TREE DOWN AND BLOCKING THE
ROADWAY NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF HW-414 AND HW-276.
0625 PM TSTM WND DMG 4 ESE SPARTANBURG 34.92N 81.86W
08/08/2011 SPARTANBURG SC LAW ENFORCEMENT
SC HIGHWAY PATROL REPORTS A TREE DOWN AND BLOCKING THE
ROADWAY NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF DOGWOOD CLUB ROAD AND S
PINE STREET.
&&
BSHPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
710 PM EDT MON AUG 08 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0643 PM TSTM WND DMG JONESVILLE 34.84N 81.68W
08/08/2011 UNION SC TRAINED SPOTTER
ONE LARGE LIMB...APPROXIMATELY 12 INCHES IN
DIAMETER...SNAPPED OFF NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF N MAIN
STREET AND KNITTING MILL STREET.
&&
BSHSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
715 PM EDT MON AUG 8 2011
SCZ014-090000-
CHESTER-
715 PM EDT MON AUG 8 2011
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT WESTERN CHESTER COUNTY THROUGH
800 PM EDT...
AT 711 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 3 MILES SOUTHEAST OF LOCKHART...OR 12 MILES WEST
OF CHESTER...MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH.
THIS STORM WILL AFFECT LOCATIONS NEAR...
LOWRYS...
CHESTER...
WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.
LAT...LON 3471 8146 3472 8145 3472 8148 3475 8148
3476 8145 3480 8147 3482 8146 3482 8102
3459 8108
LANEThe Greer radar (KGSP), 115 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:28 UTC.
3 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Multiple trees were blown down in the Jackson Park area of Stanley. At least one tree fell on a home. Another tree fell on railroad tracks and was later hit by a train.
Multiple power lines and a few trees were blown down in about a dozen locations from the south and east side of Charlotte east toward the Cabarrus County line.
Numerous trees were blown down from just east of the Monroe city limits toward Marshville.
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 historyWarnings in North Carolina, 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: 341330, 341332, 341334.