An area of low pressure brought widespread rain to the region. Upslope flow concentrated the heaviest rain over the southern mountains of North Carolina and the mountains of northeast Georgia.
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.
An area of low pressure brought widespread rain to the region. Upslope flow concentrated the heaviest rain over the southern mountains of North Carolina and the mountains of northeast Georgia. This caused flooding in the same areas that saw flooding three days before.
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 Mar 9, 12:56 PM EST, 1 hour 4 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1256 PM EST WED MAR 9 2011
.SYNOPSIS...
A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL MOVE FROM THE MID MISSISSIPPI RIVER
VALLEY TO THE GREAT LAKES TODAY AS THE ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT
APPROACHES OUR REGION FROM THE WEST. VERY MOIST AIR WILL CROSS OUR
REGION AHEAD OF THE FRONT. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD OVER OUR AREA
FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. A WEAK COLD FRONT WILL CROSS EARLY SUNDAY.
&&
.NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/...
CURRENTLY WATCHING A QUASI-LINEAR CONVECTIVE SYSTEM MOVING ACROSS
METRO ATLANTA WITH SOME INTEREST. THE QLCS IS ALREADY IN AN
ENVIRONMENT WITH POOR BUOYANCY AND IT SHOULD CONTINUE TO RUN INTO
PROGRESSIVELY LESS FAVORABLE AIR OVER THE WESTERN CAROLINAS. A LARGE
AREA OF STRATIFORM RAIN BEHIND THE LINE SHOULD IMPACT THE FORECAST
AREA LATER IN THE DAY. IN THE MEAN TIME...EASTWARD DEVELOPMENT OF
SHOWERS HAS BEEN STUNTED A BIT BY SURFACE DRY AIR ADVECTION FROM THE
NORTHEAST.
THERE IS SOME CAUSE FOR CONCERN ABOUT THE HIGH QPF. ON THE ONE
HAND...IT LOOKS AS IF THE MOVEMENT OF THE QLCS TO OUR SOUTH COULD
INTERCEPT SOME OF THE MOISTURE TRANSPORT INTO THE WESTERN CAROLINAS.
ON THE OTHER HAND...BACKWARD TRAJECTORIES FROM THE NAM BELOW ABOUT
850MB SHOW THE FLOW IS ACTUALLY FROM THE ATLANTIC AND NOT FROM THE
GULF. SO...WE SHOULD STILL MAINTAIN SOME MOISTURE TRANSPORT AT LOW
LEVELS OUT AHEAD OF THE CONVECTIVE SYSTEM. AND...THE FLOW THROUGH
THE CONVECTIVE SYSTEM APPEARS TO BE FRONT-TO-BACK...SO LIGHT TO
MODERATE STRATIFORM RAIN WOULD IMPACT THE FORECAST AREA BASICALLY
FOR THE REST OF THE DAY. HAVE MADE SOME SLIGHT DECREASES TO THE QPF
OVERALL...BUT NOT ENOUGH TO MAKE ME THINK YET THAT WE ARE ON THE
WRONG TRACK. STAY THE COURSE.
REMAINDER OF PREVIOUS DISCUSSION...
AS THE TRIPLE POINT LOW SHOULD RIDE RIGHT UP THE I-85 CORRIDOR
OVERNIGHT...THERE WILL BE GOOD SFC CONVERGENCE AND A WARM SECTOR
AIRMASS OVER THE ERN PART OF THE FA LATER IN THE NIGHT. THE
INSTABILITY IS QUITE WEAK...AND I THINK MOST OF THE CONVECTION WITH
THIS SYSTEM WILL BE ELEVATED AND EMBEDDED WITHIN AREAS OF HEAVY
RAIN. HOWEVER...THERE IS STILL A SMALL CHANCE FOR A LOW TOPPED QLCS
TO DEVELOP TONIGHT...ESPECIALLY AS THE STRONGEST UPPER DIVERGENCE
TRANSLATES ACROSS THE REGION. THE PRIMARY THREAT WILL BE STRAIGHT
LINE WINDS...BUT AS ALWAYS IN THESE HIGH SHEAR SITUATIONS...A BRIEF
TORNADO CAN/T BE RULED OUT OVER THE WRN PIEDMONT.
INTERESTINGLY...THE NEW ECMWF HAS 200 TO 300 J/KG CAPE VALUES OVER
THE SW PART OF THE UPSTATE TONIGHT.
CURRENT SFC WET BULB TEMPS...NAM FORECAST WET BULBS AND OBSERVED
TEMPS AND DEWPOINTS HAVE ALL BUT A COUPLE RIDGE TOPS IN AVERY COUNTY
ABOVE FREEZING. EVEN THOSE LOCATIONS SHOULD WARM ABOVE FREEZING AS
PCPN BEGINS...AND I/VE REMOVED WINTRY PCPN FROM THE NRN MTNS THIS
MORNING.
STRONG LLVL SELY FLOW WILL INDUCE A MOUNTAIN WAVE AND HELP TRANSPORT
A FAIR AMOUNT OF WIND TO THE GROUND RIGHT ALONG THE TN LINE. I DON/T
SEE THIS BEING A HIGH WIND SITUATION...BUT I HAVE ISSUED A LAKE WIND
ADVISORY FOR THE TN BORDER COUNTIES FOR TODAY.
&&
.SHORT TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT/...
AT 2 AM EST WEDNESDAY...A WELL DEFINED UPPER TROUGH WITH A CLOSED
LOW IN ITS BASE WILL MOVE FROM THE TN VALLEY TO THE SOUTHERN
APPALACHIANS THURSDAY...THE ACROSS THE MID ATLANTIC AND OFFSHORE ON
FRIDAY. A COLD FRONT PRODUCING HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE OVER THE
PIEDMONT SECTION OF OUR AREA EARLY THURSDAY MORNING...MOVING EAST OF
OUR AREA BY MIDDAY. MOST OF THE CAPE AND HELICITY WILL BE EAST OF
OUR AREA AND AHEAD OF THE FRONT...BUT ENOUGH EXISTS ALONG THE
BOUNDARY TO BE OF A CONCERN. BEHIND THE FRONT MOIST UPSLOPE NW FLOW
WILL SET UP ALONG THE NC BORDER WITH TN...BECOMING RATHER VIGOROUS
DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. MODEL SOUNDING QUICKLY TRANSITION
TO A PROFILE SUPPORTIVE OF SNOW AT HIGHER ELEVATIONS. SNOW LEVELS
WILL FALL TO THE MOUNTAIN VALLEYS DURING THIS EVENING. SNOW SHOWERS
WILL TAPER OFF ON FRIDAY. AT THIS POINT IT APPEARS THAT
ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE BELOW ADVISORY CRITERIA.
TEMPERATURES WILL RUN NEAR NORMAL THURSDAY IN DOWNSLOPE FLOW IN THE
LEE...WHILE COLD ADVECTION KEEPS THE MOUNTAINS A BIT BELOW NORMAL.
WINDS WILL BE RATHER STIFF AT HIGHER ELEVATIONS IN THE MOUNTAINS
THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT...BUT APPEAR TO BE BELOW ADVISORY
CRITERIA. EVEN WITH WINDS STAYING UP...THURSDAY NIGHT WILL BE BELOW
NORMAL AS COLD ADVECTION OVERWHELMS DOWNSLOPE FLOW IN THE LEE.
FRIDAY WILL BE AROUND NORMAL AS HEIGHTS RISE ALOFT...BUT FRIDAY
NIGHT WILL REMAIN BELOW NORMAL AS DRY HIGH PRESSURE FAVORS
RADIATIONAL COOLING.
&&
.LONG TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/...
AS OF 200 PM WED...UPPER AIR PATTERN SHOULD BE NEARLY ZONAL OVER
THE REGION EARLY IN THE PERIOD WITH WEAK RIDGING DEVLOPING AHEAD OF
AN APPROACHING WAVE ON MON...WITH PERHAPS A TROUGH TRANSITING THE
AREA MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUE. MEDIUM RANGE MODELS DIVERGE SUBSTANTIALLY
IN REGARD TO HANDLING THE UPPER TROUGH. THEREFORE...HAVE STAYED
CLOSE TO HPC'S PREFERRED SOLUTION WHICH BRINGS A DRY COLD FRONT
ACROSS THE AREA SAT NIGHT WITH HIGH COOL PRESSURE NOSING INTO THE
REGION FROM THE NORTH ON MONDAY. HPC TRACKS A FAST MOVING SURFACE
LOW THROUGH THE CAROLINAS MON NIGHT INTO TUE. THEREFORE...EXPECT A
CHANCE FOR PRECIP DURING THAT TIMEFRAME. THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR
SOME PTYPE ISSUES WITH THIS SYSTEM AS ENOUGH COLD/DRY AIR MAY BE
PRESENT TO CHANGE PRECIP TO SOME FROZEN FORM DURING MON NIGHT. FOR
NOW...USED THE SURFACE WET BULB TEMP FORECAST TO DETERMINE WHERE
RAIN MAY CHANGE TO SNOW. THIS YIELDS THE POTENTIAL FOR SOME SNOW
ACROSS MAINLY THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE MOUNTAINS...PERHAPS
EXTENDING EAST INTO THE NORTHERN FOOTHILLS/PIEDMONT MON NIGHT. CURRENT
FORECAST BRINGS DRY WEATHER BACK TUE/WED. THIS COULD CHANGE IF THE
SLOWER TIMING OF THE UPPER TROUGH PROVES CORRECT.EXPECT TEMPS TO BE
NEAR SEASONAL AVERAGES ON SUN...THEN TRENDING BELOW MON/TUE AND THEN
BACK TO NEAR NORMAL FOR WED.
&&
.AVIATION /18Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY/...
AT KCLT...LEADING BAND OF LIGHT PRECIPITATION HAS TEMPORARILY
SCAVENGED AWAY THE MVFR LOW CLOUD CEILING...BUT THE CEILING SHOULD
RETURN SHORTLY AS MORE STEADY RAIN MOVES IN FROM THE WEST DURING THE
EARLY AFTERNOON. ONCE THE MAIN PRECIP BAND MOVES IN...THE CEILING
AND VISIBILITY WILL BE PREVAILING MVFR THROUGH LATE AFTERNOON AND
THEN SHOULD DROP TO IFR AND STAY THAT WAY AFTER ABOUT 23Z. DURING
THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING...EXPECT FLUCTUATIONS BETWEEN MVFR AND
IFR...BUT THESE WILL NOT BE INCLUDED IN TEMPO GROUPS RIGHT NOW. MOST
OF THE THUNDERSTORM CONVECTION SHOULD REMAIN TO THE SOUTH. WINDS
WILL VEER AND INCREASE IN THE LOWER FEW THOUSAND FEET WHICH MIGHT
POSE A WIND SHEAR PROBLEM. FOR THE MOST PART...SURFACE WINDS WILL BE
SOUTHEAST THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS AND THEN VEER TO SOUTH AFTER
MIDNIGHT. LIGHT RAIN AND A LOW IFR CEILING SHOULD PERSIST THROUGH
THE OVERNIGHT HOURS...AND PROBABLY FOR THE BETTER PART OF THURSDAY
MORNING. EXPECT THERE TO BE SOME IMPROVEMENT IN THE LATE MORNING AND
THIS WILL BE ADDRESSED WITH LATER AMENDMENTS.
ELSEWHERE...THE MAIN PRECIP AREA SHOULD ARRIVE OR ALREADY BE IN
PLACE AT THE START OF THE PERIOD. EXPECT CONDITIONS TO BE PREVAILING
MVFR FOR THE MOST PART THROUGH SUNSET...AND THEN PREVAILING IFR FROM
ABOUT 01Z ONWARD OVERNIGHT...WITH NUMEROUS FLUCTUATIONS BETWEEN THE
TWO CONDITIONS. DRY AIR WILL BEGIN TO MOVE IN ALOFT AFTER ABOUT
SUNRISE...WHICH SHOULD GET RID OF THE STEADY PRECIP. EXPECT THE IFR
CEILING TO BREAK UP AND LIFT TO MVFR IN THE LATE MORNING.
OUTLOOK...AS AN UPPER LOW CROSSES THE REGION...A FEW SHRA AND
POSSIBLY EVEN A TSTM WILL DEVELOP OVER MUCH OF THE AREA THURSDAY
AFTERNOON. THE SHOWERS WILL BE MORE WIDESPREAD OVER THE MTNS WHERE
HIGH ELEVATION SNOW IS LIKELY. THE SHOWERS WILL END THU EVENING. VFR
CONDITIONS ARE THEN EXPECTED THROUGH THE WEEKEND. ANOTHER FRONT
APPROACHES FROM THE W MON.
&&
.GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
GA...FLOOD WATCH THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON FOR GAZ010-017-018-026-
028.
NC...FLOOD WATCH THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON FOR NCZ033-035>037-
048>053-056>059-062>065-068>072-501>510.
LAKE WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM EST THIS EVENING FOR NCZ033-
048>052-058.
SC...FLOOD WATCH THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON FOR SCZ001>008-010.
&&
SYNOPSIS...DEO
NEAR TERM...MCAVOY/PM
SHORT TERM...JAT
LONG TERM...LG
AVIATION...PMHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 521 AM EST WED MAR 9 2011 GAZ010-017-018-026-028-NCZ035>037-053-056-057-059-062>065-068>072- 501>510-SCZ001>008-010-101030- RABUN-HABERSHAM-STEPHENS-FRANKLIN-HART-ALEXANDER-IREDELL-DAVIE- BUNCOMBE-CATAWBA-ROWAN-NORTHERN JACKSON-MACON-SOUTHERN JACKSON- TRANSYLVANIA-HENDERSON-CLEVELAND-LINCOLN-GASTON-MECKLENBURG-CABARRUS- 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- 521 AM EST WED MAR 9 2011 ...FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON... 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. FLOOD WATCH. DAMAGING WINDS GUSTS ARE POSSIBLE TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. FLOOD WATCH. DAMAGING WIND GUSTS ARE POSSIBLE EARLY THURSDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... NONE. NCZ033-048>052-058-101030- AVERY-MADISON-YANCEY-MITCHELL-SWAIN-HAYWOOD-GRAHAM- 521 AM EST WED MAR 9 2011 ...LAKE WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM EST THIS EVENING... ...FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON... 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. LAKE WIND ADVISORY. FLOOD WATCH. DAMAGING WINDS GUSTS ARE POSSIBLE TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. FLOOD WATCH. DAMAGING WIND GUSTS ARE POSSIBLE EARLY THURSDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... NONE. GAZ029-NCZ082-SCZ009-011>014-019-101030- ELBERT-UNION NC-YORK-ABBEVILLE-LAURENS-UNION SC-CHESTER-GREENWOOD- 521 AM EST WED MAR 9 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST GEORGIA...PIEDMONT NORTH CAROLINA AND UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. ANOTHER ROUND OF HEAVY RAINFALL IS EXPECTED TODAY AND TONIGHT. DUE TO WET SOIL FROM THE RAIN LAST WEEKEND...THERE IS AN INCREASED THREAT FOR LOCALIZED FLOODING. DAMAGING WINDS GUSTS ARE POSSIBLE TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. HEAVY RAINFALL WILL END EARLY THURSDAY. DUE TO WET SOIL FROM THE RAIN LAST WEEKEND...THERE IS AN INCREASED THREAT FOR LOCALIZED FLOODING. DAMAGING WIND GUSTS ARE POSSIBLE EARLY THURSDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... NONE. 07
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
148 PM EST WED MAR 09 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0130 PM FLASH FLOOD W LITTLE RIVER 35.24N 82.63W
03/09/2011 TRANSYLVANIA NC COCORAHS
CASCADE ROAD FLOODED DUE TO LITTLE RIVER
&&
PTSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
151 PM EST WED MAR 9 2011
SCZ011-012-019-091930-
ABBEVILLE-GREENWOOD-LAURENS-
151 PM EST WED MAR 9 2011
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT ABBEVILLE...LAURENS AND NORTHERN
GREENWOOD COUNTIES THROUGH 230 PM EST...
AT 146 PM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 6 MILES SOUTHEAST OF ANTREVILLE...OR 7 MILES
NORTHWEST OF ABBEVILLE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH.
* OTHER LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO
SECESSION LAKE...LAKE GREENWOOD...WARE SHOALS...
LAURENS...HODGES...GREENWOOD...DUE WEST...DONALDS...CROSS
HILL...AND ABBEVILLE.
WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.
LAT...LON 3411 8255 3431 8259 3461 8199 3433 8183
3429 8188 3420 8194
LANEThe Greer radar (KGSP), 55 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:59 UTC.
3 flood, 2 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
For the second time in three days, a heavy rain event resulted in flash flooding along the Little River. Cascade Lake Rd was the main road affected by flood water.
For the second time in three days, stream gauges indicated Mud Creek and Bat Fork Creek overflowed their banks during another round of heavy rain. Affected roads included Dana Rd, Airport Rd, and Greenville Highway.
Although heavy rain was tapering off during the afternoon, stream gauges indicated high water conditions persisted through the evening in the Hendersonville area.
Runoff from heavy rainfall over Transylvania County resulted in flooding along the French Broad River in the Etowah area. Just like three days before, several roads near the river were flooded. The flooding persisted into the 10th and 11th, with the French Broad at Blantyre cresting at 17.2 feet late on the 10th.
Although heavy rain began to diminish, stream gauges indicated high water conditions persisted on the French Broad River and its tributaries in the eastern part of the county into the evening and overnight. River flooding persisted into the 10th and 11th, with the French Broad at Blantyre creasting at 17.2 feet on the 10th.
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, March 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: 294266, 294271, 294282, 294283, 294585.