A squall line developed over the Ohio Valley during the afternoon hours. The thunderstorm complex rapidly moved to the southeast, crossing the Appalachian Mountains and affecting much of western North Carolina and the northwest piedmont of South Carolina during the late evening hours.
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 squall line developed over the Ohio Valley during the afternoon hours. The thunderstorm complex rapidly moved to the southeast, crossing the Appalachian Mountains and affecting much of western North Carolina and the northwest piedmont of South Carolina during the late 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 May 10, 9:47 PM EST, 6 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 1047 PM EDT TUE MAY 10 2011 .SYNOPSIS... AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE WILL CONTINUE TO STRENGTHEN ACROSS THE EASTERN HALF OF THE COUNTRY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. A WEAK BOUNDARY THROUGH WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA INTO SOUTH CAROLINA WILL GRADUALLY MOVE WESTWARD AND THEN DISSIPATE. A CLOSED UPPER LOW WILL SLOWLY APPROACH THE AREA FROM THE WEST THIS WEEKEND. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... 0300 UTC UPDATE...A NEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR BOWING THUNDERSTORMS MOVING SOUTH TOWARD INTO THE NORTHERN NC MOUNTAINS. WEATHER GRIDS HAVE BEEN UPDATED TO MENTION DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL IN THE WATCH AREA. PREVIOUS DISCUSSION...AN UPPER RIDGE AXIS EXTENDED FROM THE GULF COAST TO THE GREAT LAKES THIS EVENING. A LOW MOVING WARM FRONT WAS LOCATED FROM THE NORTHERN NC MOUNTAINS TO THE NORTHERN SC COAST. A FIRST ROUND OF CONVECTION HAS WEAKENED AND MOVED SOUTHEAST OF OUR AREA...BUT ADDITIONAL CONVECTION IN EASTERN KY IS MOVING THIS WAY WITH A SECOND AND MORE VIGOROUS UPPER LEVEL IMPULSE. ALTHOUGH INSTABILITY WILL BE DECREASING AS THE UPPER SYSTEM APPROACHES...BUT ENOUGH SURVIVES TO WARRANT LIKELY POPS IN THE NORTHERN PORTION OF THE AREA. IT REMAINS TO BE SEEN WHETHER A SECOND SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH WILL BE ISSUED FOR THIS SECOND ROUND OF CONVECTION LATE THIS EVENING. MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN RATHER MILD TONIGHT... AROUND 10 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. FOG IS SUPPORTED BY GUIDANCE ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA BY DAYBREAK...MAINLY IN WESTERN NC AND THE SAVANNAH RIVER VALLEY. UPPER RIDGE AXIS OFF TO OUR WEST POKES A BIT FURTHER EASTWARD ON WEDNESDAY AND DIURNAL DESTABILIZATION EXPECTED TO BE AT LEAST MODERATE...ESPECIALLY WHERE TEMPERATURES WARM WELL INTO THE 80S ACRS THE SW HALF OF THE CWFA. ALTHOUGH EFFECTIVE BULK SHEAR WILL BE EXPECTEDLY LESS THAN WHAT WE ARE SEEING TODAY...ISOLATED...DIURNALLY ENHANCED SVR STORMS WILL BE PROBABLE. && .SHORT TERM /WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY/... AS OF 120 PM TUESDAY...A HIGH AMPLITUDE RIDGE WILL BREAK DOWN DURING THIS SHORT TERM PERIOD OF THE FORECAST. SOME LEFT OVER CONVECTION CARRYING INTO WEDNESDAY EVENING WITH THE NW FLOW AND THEN A DECREASE THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING WITH THE RIDGE AXIS PASSING OVERHEAD. GREATEST INSTABILITY SHOULD BE OVER NE GA AND THE WESTERN UPSTATE WITH FAIRLY LIGHT WIND FIELDS. NOT A BIG CONCERN AS OF THIS TIME. HOWEVER...CONCERN PICKS UP AGAIN ON FRIDAY WITH LOW TO MID LEVEL WIND FIELDS INCREASING LATE IN THE DAY AS COLD FRONT APPROACHES FROM THE WEST. CAPE VALUES VARY DEPENDING OF THE MODEL BUT MAINLY 1000 TO 1500 IN THE GA TO CAROLINA PIEDMONT. EXPECT INCREASING COVERAGE OF SHOWERS AND STORMS LATE FRIDAY. HIGHS THURSDAY IN THE MID 80S UPPER SAVANNAH TO THE LOWER TO MID 70S NEAR THE TRIAD. HIGHS FRIDAY FROM LOWER 80S UPPER SAVANNAH TO UPPER 70S NW NC PIEDMONT. && .LONG TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY/... AS OF 200 PM TUESDAY...NEW GUIDANCE CONTINUES TO SUPPORT AN UNSETTLED WEATHER PATTERN FOR THE WEEKEND INTO THE FIRST PORTION OF NEXT WEEK. BY EARLY IN THE WEEKEND...THE UPPER RIDGE WILL SHIFT EAST OF THE AREA AS A CLOSED UPPER LOW MOVES SOUTHEAST FROM THE MIDWEST INTO THE DEEP SOUTH BY MONDAY. LEANED HEAVILY ON HPC GUIDANCE WHICH UTILIZED THE ECM/ECM ENSEMBLE MEAN EARLY ON THEN THE ECM/GFS ENSEMBLE MEANS FOR THE LATE IN THE FORECAST PERIOD. WITH THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS AND WESTERN CAROLINAS COMING UNDER INCREASING UPPER DIVERGENCE DURING THE WEEKEND...THE LIKELY POPS SEEM REASONABLE...WITH DAILY SOLID COVERAGE A GOOD BET THROUGH MON. A GENERAL COOLING TREND IN TEMPERATURES IS ALSO EXPECTED DUE TO WIDESPREAD CLOUDS/PRECIP AND LOWERING HEIGHTS. && .AVIATION /03Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... AT KCLT...CONVECTION AND ASSOCIATED RESTRICTIONS ARE STILL POSSIBLE THIS EVENING AS UPPER SYSTEM INTERACTS WITH FRONT JUST NORTH OF THE AIR FIELD...BUT WITH NO IMMEDIATE TREAT UPSTREAM...ONLY CB WILL BE CARRIED IN THE TAF. GUIDANCE SHOWS WINDS TAKING ON A MORE NORTHEASTERLY DIRECTION OVERNIGHT. SOME GUIDANCE SUPPORT FOR FOG BY DAWN...BUT GUIDANCE HAS BEEN OVERLY AGGRESSIVE WITH FOG THE LAST FEW NIGHT...AND VFR WILL BE MAINTAINED IN TAF...AS WILL A LOW VFR CIG. CONVECTION WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON WILL BE TOO SCATTERED TO MENTION IN THE TAF. LIGHT WINDS VEER TO ESE IN THE AFTERNOON. ELSEWHERE...CONVECTIVE CHANCES WILL BE GREATEST FROM KAVL TO KGSP/KGMU THIS EVENING...WHERE BETTER INSTABILITY EXISTS IN PROXIMITY TO THE FRONT AND THE TRACK OF THE UPPER SYSTEM. WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO TAKE ON A NORTHEASTERLY DIRECTION OVERNIGHT. GUIDANCE SUPPORTS MVFR IN MUCH OF THE AREA AROUND DAWN...BUT RESTRICTIONS WILL BE RESERVED FOR THE MOST PRONE AREAS OF WESTERN NC AND KAND. TEMPORARY IFR VSBY WILL BE POSSIBLE AT KAVL. AFTERNOON CONVECTION ON WEDNESDAY WILL BE ISOLATED TO SCATTERED...WITH CONFIDENCE TOO LOW TO MENTION IN THE TAFS. LIGHT WINDS VEER TO SE IN THE AFTERNOON...BECOMING S AT KAVL. OUTLOOK...SCATTERED CEILING AND VISIBILITY RESTRICTIONS IN THUNDERSTORMS MOST NUMEROUS OVER MOUNTAINS AND DURING AFTERNOONS AND EVENINGS THROUGH END OF WEEK. MORNING MVFR FOG POSSIBLE WHERE RAIN FELL THE NIGHT BEFORE. && .GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... GA...NONE. NC...NONE. SC...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...LG NEAR TERM...CSH/JAT SHORT TERM...DEO LONG TERM...LG AVIATION...JAT
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 341 PM EDT TUE MAY 10 2011 GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ051-058-059-062>064-SCZ001-002-004-005- 010-011-019-110300- RABUN-HABERSHAM-STEPHENS-FRANKLIN-HART-ELBERT-SWAIN-GRAHAM- NORTHERN JACKSON-MACON-SOUTHERN JACKSON-TRANSYLVANIA- OCONEE MOUNTAINS-PICKENS MOUNTAINS-GREATER OCONEE-GREATER PICKENS- ANDERSON-ABBEVILLE-GREENWOOD- 341 PM EDT TUE MAY 10 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST GEORGIA...WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. UPPER LEVEL ENERGY WILL MOVE ACROSS THE REGION INTO TONIGHT...AIDING IN THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT AND ORGANIZATION. SOME OF THESE STORMS WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BECOME SEVERE...PRODUCING LARGE HAIL... DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AND POSSIBLY EVEN A TORNADO. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTERS ARE REQUESTED TO FORWARD ANY REPORTS OF LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...TORNADOES OR FLASH FLOODING TO OUR OFFICE. NCZ033-035>037-048>050-052-053-056-057-065-068>072-082-501>510- SCZ003-006>009-012>014-110300- AVERY-ALEXANDER-IREDELL-DAVIE-MADISON-YANCEY-MITCHELL-HAYWOOD- BUNCOMBE-CATAWBA-ROWAN-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- GREENVILLE MOUNTAINS-GREATER GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG-CHEROKEE-YORK- LAURENS-UNION SC-CHESTER- 341 PM EDT TUE MAY 10 2011 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 269 IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM EDT THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PIEDMONT NORTH CAROLINA...WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH. UPPER LEVEL ENERGY WILL MOVE ACROSS THE REGION INTO TONIGHT...AIDING IN THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT AND ORGANIZATION. SOME OF THESE STORMS WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BECOME SEVERE...PRODUCING LARGE HAIL... DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AND POSSIBLY EVEN A TORNADO. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTERS ARE REQUESTED TO FORWARD ANY REPORTS OF LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...TORNADOES OR FLASH FLOODING TO OUR OFFICE. DEO
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
753 PM EDT TUE MAY 10 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0732 PM HAIL 4 E MAULDIN 34.78N 82.24W
05/10/2011 E1.25 INCH GREENVILLE SC NWS EMPLOYEE
0737 PM HAIL 3 E MAULDIN 34.79N 82.24W
05/10/2011 E1.75 INCH GREENVILLE SC NWS EMPLOYEE
0745 PM HAIL 4 E MAULDIN 34.78N 82.24W
05/10/2011 M2.00 INCH GREENVILLE SC NWS EMPLOYEE
&&
MCAVOYPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
759 PM EDT TUE MAY 10 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0755 PM HAIL FOUNTAIN INN 34.69N 82.20W
05/10/2011 E1.00 INCH GREENVILLE SC AMATEUR RADIO
&&
07PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
805 PM EDT TUE MAY 10 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0625 PM HAIL 5 N SIMPSONVILLE 34.80N 82.26W
05/10/2011 E1.25 INCH GREENVILLE SC PUBLIC
COCORAHS OBSERVER REPORTS HALF DOLLAR SIZED HAIL WITH
SHREDDED LEAVES AND DENTS IN THEIR CAR.
&&
BSHPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
811 PM EDT TUE MAY 10 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0725 PM HAIL 5 N SIMPSONVILLE 34.80N 82.26W
05/10/2011 E1.25 INCH GREENVILLE SC PUBLIC
COCORAHS OBSERVER REPORTS HALF DOLLAR SIZED HAIL WITH
SHREDDED LEAVES AND DENTS IN THEIR CAR.
&&
CORRECTED FOR EVENT TIME.
BSHPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
836 PM EDT TUE MAY 10 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0700 PM HAIL 4 NE GREENVILLE 34.88N 82.32W
05/10/2011 E1.50 INCH GREENVILLE SC PUBLIC
COCORAHS OBSERVER REPORTS QUARTER TO PING PONG BALL SIZED
HAIL.
&&
BSHPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
843 PM EDT TUE MAY 10 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0805 PM HAIL 2 NW GRAY COURT 34.63N 82.14W
05/10/2011 E1.00 INCH LAURENS SC PUBLIC
HW-14 QUICK STOP RERPORTED HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF
QUARTERS.
0812 PM HAIL GRAY COURT 34.61N 82.11W
05/10/2011 E0.75 INCH LAURENS SC FIRE DEPT/RESCUE
&&
BSHThe Knoxville radar (KMRX), 127 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 02:52 UTC.
13 thunderstorm wind, 9 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Numerous trees were blown across the county, mainly from the Elk Park area to the southern part of the county.
Multiple trees were blown down across the county. One tree fell on and caused extensive damage to a home on Holly St in the city of Marion. Another tree destroyed an outbuilding on Vein Mountain.
Multiple trees were blown down along Abington Rd near Angel Lane. One tree fell on and damaged a house in this area. Several other homes were damaged by falling trees in the Lenoir and Collettsville areas.
Numerous trees were blown down across the county, some of which fell on homes and vehicles. A large tree fell on a mobile home on Spurlin Rd in Ellenboro, killing two 18-year-old twin sisters.
Two trees were blown down on Puncheon Fork Rd, about 5 miles north of Mars Hill.
Numerous trees were blown down in the downtown area of Valdese, with additional trees blown down near Connelly Springs.
Several mainly small trees were blown down near the intersection of Sugar Loaf Rd and highway 18.
Hail up to golf ball size was reported on the south side of Mooresville.
Numerous trees were blown down in the southern part of the county. Some trees fell on homes and vehicles. In addition, a part of a high tension line tower was blown down off Rabbit Moffit Rd, near the South Carolina line.
Several trees were blown down in and around Boiling Springs, including on College Farm Rd.
Multiple trees were blown down across the southern part of the county. The damage was a little more concentrated from Shelby to Kings Mountain. At least one tree fell on a home in Shelby. In addition, a church had part of its roof removed on Hudson St in Shelby. Additional damage was reported in Grover, where a tree fell on a rec vehicle.
Multiple trees were blown down from Bessemer City to the city of Gastonia. One tree fell on and destroyed a mobile home on Capps Rd, about 5 miles west of Gastonia. Another tree fell on and destroyed a vehicle on Taylor Dr, 2.5 miles southwest of town. Additional trees and large limbs blown down in the Crowders Mountain area.
Numerous reports of hail up to 2 inches in diamater in the UNC Charlotte area.
Numerous trees were blown down to the south of Waxhaw, toward the state line.
Multiple trees were blown down along highway 207, near the state line.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind, Rutherford | 2011-05-10 | 18 | Female | Mobile/Trailer Home | Direct |
| Thunderstorm Wind, Rutherford | 2011-05-10 | 18 | Female | Mobile/Trailer Home | Direct |
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, May 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: 308106, 308107, 308108, 309442, 309494, 309497, 309508, 309511, 309515, 309520, 309525, 309547, 309555, 309561, 309565, 309577, 312231, 312234, 312241, 312258, 312259, 312248.