A mature squall line crossed from eastern Tennessee, into the mountains of North Carolina, during the early afternoon hours. While the shear was fairly weak, the strong cold pool and moderate instability ahead of the line supported quite a bit of wind damage as the storms moved out across the northern upstate of South Carolina.
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 mature squall line crossed from eastern Tennessee, into the mountains of North Carolina, during the early afternoon hours. While the shear was fairly weak, the strong cold pool and moderate instability ahead of the line supported quite a bit of wind damage as the storms moved out across the northern upstate of South Carolina. Other more discrete storms developed over the western part of the upstate. These storms also produced damaging winds and some large hail.
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 Jun 18, 12:44 PM EST, 46 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 144 PM EDT SAT JUN 18 2011 .SYNOPSIS... A WEAK STATIONARY FRONT WILL LINGER IN OUR AREA INTO THE WEEKEND. THE FRONT WILL MOVE NORTH AS A WARM FRONT EARLY NEXT WEEK AS HIGH PRESSURE MOVES INTO THE AREA. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH SUNDAY/... UPSTREAM MCS OVER ERN TN HAS NOT STRENGTHENED MUCH THE PAST COUPLE HOURS...THOUGH CORE HEIGHTS ALONG THE LINE ARE FINALLY STARTING TO REACH OBJECTIVE SEVERE CRITERIA. KMRX IS SHOWING A WELL ESTABLISHED AND STRONG COLD POOL/REAR INFLOW JET BEHIND THE LINE...AND IT SHOULD STRENGTHEN RAPIDLY AS IT MOVES INTO THE MORE UNSTABLE AIR OVER THE GREAT VALLEY. AS THE STRONG COLD POOL MOVES INTO THE MOUNTAINS...WHICH ARE QUITE MIXED AT THIS POINT...POCKETS OF DAMAGING WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP. AS THE LINE MOVES EAST OF THE MTNS...INTO AN ENVIRONMENT OF HIGHER DAPE...THE MCS SHOULD BEGIN TO SURGE EASTWARD. THE 12 UTC NAM NOW HAS BULK SHEAR VALUES OF AROUND 40 KTS OVER THE ENTIRE FA THROUGH THE AFTN HOURS...WHICH ALSO BODES WELL FOR THE EVOLUTION OF THE LINE AS IT PROGRESSES INTO AN INCREASINGLY UNSTABLE AIRMASS. THE 15 UTC RUN OF THE WORKSTATION WRF-ARW SHOWS AN EVEN MORE HIGHLY EVOLVED BOW ECHO MOVING ACROSS THE FA DURING THE EARLY TO MID AFTN HOURS THAN IT DID BEFORE...AND STILL LINES UP FAIRLY WELL WITH THE MCS OVER ERN TN. THEREFORE...THIS SHOULD SOON TRANSITION INTO A SIGNIFICANT DAMAGING WIND EVENT FOR THE FA. OVERNIGHT AND INTO SUNDAY MORNING...THE NAM DEVELOPS A 30-40KT LLVL JET OVER THE FA AS HEIGHTS RISE TO OUR WEST. THIS POOLS BL DEWPOINTS OVER 70S DEGREES ACROSS THE CENTRAL PART OF THE FA. THIS SHOULD SUPPORT NOCTURNAL ELEVATED CONVECTION OVERNIGHT...THOUGH I/M UNSURE HOW STRONG ON HOW WIDESPREAD IT WILL BE. ADDITIONAL CONVECTIVELY INDUCED MCV/S WILL CROSS THE FA ON SUNDAY. THE NAM IMPLIES A GOOD THREAT OF ADDITIONAL SEVERE STORMS WHILE THE GFS IS FARTHER NORTH. CONSIDERING THE ONGOING CONVECTION AND HOW SOUTH IT SHOULD MOVE OVERNIGHT...THE TREAT WILL PROBABLY BE ORIENTED FARTHER SOUTH THAN THE GFS IMPLIES ON SUNDAY...ONCE AGAIN PUTTING US UNDER THE GUN. && .SHORT TERM /SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY/... AS OF 1245 PM SATURDAY...UPPER HEIGHTS OVER THE CWFA WILL START THEIR RISE ON MONDAY AS GULF COAST RIDGING POKES NORTH AND EAST. WITH SOLID LOWER TO MID 90S FCST ACRS JUST ABOUT ALL THE MAJOR VALLEYS AND INTO THE PIEDMONT...THE ATMOSPHERE WILL LIKELY BECOME MODERATELY UNSTABLE. THERE DOES NOT LOOK TO BE MUCH TO INHIBIT AFTERNOON AND EVENING TSTM DEVELOPMENT...IN FACT...ENOUGH MID LVL NW FLOW EXISTS TO GIVE RISE TO A FEW SVR STORMS. SHORT RANGE MODELS REMAIN CONSISTENT IN DEPICTING BLDG UPPER RIDGE ATOP THE CWFA ON TUESDAY. THE RESULTANT VERY WEAK FLOW AND WEAKLY FORCED ENVIRONMENT SHOULD LIMIT DIURNAL DEEP CONVECTION...ESPECIALLY AWAY FROM THE HIGHER TERRAIN...WHERE THE FCST SNDGS LOOK TO REMAIN CAPPED. OTHERWISE...THE HEAT WAVE WILL CONTINUE AND THE GOING SWATH OF MID TO UPPER 90S MAX TEMPS LOOK GOOD. && .LONG TERM /TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY/... AS OF 1215 PM SATURDAY...THE TREND TOWARD LESS HOT CONDITIONS COMMENCES ON WEDNESDAY AS UPPER RIDGE AXIS ATOP THE SE CONUS TRANSLATES EASTWARD. AS HEIGHTS START TO FALL AND RETURN FLOW MOISTURE BEGINS AN UPWARD CREEP...WOULD EXPECT TSTM CHANCES TO CLIMB BACK TO NEAR CLIMO PROBABILITIES. CENTRAL CONUS TROUGH LOOKS TO CONTINUE TO IMPINGE UPON THE EASTERN SEABOARD ON THURSDAY...AND GIVEN THE PROBABILITY OF INCREASED LARGER SCALE FORCING...POP WILL BE INCREASED TO SOLID CHANCE AND EXPANDED ACRS THE WHOLE CWFA. MEDIUM RANGE MODELS ARE STILL ADVERTISING L/WV TROUGH AXIS TO SET UP ATOP THE EASTERN CONUS ON FRIDAY BEFORE LIFTING SOME NEXT SATURDAY. AN ATTENDANT FRONTAL ZONE SHOULD SAG SOUTH INTO THE REGION AS WELL BUT THE SOUTHWARD PENETRATION AND ANY INFLUX OF DRIER AIR BY THE END OF THE PERIOD IS QUESTIONABLE AND PROBABLY DOUBTFUL. GIVEN THIS...WILL MAINTAIN TOKEN CHANCE POP FOR DAYS 6-7 ALONG WITH MAX TEMPERATURES NEAR EARLY SUMMER NORMALS. && .AVIATION /18Z SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... KCLT...BIG NEWS OF THE DAY IS THE MCS THAT IS NOW PUSHING INTO THE MOUNTAINS. WITH THE UNSTABLE AIRMASS EAST OF THE MTNS...IT SHOULD RAPIDLY MOVE EASTWARD OVER THE NEXT FEW HOURS. THE MOST LIKELY TIME FOR STORM PASSAGE IS AROUND 21 UTC. I/M GIVING A 3 HOUR WINDOW OWING TO DEVELOPMENT AHEAD OF THE LINE AND A LINGERING PERIOD OF THUNDER AND HEAVY RAIN BEHIND IT. WINDS WILL GUST OUT OF THE WEST AS THE LINE CROSSES...AND WILL BE WSW AHEAD OF IT...AND ERRATIC AND VARIABLE OVERNIGHT BEHIND. A LITTLE FOG IS POSSIBLE LATE TONIGHT DEPENDING HOW MUCH RAIN FALLS...BUT WITH HIGH CLOUDS LIKELY LASTING THROUGH THE NIGHT...NOT EXPECTING MORE. ALSO...SCT SHRA/TSTMS MAY DEVELOP AGAIN LATE TONIGHT AND SUN MORNING...THOUGH I HAVE NOT INCLUDED THAT IN THE TAF YET. ELSEWHERE...THINKING FOR THE OTHER TAF SITES IS BASICALLY THE SAME AS FOR CLT WITH A WIDESPREAD LINE OF STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS EXPECTED TO CROSS THE REGION FROM THE WEST THIS AFTN. BEHIND THE LINE...AREAS OF FOG WILL BE POSSIBLE LATE TONIGHT. HOWEVER...HIGH CLOUDS SHOULD INHIBIT WIDESPREAD FOG. IN FACT...SHRA AND TSTMS MAY DEVELOP AGAIN OVER THE REGION LATE TONIGHT. OUTLOOK...THERE WILL BE A GOOD CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS AGAIN ON SUNDAY. DRIER AND HOT WEATHER IS EXPECTED MONDAY AND TUESDAY...THOUGH ISOLATED TSTMS ARE POSSIBLE IN THE MTNS. A COLD FRONT WILL BRING A BETTER CHANCE OF TSTMS...AND RESTRICTIONS...BY WED OR THU. && .GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... GA...NONE. NC...NONE. SC...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...PAT NEAR TERM...MCAVOY SHORT TERM...CSH LONG TERM...CSH AVIATION...MCAVOY
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 1107 AM EDT SAT JUN 18 2011 GAZ010-017-018-026-NCZ033-048>053-058-059-062>065-501>510-SCZ001>007- 191515- RABUN-HABERSHAM-STEPHENS-FRANKLIN-AVERY-MADISON-YANCEY-MITCHELL- SWAIN-HAYWOOD-BUNCOMBE-GRAHAM-NORTHERN JACKSON-MACON- SOUTHERN JACKSON-TRANSYLVANIA-HENDERSON-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- 1107 AM EDT SAT JUN 18 2011 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 500 IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM EDT THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST GEORGIA...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. A LINE OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE INTO THE NORTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS DURING THE EARLY AFTERNOON HOURS...THEN RAPIDLY CROSS THE REST OF THE WESTERN CAROLINAS AND NORTHEAST GEORGIA DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING HOURS. AREAS OF DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO ACCOMPANY THE LINE AS IT CROSSES THE REGION...ALONG WITH SOME LARGE HAIL. THIS A DANGEROUS DEVELOPING WEATHER SITUATION. PEOPLE WITH OUTDOOR PLANS TODAY SHOULD CLOSELY MONITOR THE WEATHER AND PREPARE TO MOVE INDOORS WHEN THE STORMS APPROACH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. 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. GAZ028-029-NCZ035>037-056-057-068>072-082-SCZ008>014-019-191515- HART-ELBERT-ALEXANDER-IREDELL-DAVIE-CATAWBA-ROWAN-CLEVELAND-LINCOLN- GASTON-MECKLENBURG-CABARRUS-UNION NC-CHEROKEE-YORK-ANDERSON- ABBEVILLE-LAURENS-UNION SC-CHESTER-GREENWOOD- 1107 AM EDT SAT JUN 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 LINE OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE INTO THE NORTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS DURING THE EARLY AFTERNOON HOURS...THEN RAPIDLY CROSS THE REST OF THE WESTERN CAROLINAS AND NORTHEAST GEORGIA DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING HOURS. AREAS OF DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO ACCOMPANY THE LINE AS IT CROSSES THE REGION...ALONG WITH SOME LARGE HAIL. THIS A DANGEROUS DEVELOPING WEATHER SITUATION. PEOPLE WITH OUTDOOR PLANS TODAY SHOULD CLOSELY MONITOR THE WEATHER AND PREPARE TO MOVE INDOORS WHEN THE STORMS APPROACH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. 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. MCAVOY
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
202 PM EDT SAT JUN 18 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0147 PM HAIL 1 SSW BRYSON CITY 35.42N 83.45W
06/18/2011 E0.88 INCH SWAIN NC EMERGENCY MNGR
HAIL LASTED FOR 3 MINUTES.
&&
CSHPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
204 PM EDT SAT JUN 18 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0159 PM TSTM WND DMG 4 NNE LAKE JUNALUSKA 35.58N 82.95W
06/18/2011 HAYWOOD NC 911 CALL CENTER
TREE ACROSS CRAWFORD RD
&&
CSHPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
220 PM EDT SAT JUN 18 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0213 PM TSTM WND DMG 3 SSW LEICESTER 35.61N 82.71W
06/18/2011 BUNCOMBE NC 911 CALL CENTER
POWERLINES DOWN AND STARTED A FIRE
&&
CSHPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
222 PM EDT SAT JUN 18 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0212 PM TSTM WND DMG 4 SE MARSHALL 35.75N 82.63W
06/18/2011 BUNCOMBE NC 911 CALL CENTER
TREE DOWN NEAR FLINT HILL RD AND PANTHER BRANCH RD
&&
CSHPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
224 PM EDT SAT JUN 18 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0215 PM TSTM WND DMG 4 NNW LEICESTER 35.70N 82.72W
06/18/2011 BUNCOMBE NC 911 CALL CENTER
TREE DOWN PINEY KNOB RD AND HORSEBACK LANE
&&
CSHPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
230 PM EDT SAT JUN 18 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0215 PM TSTM WND DMG 4 NW SWANNANOA 35.65N 82.45W
06/18/2011 BUNCOMBE NC 911 CALL CENTER
ROOF OFF A STRUCTURE ON MAJESTIC MOUNTAIN DR
&&
CSHThe Greer radar (KGSP), 84 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:31 UTC.
12 thunderstorm wind, 3 hail, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Trees were blown onto power lines on Dr. Johns Rd in Westminster.
Power lines were blown down on Red Hill Lane in Landrum and at Cannon Ford|Rd and Country Estates Rd in Fingerville. Trees were also blown down at Cooley|Springs School Rd and McSwain Rd.
A tree was blown down at highway 9 and Business 85. A tree was blown onto a house on Fulton Ave and trees were blown down on North St and Duncan St in the city of Spartanburg.
Hail a little smaller than golf ball size fell along Coneross Creek Rd about 6 miles south southeast of Seneca.
Trees were blown down near the highway 29/105 intersection.
A tree was blown down on I-85 at mile marker 104. Another tree was blown down in the same area on East Cherokee St.
Trees and large limbs were blown down on Burns Bridge Rd at Grate Rd. Trees were also blown onto highway 187 in the same area. A boat dock was also damaged off of Indian Trail. A tree was also blown down on Falcon's Landing, about 6 miles northwest of Anderson.
Large tree limbs were blown down on telephone lines on Forest St in Jonesville.
Multiple power lines were blown down from the western part of the county to the city of Chester.
A tree was blown down on highway 308, about a mile north of Clinton. Trees and large limbs were also blown down on York St in town. A final tree fell on Young Rd, about 3 miles southeast of town.
Penny size hail was reported at highway 20 and Willie Kay Rd.
Several trees were blown down along highway 702 east of Ninety Six.
Two people were injured by a lightning strike on the Chattooga River.
A couple trees were blown down along highway 67 near Callison.
Several trees were blown down to the south of Pendleton, including on I-85 near mile marker 11, at highway 187 and Fisher Jenkins Rd on highway 76 near Sandy Springs.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in South Carolina in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in South Carolina, June 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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 327025, 327049, 327254, 327256, 327267, 327275, 327280, 327293, 327297, 327305, 327313, 327319, 327344, 327348, 327351, 327361.