Scattered thunderstorms developed along the Blue Ridge Mountains and drifted slowly to the southwest. The storms produced heavy rain and some lightning 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.
Scattered thunderstorms developed along the Blue Ridge Mountains and drifted slowly to the southwest. The storms produced heavy rain and some lightning 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 22, 9:01 PM EST, 59 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 1001 PM EDT WED AUG 22 2012 .SYNOPSIS... A WEAK FRONT WILL DRIFT EAST OVER THE CAROLINA COAST THROUGH TONIGHT. BEHIND THE FRONT...WEAK HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD OVER THE REGION FROM THE NORTH THROUGH THE REST OF THIS WEEK. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH THURSDAY/... AS OF 1000 PM EDT...COVERAGE HAS EXPANDED AGAIN JUST SOUTHEAST OF THE FORECAST AREA...WITH CONTINUED UPPER SUPPORT EAST OF THE TROUGH AXIS OVERNIGHT. BOTH UPPER DIVERGENCE AND DEEP LAYER DVPA SHOULD REMAIN BEST SE OF THE AREA OVERNIGHT...BUT CANNOT RULE OUT SOME ISOLD TO SCT COVERAGE SNEAKING BACK INTO THE LOWER PIEDMONT ON OUTFLOWS. ANOTHER AREA OF SHRA/TSRA HAS DEVELOPED IN LOW LEVEL E TO ENE UPSLOPE FLOW INTO THE BLUE RIDGE. THE KGSP VAD WIND PROFILE SUGGESTS THAT FLOW IS MOSTLY ENE THROUGH A DEEP LAYER...BUT IT APPEARS TO HAVE JUST ENOUGH EASTERLY COMPONENT TO TRIGGER UPSLOPE SHOWERS/ISOLD TSRA. THIS MAY CONTINUE FOR A WHILE...AND LOW END POPS HAVE BEEN EXTENDED INTO THE EARLY MORNING HOURS IN THESE UPSLOPE AREAS. THE VERY SLOW MOVEMENT COULD LEAD TO ISOLD HYDRO PROBLEMS...BUT THERE APPEARS TO BE JUST ENOUGH MOVEMENT TO AVOID ANCHORING IN ANY ONE LOCATION. STILL EXPECT PATCHY TO AREAS OF DENSE FOG TO DEVELOP IN THE MOUNTAIN VALLEYS IF THE HIGHER CLOUD BLANKET REMAINS EAST OF THE HIGH TERRAIN. ON THURSDAY...AN H5 SHEAR AXIS WILL LINGER ALOFT...WITH CONTINUED WEAK Q VECTOR CONVERGENCE...THOUGH LESS THAN TODAY. THERE SHOULD BE ENOUGH LLVL MOISTURE TO COMBINE WITH THE WEAK FORCING TO PRODUCE ISOLD AFTERNOON SHRA...WITH A COUPLE OF THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE. INSTABILITY SHOULD BE TOO LIMITED FOR ANY SEVERE POTENTIAL. MAX TEMPS WILL LIKELY REMAIN A COUPLE DEGREES BELOW NORMAL GIVEN THE CONTINUED NORTHEASTERLY FLOW AND BETTER THAN AVERAGE CLOUD COVER. && .SHORT TERM /THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY/... AS OF 230 PM EDT WEDNESDAY...STILL NOT SEEING A LOT TO GRAB ONTO AS FAR AS FORCING FOR FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. SLIGHT EASTERLY FLOW WILL CONTINUE AS SURFACE RIDGE REMAINS IN PLACE OVER NORTHEAST COAST. THIS WILL AID DEVELOPMENT OF DIURNAL CONVECTION...BUT MOSTLY OVER THE MOUNTAINS. BETTER CAPE AND MOISTURE ON FRIDAY SO FOCUSED BEST PRECIP CHANCES THAT AFTERNOON...BUT FELT COMFORTABLE WITH SLIGHT CHANCES SATURDAY. && .LONG TERM /SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... AS OF 230 PM EDT WEDNESDAY...MORE OR LESS ZONAL FLOW ALOFT EXPECTED ACROSS MUCH OF THE CONUS SUNDAY. RIDGE OVER THE PLAINS BEGINS DEEPENING MONDAY AS TROUGH AND WEAK SURFACE LOW PRESSURE DEVELOP OVER EASTERN GREAT LAKES. WEAK SURFACE BOUNDARY APPEARS TO STALL JUST NORTH OF THE CAROLINAS BY MIDWEEK. PUT IN CHANCE POPS TOWARD THE END OF THE PERIOD TO REFLECT THIS. HPC TRACK OF TS ISAAC WOULD BRING THE STORM OVER GEORGIA BY EARLY WEDNESDAY...BUT GIVEN THE WIDE SPREAD IN MODEL SOLUTIONS THERE IS LOW CONFIDENCE THAT WOULD OCCUR. HOWEVER...THE RESULTING UPSLOPE FLOW IF THAT TRACK VERIFIES...AND POTENTIAL INTERACTION OF ISAAC WITH THE STALLED BOUNDARY...WOULD BE A CAUSE FOR CONCERN IN THE WESTERN CAROLINAS. WILL NEED TO WATCH TRACK FORECASTS CLOSELY. && .AVIATION /02Z THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY/... AT KCLT...REDEVELOPMENT OF WEAK CONVECTION UNDER THE UPPER TROUGH AXIS APPEARS TO BE OCCURRING SE OF KCLT LATE THIS EVENING. THIS SUGGESTS THAT THE AIRFIELD SHOULD BE FREE OF PRECIPITATION THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. CANNOT RULE OUT AN ISOLD SHRA OVERNIGHT GIVEN THE LINGERING UPPER SUPPORT...BUT CONFIDENCE REMAINS TOO LOW TO ADVERTISE THIS. CIGS SHOULD BE MAINLY MID AND HIGH CLOUDS OVERNIGHT...WHICH WILL LIMIT FOG PROBLEMS. THERE IS SOME MIXED MODEL GUIDANCE ON AN MVFR DECK ENCROACHING FROM THE ERN PIEDMONT AROUND DAYBREAK...BUT MOST SOURCES POINT TO VFR CIGS AT WORST. WILL HINT AT LOW CLOUDS WITH A SCT LOWER LAYER. WINDS SHOULD REMAIN SOLIDLY NE THROUGH THE PERIOD...WITH FEW TO SCT CUMULUS DEVELOPING UNDER MAINLY HIGH CLOUD CIGS THROUGH THU. ELSEWHERE...LINGERING SHRA/TSRA COVERAGE HAVE DEVELOPED MAINLY ALONG THE BLUE RIDGE IN E TO ENE UPSLOPE FLOW. THIS SHOULD KEEP ANY OVERNIGHT ACTIVITY AWAY FROM THE FOOTHILL SITES...BUT THERE IS SOME POSSIBILITY OF A ROGUE SHOWER OR TSTM NEAR KAVL. CONFIDENCE REMAINS TOO LOW TO MENTION THIS AT PRESENT IN THE KAVL TAF. OTHERWISE...EXPECT MID AND HIGH CLOUD CIGS AT THE FOOTHILL SITES...WITH ENOUGH DISSIPATION OF THE HIGHER CLOUDS AT KAVL OVERNIGHT TO PERMIT LIFR OR VLIFR OR WORSE FOG/CIG DEVELOPMENT IN THE MTN VALLEYS. BRIEF MVFR FOG WILL BE POSSIBLE AT THE FOOTHILLS LOCATIONS...BUT THERE MAY BE TOO MUCH LINGERING HIGH CLOUDS FOR A MENTION ANYWHERE BUT KHKY. AFTER ANY MORNING LOW CLOUDS SCATTER...EXPECT MAINLY SCT VFR CUMULUS WITH CONTINUED N TO NE FLOW. ANY LATE THURSDAY SHRA/TSRA COVERAGE SHOULD BE VERY ISOLD. OUTLOOK...HIGH PRESSURE WILL REMAIN OVER THE REGION THROUGH THE OUTLOOK PERIOD. ENOUGH LOW LEVEL MOISTURE MAY LINGER TO PERMIT ISOLD DIURNAL SHOWERS OR TSTMS...MAINLY OVER THE MTNS. PATCHY MORNING FOG WILL BE POSSIBLE EACH DAY...AND LIKELY IN THE 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...JOH NEAR TERM...HG SHORT TERM...JW LONG TERM...JW AVIATION...HG
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 323 PM EDT WED AUG 22 2012 GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033-035>037-048>053-056>059-062>065- 068>072-082-501>510-SCZ001>014-019-232000- 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- 323 PM EDT WED AUG 22 2012 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 ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP ACROSS THE WESTERN CAROLINAS AND NORTHEAST GEORGIA THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. OCCASIONAL CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING WILL BE THE PRIMARY THREAT WITH THESE STORMS. SLOW MOVING STORMS OVER URBAN AREAS AND OTHER POORLY DRAINED AREAS COULD RESULT IN EXCESSIVE RAINFALL. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... NONE. WIMBERLEY
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
639 PM EDT WED AUG 22 2012
NCZ070-222330-
GASTON-
639 PM EDT WED AUG 22 2012
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT CENTRAL GASTON COUNTY THROUGH
730 PM EDT...
AT 637 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR LOWELL...OR 3 MILES EAST OF GASTONIA...
MOVING WEST AT 10 MPH.
THIS STORM WILL IMPACT LOCATIONS NEAR...
GASTONIA...
WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.
HEAVY RAINS MAY FLOOD AREAS WITH POOR DRAINAGE...SUCH AS DITCHES AND
UNDERPASSES. AVOID THESE AREAS AND DO NOT CROSS FLOODED ROADS. WATER
LEVELS OF SMALL STREAMS AND RIVERS MAY ALSO RISE RAPIDLY. SEEK HIGHER
GROUND IF THREATENED BY FLOOD WATERS.
LAT...LON 3516 8113 3516 8123 3516 8124 3530 8129
3530 8106 3522 8104
LANESPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 718 PM EDT WED AUG 22 2012 NCZ068-070-230000- CLEVELAND-GASTON- 718 PM EDT WED AUG 22 2012 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT CENTRAL CLEVELAND AND NORTHWESTERN GASTON COUNTIES THROUGH 800 PM EDT... AT 716 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 3 MILES SOUTH OF CHERRYVILLE...OR 10 MILES EAST OF SHELBY...MOVING WEST AT 10 MPH. THIS STORM WILL IMPACT LOCATIONS NEAR... SHELBY... WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH AND VERY HEAVY RAINFALL ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. LAT...LON 3520 8161 3541 8160 3540 8132 3532 8129 LANE
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1040 PM EDT WED AUG 22 2012
NCZ053-507-508-230315-
BUNCOMBE-GREATER RUTHERFORD-RUTHERFORD MOUNTAINS-
1040 PM EDT WED AUG 22 2012
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT SOUTHEASTERN BUNCOMBE AND
WESTERN RUTHERFORD COUNTIES THROUGH 1115 PM EDT...
AT 1040 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 5 MILES NORTH OF LAKE LURE...OR 15 MILES
SOUTHWEST OF MARION...MOVING SOUTH AT 5 MPH.
THIS STORM WILL IMPACT LOCATIONS NEAR...
LAKE LURE...
DIME SIZE HAIL AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS
STORM. IN ADDITION...HEAVY RAINS MAY FLOOD AREAS WITH POOR
DRAINAGE...SUCH AS DITCHES AND UNDERPASSES. DO NOT CROSS FLOODED
ROADS...TURN AROUND AND FIND ANOTHER ROUTE.
LAT...LON 3552 8215 3553 8209 3553 8206 3537 8209
3541 8215 3540 8221 3540 8227 3544 8228
3546 8227 3550 8233 3558 8228
HGThe Greer radar (KGSP), 63 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 02:58 UTC.
1 heavy rain, 1 lightning, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Highway 64/74 was briefly closed with a small mud slide covering one lane to a depth of 6 to 10 inches.
Lightning struck a tree that fell on and heavily damaged a home on Toone Town Terrace. An occupant was briefly trapped inside.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in North Carolina in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in North Carolina, August 2012
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: 409463, 409461, 409462.