Slow moving thunderstorms dropped 2 to 4 inches of rain in a short period of time, resulting in areas of mainly urban flooding in downtown Charlotte and southward toward the South Carolina state line.
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.
Slow moving thunderstorms dropped 2 to 4 inches of rain in a short period of time, resulting in areas of mainly urban flooding in downtown Charlotte and southward toward the South Carolina state line.
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 7, 4:03 PM EST, 3 hours 7 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 503 PM EDT TUE AUG 7 2012 .SYNOPSIS... A STATIONARY FRONT WILL CONTINUE TO WEAKEN ACROSS THE AREA TONIGHT. A COLD FRONT WILL PUSH ACROSS THE AREA FROM THE WEST LATE FRIDAY. DRY HIGH PRESSURE WILL THEN BUILD BEHIND THE FRONT OVER THE WEEKEND WEEKEND. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... 430 PM UPDATE...NO NEED TO MAKE ANY SIGNFT CHANGES TO THE FCST. TEMPS AND TD/S ARE REMAINING STEADY STATE IN A MOIST...YET STABLE ENVIRONMENT. HIGH CHANCE AND LIKELY POPS STILL LOOK GOOD WITH ONGOING CONVECTION AND SHOWER ACTIVITY. AS OF 230 PM EDT...THE GROUND IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY SATURATED ACROSS PARTS OF THE AREA AS FAIRLY WIDESPREAD 1 TO 2 INCH RAINFALL AMOUNTS HAVE BEEN OBSERVED IN THE PAST 24 HOURS AT LOCATIONS IN NE GA...UPSTATE SC...THE SW NC MTNS...AND THE CLT METRO AREA. FORTUNATELY...PRECIPITATION RATES HAVE NOT BEEN SPECTACULAR THIS AFTN DUE TO LIMITED INSTABILITY FROM MORNING RAINFALL AND LOW CLOUDS. CONVECTION IS ALREADY GOING ALONG THE MTN RIDGES...AND COVERAGE SHOULD INCREASE THROUGHOUT AS DIVERGENCE FROM THE RIGHT ENTRANCE REGION OF AN UPPER JETLET BUILDS OVER THIS VERY MOIST AIRMASS. THE UPPER SUPPORT WILL GRADUALLY MIGRATE EAST ACROSS THE PIEDMONT THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS BEFORE SHIFTING OFF TO THE COASTAL PLAIN OVERNIGHT THROUGH WED. THE ANTECEDENT CONDITIONS CONTINUE TO MAKE ISOLATED FLOODING FROM RUNOFF LOOK MORE LIKELY...BUT WE ARE ONCE AGAIN LEFT WITHOUT A PRIMARY FOCUS AREA. THE 850 MB CIRCULATION CENTER OVER SRN AL TODAY SHOULD STAY SUPPRESSED TO OUR S AND CONTRIBUTE LITTLE IN THE WAY OF MOISTURE INFLUX OR LOW LEVEL UPSLOPE. SINCE THE AREAS OF BEST FORCING STILL DO NOT LINE UP WITH THE LOWEST FFG GUIDANCE AREAS...WILL ONCE AGAIN FOREGO A FLASH FLOOD WATCH BUT KEEP THE MENTION IN THE HWO. SOME GRADUAL DRYING WILL ARRIVE ALOFT FROM THE WEST OVERNIGHT. THIS COULD PRODUCE SOME LOW CLOUDS AND FOG...ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE MTN VALLEYS. THE FOG MAY BECOME DENSE AT TIMES. ONCE THE MORNING LOW CLOUDS/FOG BURN OFF...INSTABILITY SHOULD RAMP UP QUICKLY AS THE BOUNDARY LAYER REMAINS MOIST AND 850 TO 500 MB LAPSE RATES STEEPEN QUICKLY FROM THE NW. LESS IN THE WAY OF TRIGGERS WILL BE FOUND ON WED...BUT WEAK LOW LEVEL CONVERGENCE WILL EXIST AND DELTA THETA E VALUES AROUND 30 K WED AFTN WILL MAKE FOR A DECENT WET MICROBURST THREAT WITH ANY CONVECTION. MAX TEMPS WILL REBOUND TO NEAR NORMAL. && .SHORT TERM /WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY/... AS OF 120 PM TUESDAY...DIURNAL CONVECTION SHOULD GRADUALLY DIMINISH WED EVENING...GIVING WAY TO CLEARING SKIES AND NEAR-NORMAL MIN TEMPS. BY THURSDAY AFTERNOON...THE ATMOSPHERE SHOULD ONCE AGAIN BECOME MODERATELY...IF NOT STRONGLY UNSTABLE...ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST ZONES. CONVECTION SHOULD FIRE BY MID-AFTERNOON IN THE USUAL DIFFERENTIAL HEATING AREAS ALONG THE ESCARPMENT...AND NEAR REMNANT BOUNDARY/SURFACE TROUGH W/IN INSTABILITY AXIS JUST EAST/SOUTH OF THE AREA. WEAK SHEAR/FLOW IS EXPECTED TO RESULT IN LIMITED COVERAGE...SO WE WILL JUST FEATURE A SHOTGUN LOW CHANCE POP FOR NOW. OWING TO VERY DRY MID-LEVELS/FORECAST DCAPE APPROACHING 1000 J/KG THERE WILL BE A THREAT FOR ISOLATED PULSE SEVERE STORMS. THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY...HEIGHTS BEGIN TO FALL STRONGLY ACROSS THE OHIO/MID MISS VALLEY...AS AN UNSEASONABLY STRONG AREA OF VORTICITY DIGS INTO THE MIDWEST. A MOIST WAA REGIME DEVELOPS IN RESPONSE...SO ISOLATED/WIDELY SCATTERED CONVECTION IS EXPECTED TO PERSIST THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT/EARLY FRIDAY. A STRONGLY FORCED COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH AND BEGIN TO MOVE ACROSS THE AREA BY LATE IN THE DAY FRIDAY. SPC HAS OUTLOOKED MUCH OF THE CWFA FOR DAY 4...WHICH SEEMS REASONABLE IN LIGHT OF THE STRONG FORCING AND FORECAST SOUNDING DEPICTION OF MODERATE CAPE VALUES. HOWEVER...THERE ARE SOME ARGUMENTS AGAINST ORGANIZED SEVERE WEATHER FOR FRIDAY. ALTHOUGH THE FLOW ALOFT IS SOMEWHAT STRONG FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR...THE UNIDIRECTIONAL NATURE OF SHEAR PROFILES IS RESULTING IN A MAGNITUDE OF ONLY 25 KT (AT BEST). ALSO...THERE MAY BE QUITE A BIT OF CLOUDINESS AND SHOWER ACTIVITY IN THE MORNING...WHICH MAY MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO ACHIEVE THE LEVEL OF INSTABILITY DEPICTED IN THE SOUNDINGS. NEVERTHELESS...IT/S HARD TO BELIEVE THAT WE WON/T ESCAPE SUCH AN UNSEASONABLY STRONG SYSTEM WITHOUT SEEING AT LEAST SOME SEVERE WEATHER...SO THE THREAT WILL CONTINUE TO BE MENTIONED IN THE HWO. && .LONG TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY/... AS OF 145 PM TUESDAY...TROUGH AXIS AND COLD FRONT WILL PUSH ACROSS THE AREA FRIDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY SATURDAY...WITH SOLID CHANCE/LIKELY POPS LINGERING INTO FRIDAY EVENING. THE GLOBAL MODELS ARE IN DECENT AGREEMENT IN STALLING THE FRONT SOUTH OF THE CWFA OVER THE WEEKEND...WITH MUCH DRIER AIR ADVECTING INTO THE AREA. AFTER A STORMY FRIDAY/FRI NIGHT...THE WEEKEND MAY TURN OUT TO BE QUITE PLEASANT...WITH TEMPS AVERAGING A LITTLE BELOW NORMAL...AND POPS/ POSSIBLY RH AVERAGING MUCH BELOW NORMAL. THE MODELS SUGGEST AIR MASS MODIFICATION WILL OCCUR QUICKLY IN THE WAKE OF THE DEPARTING TROUGH...AS BERMUDA HIGH ALLOWS LOW LEVEL MOISTURE/INSTABILITY TO RETURN. A MORE TYPICAL SUMMERTIME PATTERN SHOULD YIELD MORE TYPICAL SUMMERTIME CONDITIONS...WITH ISOLATED TO WIDELY SCATTERED DIURNAL CONVECTION EXPECTED ON DAYS 6/7. TEMPS WILL ALSO LIKELY TO CLIMB TO NEAR NORMAL LEVELS BY THIS TIME. && .AVIATION /21Z TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... AT KCLT...COOL TEMPERATURES FROM MORNING CLOUDS AND RAINFALL HAVE INHIBITED CONVECTION IN THE CLT VICINITY THUS FAR THIS AFTN. HOWEVER...VISIBLE SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWS SOME THINNING OF THE CLOUDS SE OF THE TERMINAL...AND LAPS SFC CAPES ARE PICKING UP RAPIDLY. THERE SHOULD BE ENOUGH FORCING IN THE VERY MOIST AIRMASS FOR SOLID SHOWER COVERAGE THROUGH THE AFTN AND EARLY EVENING...WITH TSRA BEST TIMED FROM 21Z TO 01Z. EXPECT MAINLY VFR CIGS EXCEPT UNDER SHRA/TSRA...BUT WITH A TRANSITION BACK TO RESTRICTIONS DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. THERE IS CONSIDERABLE CONCERN THAT IFR OR LIFR FOG/CLOUDS COULD DEVELOP BY DAYBREAK WED...BUT THE MOS HAS LARGELY BACKED OFF THIS. WILL FEATURE MVFR CONDITIONS AS A COMPROMISE. AFTER MORNING RESTRICTIONS LIFT AND SCATTER...EXPECT MAINLY LOWER VFR CIGS WITH CONTINUED LOW CCL HEIGHTS. ELSEWHERE...SHRA/TSRA COVERAGE IS INCREASING OVER THE MTNS THIS AFTERNOON AS UPPER JETLET SUPPORT LINES UP OVER THE SRN APPALACHIANS. MORNING LOW CLOUDS AND RAIN SHOWERS HAVE CURTAILED INSTABILITY QUITE A BIT OVER THE FOOTHILLS AND PIEDMONT...BUT THESE AREAS ARE STARTING TO RECOVER AS WELL AS TEMPS RISE INTO THE LOWER 80S THERE. WILL FEATURE TEMPO TSRA FIRST AT KAVL STARTING AT 19Z...THEN AT THE FOOTHILL SITES BY 21Z. EXPECT MAINLY VFR CIGS...BUT WITH TEMPO MVFR THROUGHOUT. RESTRICTIONS WILL INCREASE THIS EVENING THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS AS SOME DRYING WORKS IN ALOFT OVER A VERY MOIST BOUNDARY LAYER. EXPECT A TRANSITION THROUGH MVFR TO IFR OR LOWER DURING THE EARLY MORNING HOURS WED. SLOW RECOVERY IS EXPECTED WITH MIXING/SCATTERING THROUGH WED MORNING WITH ALL LOCATIONS VFR BY 15Z TO 16Z WED. OUTLOOK...A RETURN TO A MORE NORMAL SUMMERTIME DIURNAL TSTM PATTERN IS EXPECTED ON WED AND THU. A COLD FRONT WILL APROACH FROM THE NW ON FRI TO INCREASE THUNDERSTORM COVERAGE THROUGH FRI NIGHT. DRIER HIGH PRES WILL RETURN OVER THE WEEKEND. 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...JDL NEAR TERM...HG/SBK SHORT TERM...JDL LONG TERM...JDL AVIATION...HG
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 332 PM EDT TUE AUG 7 2012 GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033-035>037-048>053-056>059-062>065- 068>072-082-501>510-SCZ001>014-019-081945- 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- 332 PM EDT TUE AUG 7 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. NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP OVER THE AREA THROUGH THIS EVENING. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL PRODUCE LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL. ISOLATED FLASH FLOODING COULD RESULT WHERE THUNDERSTORMS REPEATEDLY AFFECT THE SAME LOCATION. IN ADDITION... CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING STRIKES AND BRIEF GUSTY WINDS MAY ACCOMPANY SOME OF THE STORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. A COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO APPROACH THE REGION FRIDAY INTO FRIDAY NIGHT. STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE ASSOCIATED WITH THE FRONT...WITH THE MAIN THREAT BEING DAMAGING WIND GUSTS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTERS ARE REQUESTED TO FORWARD ANY REPORTS OF DAMAGING WINDS OR FLASH FLOODING TO OUR OFFICE. LANE
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
434 PM EDT TUE AUG 7 2012
SCZ011-019-072115-
ABBEVILLE-GREENWOOD-
434 PM EDT TUE AUG 7 2012
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT SOUTHEASTERN ABBEVILLE AND
WESTERN GREENWOOD COUNTIES THROUGH 515 PM EDT...
AT 429 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 3 MILES WEST OF VERDERY...OR 6 MILES SOUTHEAST OF
ABBEVILLE. THIS STORM WAS NEARLY STATIONARY.
* OTHER LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO VERDERY...
GREENWOOD AND ABBEVILLE.
SMALL HAIL...WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH AND TORRENTIAL RAIN ARE
EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.
LAT...LON 3403 8233 3406 8234 3405 8237 3408 8245
3431 8235 3420 8209 3400 8225
07SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
612 PM EDT TUE AUG 7 2012
NCZ502-072300-
GREATER CALDWELL-
612 PM EDT TUE AUG 7 2012
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT SOUTHEASTERN CALDWELL COUNTY
THROUGH 700 PM EDT...
AT 608 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR CAJAH'S MOUNTAIN...OR 5 MILES SOUTH OF
LENOIR. THIS STORM WAS NEARLY STATIONARY.
THIS STORM WILL IMPACT LOCATIONS NEAR...
HUDSON...
SMALL HAIL...WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH AND TORRENTIAL RAIN ARE
EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.
LAT...LON 3588 8133 3582 8134 3577 8142 3579 8145
3578 8156 3583 8160 3582 8162 3586 8166
3602 8150
07SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
630 PM EDT TUE AUG 7 2012
NCZ071-072315-
MECKLENBURG-
630 PM EDT TUE AUG 7 2012
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT SOUTHEASTERN MECKLENBURG COUNTY
THROUGH 715 PM EDT...
AT 628 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 3 MILES SOUTHEAST OF SOUTHPARK MALL...OR 8 MILES
SOUTH OF CENTER CITY CHARLOTTE...MOVING NORTH AT 5 MPH.
* OTHER LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO I-77 AT
I-85...CENTER CITY CHARLOTTE...SOUTHPARK MALL...EASTLAND MALL...
PINEVILLE...MINT HILL AND MATTHEWS.
SMALL HAIL...WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH AND TORRENTIAL RAIN ARE
EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.
LAT...LON 3514 8064 3503 8077 3503 8079 3506 8090
3510 8092 3534 8087 3528 8067 3527 8066
3522 8058
07SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
640 PM EDT TUE AUG 7 2012
SCZ014-072330-
CHESTER-
640 PM EDT TUE AUG 7 2012
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT EASTERN CHESTER COUNTY THROUGH
730 PM EDT...
AT 636 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 6 MILES NORTHEAST OF CORNWELL...OR 7 MILES
SOUTHEAST OF CHESTER. THIS STORM WAS NEARLY STATIONARY.
THIS STORM WILL IMPACT LOCATIONS NEAR...
RICHBURG...
SMALL HAIL...WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH AND TORRENTIAL RAIN ARE
EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.
LAT...LON 3455 8111 3455 8115 3470 8124 3483 8103
3482 8102 3461 8088
07SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
723 PM EDT TUE AUG 7 2012
NCZ071-080015-
MECKLENBURG-
723 PM EDT TUE AUG 7 2012
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT MECKLENBURG COUNTY THROUGH 815
PM EDT...
AT 718 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 3 MILES WEST OF CENTER CITY CHARLOTTE...MOVING
NORTHEAST AT 5 MPH. ANOTHER STRONG THUNDERSTORM EAS MOVING NORTHEAST
FORM LAKE WYLIE.
* OTHER LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO I-77 AT
I-85...CENTER CITY CHARLOTTE...SOUTHPARK MALL...EASTLAND MALL...UNC
CHARLOTTE...PINEVILLE...PAW CREEK...HUNTERSVILLE AND CROFT.
SMALL HAIL...WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH AND TORRENTIAL RAIN ARE
EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.
FREQUENT LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM. IF OUTDOORS...TRY TO
GET INDOORS OR INTO A HARD TOPPED VEHICLE. OTHERWISE...STAY AWAY FROM
OPEN AREAS AND ISOLATED HIGH OBJECTS SUCH AS TREES. WHEN INDOORS...
STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS AND DOORS AND AVOID USING WIRED ELECTRONIC
DEVICES. TRY TO UNPLUG UNNECESSARY APPLIANCES BEFORE THE STORM
APPROACHES.
LAT...LON 3502 8084 3502 8087 3511 8094 3506 8103
3515 8103 3517 8100 3525 8101 3535 8096
3536 8092 3537 8095 3546 8090 3539 8074
3535 8069 3530 8067
07The Greer radar (KGSP), 123 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:09 UTC.
2 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
A few back roads were closed in parks near Pineville due to high water.
People in two separate vehicles required rescue at the intersection of Ashley Road and Wilkinson Blvd. Another vehicle was trapped in high water at Camp Greene Street at Freedom Drive. A final water rescue occurred at the intersection of Wesley Village and Freedom Drive. All of these are on the west side of Charlotte where automated gauges reported 2 to 3 inches of rain in a little over an hour.
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: 409491, 409492.