Scattered thunderstorms developed over the North Carolina foothills along the lee trough. A few of the storms caused wind 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 over the North Carolina foothills along the lee trough. A few of the storms caused wind damage. There was also a small but intense area of flash flooding in the mountains.
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 Jul 19, 1:35 PM EST, 15 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 235 PM EDT THU JUL 19 2012 .SYNOPSIS... HIGH PRESSURE WILL WEAKEN AND MOVE SOUTH TODAY. THIS WILL ALLOW A FRONTAL BOUNDARY OVER THE OHIO VALLEY TO DROP SOUTH...INTO THE CAROLINAS EARLY SATURDAY. THE FRONT WILL REMAIN OVER OR JUST SOUTH OF THE REGION THROUGH THE WEEKEND AND DISSIPATE ON MONDAY. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH FRIDAY/... AT 230 PM EDT THURSDAY...AN UPPER TROUGH WILL AMPLIFY ALONG THE EAST COAST TONIGHT AND FRIDAY. A WEAK IMPULSE REACHING THE BASE OF THE TROUGH IS EXPECTED TO SUPPORT INCREASED CONVECTIVE COVER THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...IN A MOIST UNSTABLE AIR MASS THAT WILL SUPPORT PULSE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WIND. STEERING FLOW WILL NOT BE AS WEAK AS EARLIER THIS WEEK...LIMITING RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS. CONVECTION WILL GRADUALLY DIMINISH THIS EVENING WITH THE LOSS OF HEATING. MODEL GUIDANCE SUGGEST THAT FOG CAN BE EXPECTED ACROSS MUCH OF OF THE AREA BY DAYBREAK...BUT ONLY FEW MOUNTAIN VALLEYS ARE EXPECTED OT HAVE DENSE FOG. MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WILL SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL IN A MOIST AIR MASS UNDER CLOUDS. A COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH FROM THE NORTH ON FRIDAY...WHILE A PAIR OF SHORTWAVES MOVES INTO THE BASE OF THE TROUGH. POPS AND QPF WILL BE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER ON FRIDAY IN ADVANCE OF THE FRONT. INSTABILITY WILL BE SUFFICIENT FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AGAIN...AND WITH UNIDIRECTIONAL SHEAR PRESENT...SOME ORGANIZATION IS POSSIBLE... ESPECIALLY IN THE PIEDMONT. WITH BETTER STEERING FLOW AND MOVING STORMS...ANY HEAVY PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS WOULD BE FROM TRAINING OR REPEATING CELLS. MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES WILL BE NEAR NORMAL...AS ENOUGH BREAK IN CLOUD COVER WILL PERMIT HEATING TO OCCUR. && .SHORT TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY/... AS OF 235 PM THURSDAY...SHORT WAVE TROF WITH A SERIES OF ENERGY MAXES REMAINS OVER THE AREA FRI NITE AND SAT. SFC COLD FRONT BECOMES STALLED ACROSS THE AREA AS WELL. THE ENERGY MAXES AND RIGHT ENTRANCE REGION OF THE UPPER JET WILL PROVIDE SOME SYNOPTIC SCALE FORCING AND UPPER DIVERGENCE WHILE THE FRONT PROVIDES LOW LEVEL CONVERGENCE. STILL EXPECT A DIURNAL TREND TO THE CONVECTION...BUT THE COPIOUS MOISTURE AND LARGE SCALE FORCING SHUD KEEP AT LEAST SOME ACTIVITY GOING MUCH OF THE NIGHT FRI NITE. NUMEROUS COVERAGE IS EXPECTED AGAIN FOR SATURDAY FOR THE SAME REASONS...AS IS THE LINGERING COVERAGE OVERNIGHT. HOWEVER...AREAS OUTSIDE OF THE WRN MOUNTAINS COULD SEE BETTER COVERAGE. LOWS WILL BE NEAR NORMAL...BUT HIGHS WILL BE BELOW NORMAL WITH MORE CLOUDS EARLIER PRECIP ONSET. THE SHORT WAVE TROF MOVES EAST OF THE AREA SUNDAY...BUT A SHEAR AXIS WILL REMAIN IN ITS PLACE. THE FRONT WILL BEGIN TO WASH OUT...BUT A WEAK BOUNDARY WILL LIKELY LINGER. LOOKS LIKE COVERAGE COULD BE A LITTLE LESS THAN SATURDAY WITH LESS UPPER SUPPORT...BUT SHUD BE AT LEAST SCT. LOWS WILL BE A TAD COOLER...BUT HIGHS SHUD REBOUND TO JUST BELOW NORMAL. && .LONG TERM /SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY/... AS OF 215 PM THURSDAY...A WEAK TROF WILL KEEP A SPLIT OVER THE AREA BETWEEN THE WEST-CENTRAL CONUS RIDGE AND THE BERMUDA RIDGE. AT THE SFC...A LEE TROF AND COPIOUS LOW LEVEL MOISTURE WILL BE OVER THE AREA. THIS WILL LEAD TO SCT DIURNAL TSRA AND NEAR TO SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL TEMPS. ON TUE AND WED...SHORT WAVES MOVING THRU THE NRN STREAM FLOW HELP CARVE OUT AN UPPER TROF OVER THE EAST COAST. AT THE SFC...LOW LEVEL MOISTURE AND THE LEE TROF REMAIN IN PLACE FOR TUE WHILE A BACK DOOR COLD FRONT APPROACHES ON WED. AGAIN...GIVEN THE MOISTURE...INSTABILITY AND WEAK FORCING...GENERALLY SCT DIURNAL CONVECTION IS EXPECTED BOTH DAYS. TEMPS WILL INCREASE TO ABOVE NORMAL BY WED. THE TROF MOVES OFF THE COAST THU AND RIDGING BEGINS TO REASSERT ITSELF OVER THE SERN US AS MORE SHORT WAVE ENERGY MOVES ACROSS THE NRN TIER OF THE COUNTRY. THE BACK DOOR FRONT MOVES NORTH AWAY FROM THE AREA AS WELL. STILL EXPECT ENUF MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY TO LINGER FOR SCT DIURNAL CONVECTION ONCE AGAIN. TEMPS WILL FALL A DEGREE OR TWO FOR THU. && .AVIATION /19Z THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... AT KCLT...CONVECTION SHOULD HAVE GREATER COVERAGE TODAY AS A WEAK UPPER IMPULSE MOVES INTO THE AREA. A TEMPO FOR GUSTY WINDS...MVFR VSBY AND LOW VFR CIG WILL BE CARRIED FOR SEVERAL HOURS THIS AFTERNOON. GUIDANCE AND TRENDS FAVOR MVFR FOG AROUND DAYBREAK FRIDAY. GUIDANCE SUPPORTS A VFR CIG...BUT SOME SCATTERED VERY LOW CLOUDS WILL BE CARRIED IN THE TAF. PRECIPITATION ASSOCIATED WITH AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT ON FRIDAY SHOULD NOT BE A FACTOR UNTIL AFTER THIS FORECAST PERIOD. ELSEWHERE...CONVECTION IS ALREADY FIRING IN THE MOUNTAINS...BUT IS EXPECTED OT SPREAD INTO THE FOOTHILLS...AND ALL SITES WILL GET A TEMPO FOR MVFR CONDITIONS IN THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON. GUIDANCE AND RECENT TRENDS FAVOR FOG RETRACTIONS AT DAYBREAK FRIDAY...IFR AT KAVL...AND MVFR IN THE FOOTHILLS. GUIDANCE FAVORS VFR DAYBREAK CIGS AT TAF SITES...BUT TRENDS WOULD FAVOR A RESTRICTION AT KAVL...AND AN IFR CIG WILL BE CARRIED THERE. CONVECTION IS EXPECTED TO GET GOING EARLIER ON FRIDAY AS A COLD FRONT ARRIVES...BUT ONLY KAVL WILL HAVE ENOUGH COVERAGE BEFORE THE END OF THE FORECAST PERIOD TO CARRY THUNDER. OUTLOOK...PRECIPITATION AND ASSOCIATED RESTRICTIONS REMAIN POSSIBLE THROUGH THE WEEKEND. FOG AND STRATUS CHANCE WILL BE GREATEST IN THE MORNING...ESPECIALLY 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...PAT NEAR TERM...JAT SHORT TERM...RWH LONG TERM...RWH AVIATION...JAT
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...CORRECTED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 447 AM EDT THU JUL 19 2012 GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033-035>037-048>053-056>059-062>065- 068>072-082-501>510-SCZ001>014-019-200900- 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- 447 AM EDT THU JUL 19 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST GEORGIA...PIEDMONT NORTH CAROLINA...WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP ACROSS THE WESTERN CAROLINAS AND NORTHEAST GEORGIA AGAIN TODAY. THE STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO INITIALLY DEVELOP ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS...THEN SPREAD INTO THE FOOTHILLS AND PIEDMONT LATER IN AFTERNOON. SEVERAL OF THE STORMS TODAY COULD BECOME SEVERE...PRODUCING AREAS OF WIND DAMAGE AND LARGE HAIL. THE EFFECTS OF HEAVY DOWNPOURS AND SATURATED SOILS WILL ENHANCE THE THREAT OF FALLING TREES. LOCALLY VERY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL ACCOMPANY THE STORMS AND FLOODING OF POOR DRAINAGE AREAS AND A FEW STREAMS MAY DEVELOP. THE STORMS WILL ALSO PRODUCE FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... NONE. 14
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
134 PM EDT THU JUL 19 2012
NCZ502-504-191815-
GREATER BURKE-GREATER CALDWELL-
134 PM EDT THU JUL 19 2012
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHEASTERN BURKE AND
SOUTHEASTERN CALDWELL COUNTIES THROUGH 215 PM EDT...
AT 130 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR CAJAH'S MOUNTAIN...OR 3 MILES SOUTH OF
LENOIR...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 5 TO 10 MPH.
THIS STORM WILL IMPACT LOCATIONS NEAR...
LAKE RHODHISS...
HUDSON...
GRANITE FALLS...
PEA SIZE HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS
STORM.
LAT...LON 3591 8134 3589 8133 3588 8133 3562 8152
3577 8171 3597 8159
LGLSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
145 PM EDT THU JUL 19 2012
NCZ056-068-069-191830-
CATAWBA-CLEVELAND-LINCOLN-
145 PM EDT THU JUL 19 2012
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHERN CLEVELAND...
SOUTHWESTERN CATAWBA AND WESTERN LINCOLN COUNTIES THROUGH 230 PM
EDT...
AT 145 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 4 MILES NORTHEAST OF CASAR...OR 15 MILES
SOUTHEAST OF MORGANTON...MOVING EAST AT 5 MPH.
PEA SIZE HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS
STORM.
LAT...LON 3561 8134 3537 8149 3556 8169 3557 8167
3556 8165 3557 8160 3556 8158 3557 8153
3561 8151
LGLSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
152 PM EDT THU JUL 19 2012
NCZ063-064-SCZ002-003-191830-
GREENVILLE MOUNTAINS-PICKENS MOUNTAINS-SOUTHERN JACKSON-TRANSYLVANIA-
152 PM EDT THU JUL 19 2012
...SEVERAL STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT EASTERN JACKSON...
NORTHWESTERN GREENVILLE...NORTHWESTERN PICKENS... AND TRANSYLVANIA
COUNTIES THROUGH 230 PM EDT...
AT 150 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 4 MILES SOUTHEAST OF BALSAM GROVE...OR 6 MILES
SOUTHWEST OF BREVARD...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 5 TO 10 MPH. A COUPLE OF
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS NORTH OF BREVARD NEAR THE TRANSYLVANIA AND
HAYWOOD COUNTY LINE WERE ALSO MOVING TO THE SOUTHEAST AT 5 TO 10 MPH.
PEOPLE IN TRANSYLVANIA COUNTY AND IN EXTREME NORTHEAST AND EXTREME
NORTHWEST GREENVILLE COUNTIES... NEAR CAESARS HEAD... SHOULD BE
ALERT FOR THESE STORMS.
THESE STORMS WILL IMPACT LOCATIONS NEAR...
ROCKY BOTTOM...
BREVARD...
HEAVY RAIN... LIGHTNING... PEA SIZE HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40
MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS.
LAT...LON 3531 8290 3532 8283 3536 8280 3523 8260
3517 8259 3515 8258 3516 8255 3516 8249
3511 8240 3494 8281 3521 8302
LGLSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 155 PM EDT THU JUL 19 2012 GAZ010-191845- RABUN- 155 PM EDT THU JUL 19 2012 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT RABUN COUNTY THROUGH 245 PM EDT... AT 155 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 4 MILES WEST OF MOUNTAIN CITY...OR 5 MILES NORTHWEST OF CLAYTON...MOVING SOUTH AT 10 MPH. THIS STORM WILL IMPACT LOCATIONS NEAR... CLAYTON... LAKE BURTON... LAKEMONT... PEA SIZE HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. LAT...LON 3500 8351 3498 8316 3475 8336 3481 8358 LGL
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
208 PM EDT THU JUL 19 2012
NCZ506-508-191845-
EASTERN MCDOWELL-GREATER RUTHERFORD-
208 PM EDT THU JUL 19 2012
...A COUPLE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT RUTHERFORD AND
SOUTHEASTERN MCDOWELL COUNTIES THROUGH 245 PM EDT...
AT 205 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR FERO...OR 6 MILES SOUTH OF MARION...MOVING
SOUTHEAST AT 10 MPH. ANOTHER THUNDERSTORM JUST WEST OF SPINDALE WAS
MOVING TO THE EAST SOUTHEAST AT 5 TO 10 MPH.
THE STORMS WILL IMPACT LOCATIONS NEAR...
THERMAL CITY...
DYSARTSVILLE...
SPINDALE...
PEA SIZE HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THE
STORMS.
LAT...LON 3547 8170 3527 8197 3553 8209 3560 8203
3561 8204 3568 8197
LGLSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 235 PM EDT THU JUL 19 2012 NCZ064-SCZ002-003-191915- GREENVILLE MOUNTAINS-PICKENS MOUNTAINS-TRANSYLVANIA- 235 PM EDT THU JUL 19 2012 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHERN PICKENS...NORTHWESTERN GREENVILLE AND SOUTHERN TRANSYLVANIA COUNTIES THROUGH 315 PM EDT... AT 235 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 3 MILES NORTHEAST OF ROCKY BOTTOM...OR 11 MILES SOUTH OF BREVARD...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 5 MPH. THIS STORM WILL IMPACT LOCATIONS NEAR... ROCKY BOTTOM... TABLE ROCK RESERVOIR... PEA SIZE HAIL...WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH...AND TORRENTIAL RAIN ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. LAT...LON 3501 8255 3488 8281 3512 8293 3521 8273 HG
The Greer radar (KGSP), 70 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:50 UTC.
4 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A tree was blown down in the Union Mills community and another was blown down in the Cane Creek area.
A tree was blown down on a shed on Hill St. Other trees were blown down in the city, including a tree on a car at the United Way Office.
Large tree limbs were blown down in the Pumpkin Center community.
Trees and power lines were blown down.
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, July 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: 403791, 403792, 403796, 403797.