Flash Flood and Hail in North Carolina, June 22, 2012

Name: Flash Flood and Hail in North Carolina, June 22, 2012
Start: 2012-06-22T10:52
End: 2012-06-22T20:00
Location: North Carolina

June 22, 2012 · NWS GSP · 13 events in 8 counties and zones

Scattered thunderstorms developed over the Blue Ridge Moutains starting in the late morning hours. The storms caused scattered wind damage and produced a few reports of large hail as they moved out into the foothills and Piedmont.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 2
Property damage: $10,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 13

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS GSP wrote it up.

What forecasters said that day

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 22, 9:01 AM EST, 1 hour 51 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 22, 9:01 AM EST, 1 hour 51 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1001 AM EDT FRI JUN 22 2012

.SYNOPSIS...
A WEAK COLD FRONT WILL CROSS THE REGION FROM THE NORTHWEST
TODAY...BUT STALL ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST PART OF THE FORECAST AREA
TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY. THIS FRONT WILL DISSIPATE ON SUNDAY...BUT
ANOTHER COLD FRONT WILL ARRIVE FROM THE NORTHWEST MONDAY THROUGH
MONDAY NIGHT. GENERALLY DRY SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE IS THEN EXPECTED
TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY.

&&

.NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/...
AT 1000 EDT...MORNING UPPER AIR ANALYSIS SHOWED HIGHS CENTERED OVER
THE SOUTHERN ROCKIES AND OFF THE SOUTHEAST COAST...WITH A TROUGH
EXTENDING FORM HUDSON BAY TO THE TN VALLEY. A SHORTWAVE MOVING
THROUGH THIS TROUGH WAS NEAR THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS...WHILE
ANOTHER WAS UPSTREAM IN THE WESTERN GREAT LAKES. SURFACE ANALYSIS
PLACED A COLD FRONT IN THE TN VALLEY...AND A LEE TROUGH ALONG
INTERSTATE 85. RADAR SHOWS ISOLATED ACTIVITY AHEAD OF THE FRONT IN
SW VA. BOTH THE NAM AND GFS SHOW SUBSTANTIAL INSTABILITY TODAY...AND
A S THE COLD FRONT APPROACHES...CONVECTION IS EXPECTED TO BECOME
WIDESPREAD...SUPPORTING HIGH END POPS...ESPECIALLY IN THE MOUNTAINS.
ALTHOUGH SHEAR IS WEAK...DRY AIR IS AVAILABLE ALOFT FOR EVAPORATIVE
COOLING...SUPPORTING STRONG DOWNDRAFTS. MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES WILL BE
SEVERAL DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL IN A WARM PREFRONTAL AIR MASS.

AS THE FRONT SAGS SOUTH ACROSS THE AREA TONIGHT...THE FOCUS FOR
CONVECTION SHOULD SHIFT TO THE SOUTHERN HALF OF THE CWFA...ALTHOUGH
LACK OF SIGNIFICANT FORCING SHOULD RESULT IN DIMINISHING COVERAGE
WITH THE LOSS OF HEATING. MIN TEMPS SHOULD BE A LITTLE ABOVE
NORMAL.

&&

.SHORT TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT/...
AS OF 315 AM EDT FRIDAY...A 500 MB TROUGH IS EXPECTED TO LIFT EWD
ACROSS NEW ENGLAND ON SAT...WHILE A WEAK SURFACE COLD FRONT STALLS
ACROSS THE SE FRINGE OF THE FORECAST AREA. WEAK E TO SE UPSLOPE FLOW
BEHIND THE FRONT MAY COMBINE WITH LINGERING BOUNDARY LAYER MOISTURE
TO PRODUCE ISOLD TO SCT MTN CONVECTION SAT AFTN. THIS ACTIVITY COULD
ADVECT OUT INTO THE FOOTHILLS OR PIEDMONT THROUGH SAT EVENING.
MEANWHILE...UPPER LEVEL RIDGING WILL NOSE EWD FROM THE PLAINS. A
VORTICITY LOBE EMBEDDED IN THE DEVELOPING NW FLOW ALOFT MAY CROSS
THE SRN APPALACHIANS LATE SAT NIGHT/EARLY SUNDAY MORNING. ANY
MOISTURE WILL BE VERY SHALLOW AT THAT TIME...BUT WITH PROBABLY JUST
ENOUGH FORCING/MOISTURE TO PRODUCE ISOLD CONVECTIVE CONVERAGE DURING
THE OVERNIGHT/MORNING HOURS.

LOW LEVEL FLOW WILL LIKELY BECOME MORE SRLY THROUGH SUNDAY.
INSTABILITY WILL REMAIN FAIRLY MODERATE WITH DEWPOINTS REBOUNDING
SLIGHTLY. ISOLD AFTN COVERAGE IS EXPECTED...WITH SCATTERED COVERAGE
POSSIBLE NEAR THE BLUE RIDGE LATE SUN AFTN/EVENING. TEMPERATURES
WILL REMAIN ABOUT A CATEGORY ABOVE NORMAL.

&&

.LONG TERM /MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/...
AS OF 325 AM FRIDAY...A COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH FROM THE NORTHWEST
ON MONDAY IN CONTINUED DEEP LAYER NW FLOW ACROSS THE REGION.
MOISTURE IS NOT EXPECTED TO BE VERY DEEP WITH THE APPROACHING
FRONTAL ZONE...BUT INSTABILITY SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT FOR SCT TSTM
COVERAGE WITH FROPA MON AFTN/EVENING...ESPECIALLY OVER WRN NC.

NW FLOW WILL THEN PERSIST TUE THROUGH THU AS A STRONG RIDGE HOLDS ON
ACROSS THE CENTRAL CONUS AND LOW PRES CUTS OFF OVER SRN QUEBEC.
IMPULSES IN THE NW FLOW WILL BE VERY DIFFICULT TO TIME THROUGH THE
PERIOD...BUT PROFILES SHOULD REMAIN FAIRLY DRY DURING THIS
TIMEFRAME. TEMPERATURES WILL BE NEAR NORMAL.

&&

.AVIATION /14Z FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/...
AT KCLT/KHKY/KGSP/KGMU/KAND...A WEAK COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH THE
REGION FROM THE WEST TODAY...WHILE A SURFACE TROUGH WILL BECOME
BETTER ESTABLISHED OVER THE PIEDMONT. THESE FEATURES SHOULD PROVIDE
A FOCUS FOR AFTERNOON/EVENING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...AND PROB30
WILL BE RETAINED AT ALL TERMINALS. HOWEVER...DUE TO POLICY...PROB30
CANNOT BE INCLUDED BEFORE 21Z...BUT THERE IS POTENTIAL FOR TS
ANYTIME AFTER 17Z OR SO. I JUST DONT HAVE ENOUGH CONFIDENCE TO
INCLUDE A TEMPO ATTM. CONVECTION SHOULD BEGIN TO WANE THIS EVENING.
FOG/STRATUS WILL BE POSSIBLE LATE TONIGHT IN AREAS THAT RECEIVE
HEAVY RAINFALL.

AT KAVL...MVFR FOG WILL BE POSSIBLE AT THE START OF THE PERIOD...BUT
WILL IMPROVE QUICKLY IF IT DOES INDEED DEVELOP. AN APPROACHING COLD
FRONT WILL RESULT IN DEVELOPMENT OF NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND STORMS OVER
THE MOUNTAINS LATER TODAY. A TEMPO HAS BEEN INCLUDED FOR TSRA
BETWEEN 17 AND 21Z. PROB30 GROUPS WILL BE CARRIED FROM 21Z THROUGH
EARLY EVENING. FOG/STRATUS WILL BE POSSIBLE LATE TONIGHT IF HEAVY
RAINFALL DEVELOPS AT THE TERMINAL THIS AFTERNOON.

OUTLOOK...A WEAK FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL REMAIN IN THE AREA OVER THE
WEEKEND THROUGH MONDAY AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE A FOCUS FOR MAINLY
AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS. EARLY MORNING FOG WILL ALSO BE
POSSIBLE IN THE MOUNTAIN VALLEYS. DRIER WEATHER MAY RETURN BY
TUESDAY.

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...HG
NEAR TERM...JAT/JDL
SHORT TERM...HG
LONG TERM...HG
AVIATION...JDL

Hazardous weather outlook, Jun 22, 2:46 AM EST, 8 hours 6 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
346 AM EDT FRI JUN 22 2012

NCZ033-048>053-058-059-062>065-501-503-505-507-509-231000-
AVERY-MADISON-YANCEY-MITCHELL-SWAIN-HAYWOOD-BUNCOMBE-GRAHAM-
NORTHERN JACKSON-MACON-SOUTHERN JACKSON-TRANSYLVANIA-HENDERSON-
CALDWELL MOUNTAINS-BURKE MOUNTAINS-MCDOWELL MOUNTAINS-
RUTHERFORD MOUNTAINS-POLK MOUNTAINS-
346 AM EDT FRI JUN 22 2012

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT.

SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP OVER
THE MOUNTAINS OF WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA TODAY AND LINGER INTO THIS
EVENING. THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE VERY SLOWLY...PRODUCING HEAVY
RAINFALL IN AFFECTED LOCATIONS. ISOLATED FLOODING COULD RESULT.
THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL ALSO PRODUCE OCCASIONAL CLOUD TO GROUND
LIGHTNING STRIKES.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTERS ARE ASKED TO RELAY ANY REPORTS OF FLOODING TO THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ035>037-056-057-068>072-082-502-504-
506-508-510-SCZ001>014-019-231000-
RABUN-HABERSHAM-STEPHENS-FRANKLIN-HART-ELBERT-ALEXANDER-IREDELL-
DAVIE-CATAWBA-ROWAN-CLEVELAND-LINCOLN-GASTON-MECKLENBURG-CABARRUS-
UNION NC-GREATER CALDWELL-GREATER BURKE-EASTERN MCDOWELL-
GREATER RUTHERFORD-EASTERN POLK-OCONEE MOUNTAINS-PICKENS MOUNTAINS-
GREENVILLE MOUNTAINS-GREATER OCONEE-GREATER PICKENS-
GREATER GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG-CHEROKEE-YORK-ANDERSON-ABBEVILLE-
LAURENS-UNION SC-CHESTER-GREENWOOD-
346 AM EDT FRI JUN 22 2012

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST GEORGIA...PIEDMONT
NORTH CAROLINA...WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT.

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP TODAY THROUGH THIS
EVENING ACROSS NORTHEAST GEORGIA...UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA...AND
THE FOOTHILLS AND PIEDMONT OF NORTH CAROLINA. THE THUNDERSTORMS
WILL PRODUCE CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING AND VERY HEAVY RAINFALL. IN
ADDITION...A FEW THUNDERSTORMS MAY PRODUCE BRIEF BUT DAMAGING WIND
GUSTS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTERS ARE ASKED TO RELAY ANY REPORTS OF SEVERE WEATHER TO THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

HG

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jun 22, 10:50 AM EST, 2 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1150 AM EDT FRI JUN 22 2012

NCZ033-501-221630-
AVERY-CALDWELL MOUNTAINS-
1150 AM EDT FRI JUN 22 2012

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT EASTERN AVERY AND NORTHWESTERN
CALDWELL COUNTIES THROUGH 1230 PM EDT...

AT 1149 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 3 MILES NORTHWEST OF BLOWING ROCK. THIS STORM WAS
NEARLY STATIONARY.

PEOPLE IN EASTERN AVERY AND NORTHWESTERN CALDWELL COUNTIES...

SHOULD MONITOR THE WEATHER SITUATION CLOSELY. LISTEN FOR POSSIBLE
WARNINGS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION SHOULD SEVERE
WEATHER THREATEN.

SMALL HAIL...WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH AND TORRENTIAL RAIN ARE
EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.

LAT...LON 3610 8151 3610 8148 3609 8145 3595 8166
      3607 8184 3612 8180 3613 8173 3613 8155

MOORE

The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 142 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 15:52 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

7 hail, 4 thunderstorm wind, 1 lightning, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Caldwell

When: June 22, 10:52 AM EST
Where: Caldwell County, 6.09 mi NW of Globe
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 36.110, -81.780

Quarter size hail fell on highway 221 near the Watauga County line.

Hail, Caldwell

When: June 22, 12:13 PM EST to 12:15 PM EST
Where: Caldwell County, 2.53 mi E of Lenoir
Measured: 1.25 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 35.924, -81.505

Spotter reported half dollar size hail at the intersection of Wilkesboro Bvd and Taylorsville Rd. Quarter size hail was reported a few minutes later in the same area.

Hail, Buncombe

When: June 22, 12:30 PM EST
Where: Buncombe County, 3.7 mi SE of Black Mtn
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 35.562, -82.273

Lightning, Haywood

When: June 22, 12:30 PM EST
Where: Haywood County, 3.63 mi SSW of Big East Fork
Injuries: 2 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by: Newspaper
Coordinates: 35.320, -82.850

A father and son were injured by lightning while camping in the Graveyard Fields area along the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Hail, Lincoln

When: June 22, 1:25 PM EST
Where: Lincoln County, 2.36 mi SSW of Pumpkin Center
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 35.490, -81.170

Hail, Lincoln

When: June 22, 1:30 PM EST
Where: Lincoln County, 2.15 mi NNE of Toluca
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 35.550, -81.470

Quarter size hail fell along Macedonia Church Rd in the northwest part of Lincoln County.

Thunderstorm Wind, Iredell

When: June 22, 2:03 PM EST to 2:10 PM EST
Where: Iredell County, 6 mi W of Mooresville to 3 mi W of Mooresville
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Fire Department/Rescue
Coordinates: 35.580, -80.927

Multiple trees and power lines were blown down between Mooresville and Lake Norman.

Hail, Iredell

When: June 22, 2:05 PM EST
Where: Iredell County, 2.36 mi SSW of Mooresville Arpt
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Reported by: County Official
Coordinates: 35.590, -80.920

Hail, Buncombe

When: June 22, 2:14 PM EST
Where: Buncombe County, 0.69 mi S of Biltmore Forest
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 35.540, -82.520

Nickel size hail was reported in the Biltmore Forest area.

Thunderstorm Wind, Buncombe

When: June 22, 2:15 PM EST to 2:35 PM EST
Where: Buncombe County, 0.91 mi ENE of Woodfin to 0.89 mi SW of Busbee
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: County Official
Coordinates: 35.635, -82.565

Multiple trees and power lines were blown down from Weaverville Road on the north side of the city, across the west side, down to the Biltmore Forest and Arden areas. Some affected roads included Vanderbilt Rd, Sweeten Creek Rd, and Overlook Rd. A tree fell on a home on Lancelot Lane.

Thunderstorm Wind, Davie

When: June 22, 2:15 PM EST
Where: Davie County, 4.1 mi E of Farmington
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 36.020, -80.457

Four trees were blown down and part of a church was damaged by strong winds.

Thunderstorm Wind, Cabarrus

When: June 22, 2:40 PM EST
Where: Cabarrus County, 0.69 mi S of Kannapolis
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 35.490, -80.630

A few trees were blown down in the Kannapolis area with one tree down on power lines on Southeast Ave.

Flash Flood, Yancey

When: June 22, 7:00 PM EST to 8:00 PM EST
Where: Yancey County, 1.22 mi SSW of Spivey Gap to 1.78 mi S of Spivey Gap
Cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 36.013, -82.436

Several access roads and private bridges were washed out along Little Creek Rd. Water rose up to the bottom of several trailers.

What these are

Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Lightning: A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.
Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
Flash Flood: Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in North Carolina in 2012 Every state in 2012 This day in weather history Warnings in North Carolina, June 2012

Sources

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: 390547, 390549, 390551, 390553, 390555, 390556, 390557, 390560, 390562, 390568, 390575, 390576, 390789.