A thunderstorm outflow boundary crossed Gaston County during the evening hours. While the winds were well below severe limits, a partially rotten tree was blown onto a car, killing two people and seriously injuring a third.
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 thunderstorm outflow boundary crossed Gaston County during the evening hours. While the winds were well below severe limits, a partially rotten tree was blown onto a car, killing two people and seriously injuring a third.
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 Mar 23, 4:26 PM EST, 1 hour 25 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 526 PM EDT FRI MAR 23 2012 .SYNOPSIS... A WARM AND MOIST AIR MASS WILL LINGER ACROSS THE REGION TONIGHT AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT. THE FRONT WILL CROSS THE CAROLINAS AND NORTHEAST GEORGIA ON SATURDAY...FOLLOWED BY AN UPPER LEVEL LOW ON SUNDAY. DRY HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD ACROSS THE REGION SUNDAY NIGHT AND WILL REMAIN THROUGH WEDNESDAY. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH SATURDAY/... AS OF 5 PM EDT...UPDATED THE FORECAST TO INCREASE POPS AHEAD OF THE DEVELOPING MCS OVER THE UPSTATE AND WRN NC FOOTHILLS...AND DECREASE POPS BEHIND IT. ADDITIONAL CONVECTION WILL PROBABLY MOVE BACK INTO NE GA AND THE WRN UPSTATE IN A CPL HOURS...BUT POPS WILL BE KEPT LOW UNTIL THE STORMS START TO SHOW SOME ORGANIZATION. PREVIOUS DISCUSSION... UPPER LOW AND ASSOC SHORTWAVE TROFS CONTINUE MOVG E TOWARD THE REGION WHILE MOIST S LL FLOW INCREASES OVER THE AREA. SHWRS AND TSTMS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP AND MOVE NE ACROSS THE CWA THIS EVE...TAPERING OFF SOMEWHAT OVERNIGHT...THEN REDEVELOPING SAT AS THE UPPER LOW TRACKS E ACROSS THE CWA ON THE WAY TO THE CAROLINA COAST. FCST SOUNDINGS SHOW SOME CAPE AND SHEAR THRU THIS EVE BUT SVR THREAT IS SOMEWHAT LIMITED DUE TO MOIST PROFILES AND WEAK SHEAR. AS THE UPPER LOW MOVES IN SAT SHEAR/CAPE INCREASE...AND WITH A LITTLE DRY AIR IN THE MID LVLS THERE WILL BE A HIGHER THREAT OF DAMAGING WIND/HAIL...MAINLY SAT AFTN-EVE. SPC HAS THE SE CWA IN AN AREA FOR SLIGHT RISK OF SVR STORMS AND THIS LOOKS REASONABLE. TEMPS WILL REMAIN ABOVE AVG THRU SAT. && .SHORT TERM /SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY/... AS OF 2 PM FRIDAY...ANY CONVECTION THAT DEVELOPS ALONG LEE TROF/COLD FRONT ACRS THE FTHLS/PIEDMONT SAT AFTN SHUD BE PUSHING EAST OF THE AREA SAT EVE. THERE MAY BE A LULL IN PRECIP COVERAGE BEHIND THAT BATCH OF CONVECTION OVERNIGHT BEFORE THE CENTER OF AN UPPER LOW CROSSES THE AREA EARLY SUN MRNG. AS THE LOW PASSES...ANOTHER ROUND OF SCATTERED SHWRS SHUD CROSS THE AREA. INSTBY WILL BE ELEV AND WEAK. SO LTL IN WAY OF THUNDER CHCS EXPECTED. MIN TEMPS STILL ABOVE NORMAL IN THE 40S MTNS AND LWR-MID 50S PIEDMONT. SUNDAY...HEIGHT RISES IN WAKE OF UPPER LOW AND STRENGTHENING NWLY LLVL SHUD PUT END TO PRECIP...SAVE FOR TN BORDER WHERE UPSLOPE WILL CONTINUE. TEMPS STILL EXPECTED TO BE ABOVE NORMAL AS THICKNESSES QUICKLY REBOUND BEHIND THE LOW AND ALSO DOWNSLOPE EAST OF THE MTNS (HIGHS IN THE 60S MTNS AND LWR-MID 70S PIEDMONT). SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY...AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE WILL AMPLIFY ACRS THE CENTER OF THE CONUS...WHILE A TROF DIGS OVER THE NORTHEAST STATES. THIS AMPLIFYING FLOW WILL ALLOW A STRONG CP AIR MASS TO PUSH INTO THE EASTERN GREAT LAKES TO THE MID ATLANTIC WITH THE COLD FRONT APPROACHING THE CWFA FROM THE NORTH. BOTH THE NAM AND GFS HAVE 850 MB TEMPS STILL IN THE 10-12C RANGE WITH DOWNSLOPE NNWLY FLOW. THE BACKDOOR FRONT MAY PUSH IN MON AFTN...BUT FOR NOW EXPECTING IT TO REMAIN NORTH OF THE AREA. SO I AM FORECASTING HIGHS IN THE MID-UPR 70S EAST OF THE MTNS (EXCEPT LWR 70S MTN VALLEYS AND 60S HIGH TERRAIN). && .LONG TERM /MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY/... AS OF 230 PM FRIDAY...THE LATEST EXTENDED MODELS ARE IN GOOD AGREEMENT WITH STRONG CANADIAN SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE GREAT LAKES PUSHING INTO OUR FORECAST AREA MONDAY AND LINGER INTO WEDNESDAY. AS A RESULT...MOSTLY DRY CONDITIONS WITH COOLER TEMPERATURES CAN BE EXPECTED ACROSS THE REGION THROUGH WEDNESDAY. A WEAK COLD FRONT IS PROGGED TO CROSS THE CAROLINAS AND NE GEORGIA WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY MORNING. BOTH THE GFS AND THE ECMWF INDICATE THAT THE LOWER PIEDMONT AREA WILL STAY MOSTLY DRY AS THE UPPER LEVEL DYNAMICS WEAKENS AND THE AIRMASS REMAINS RELATIVELY DRY. HOWEVER..DECENT LLVL NW FLOW LIFTING ALONG WITH WEAK DIURNAL INSTABILITY OVER THE NC MOUNTAINS MAY SUPPORT FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS DURING THE PASSAGE OF THE FRONT. HENCE...I MENTIONED 20-30 POPS THERE WITH MOSTLY DRY CONDITIONS ELSEWHERE. FRIDAY AND SATURDAY...ANOTHER CANADIAN HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE GREAT LAKES AND SE CANADA IS EXPECTED TO PUSH SOUTH ACROSS THE REGION FOR MOSTLY DRY WEATHER AND MILD CONDITIONS THROUGH THE PERIOD. && .AVIATION /22Z FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... AT KCLT...MAIN CONCERN WILL BE CONVECTION DEVELOPING/MOVG IN LATER THIS AFTN WITH A CHC OF TSTMS BY 20Z. RESTRICTIONS SHOULD BE LIMITED TO HEAVIER SHWRS THAT MAY DEVELOP AND MOVE OVER THE FIELD. EXPECT MVFR CIGS LATER THIS EVE TO LOWER TO IFR AFT 08Z. FOG WILL LIKELY BE A PROBLEM FOR AT LEAST A COUPLE HOURS AROUND DAYBREAK. CHC OF TSTMS AGAIN SAT...ESP AFTN. ELSEWHERE...SIMILAR TO KCLT WITH EARLIER TIMING ON ONSET OF CONVECTION. EXPECT LIFR/VLIFR AROUND DAYBREAK AT KAVL. OUTLOOK...SCATTERED TSTMS SHOULD CONTINUE SAT EVE AND SUN AS AN UPPER LOW CENTER MOVES SLOWLY ACROSS THE REGION. EXPECT IFR RESTRICTIONS SUN MRNG AND WITH HEAVIER SHWRS AND TSTMS. DRYING IS EXPECTED EARLY NEXT WEEK. 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...MCAVOY SHORT TERM...ARK LONG TERM...JOH AVIATION...RB
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 501 PM EDT FRI MAR 23 2012 NCZ035>037-056-057-068>072-082-502-504-506-508-510-SCZ007>009- 012>014-019-242115- ALEXANDER-IREDELL-DAVIE-CATAWBA-ROWAN-CLEVELAND-LINCOLN-GASTON- MECKLENBURG-CABARRUS-UNION NC-GREATER CALDWELL-GREATER BURKE- EASTERN MCDOWELL-GREATER RUTHERFORD-EASTERN POLK-SPARTANBURG- CHEROKEE-YORK-LAURENS-UNION SC-CHESTER-GREENWOOD- 501 PM EDT FRI MAR 23 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PIEDMONT NORTH CAROLINA...WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP ACROSS THE NORTH CAROLINA PIEDMONT AND EASTERN UPSTATE THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS. A FEW THUNDERSTORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE...PRODUCING LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WIND GUSTS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP AGAIN ON SATURDAY AND LINGER INTO SUNDAY. SOME OF THESE STORMS MAY PRODUCE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING HOURS. AN ISOLATED TORNADO CANNOT BE RULED OUT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... NONE. GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033-048>053-058-059-062>065-501-503- 505-507-509-SCZ001>006-010-011-242115- RABUN-HABERSHAM-STEPHENS-FRANKLIN-HART-ELBERT-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-OCONEE MOUNTAINS-PICKENS MOUNTAINS- GREENVILLE MOUNTAINS-GREATER OCONEE-GREATER PICKENS- GREATER GREENVILLE-ANDERSON-ABBEVILLE- 501 PM EDT FRI MAR 23 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST GEORGIA...WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP ACROSS THE NORTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS AND UPPER SAVANNAH VALLEY THIS EVENING. A FEW THUNDERSTORMS MAY PRODUCE SMALL HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP AGAIN ON SATURDAY AND LINGER INTO SUNDAY. SOME OF THESE STORMS MAY PRODUCE LARGE HAIL DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING PERIOD. THE GREATEST POTENTIAL FOR LARGE HAIL WILL LIKELY OCCUR ACROSS THE FOOTHILLS AND PIEDMONT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... NONE. ARK
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
446 PM EDT FRI MAR 23 2012
NCZ071-232115-
MECKLENBURG-
446 PM EDT FRI MAR 23 2012
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT SOUTHERN MECKLENBURG COUNTY
THROUGH 515 PM EDT...
AT 439 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR LAKE WYLIE...OR 11 MILES NORTH OF ROCK
HILL...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.
THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR...
SOUTHPARK MALL...
CITY CENTER CHARLOTTE...
EASTLAND MALL...
DIME SIZE HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS
STORM.
LAT...LON 3516 8069 3509 8092 3511 8094 3506 8101
3506 8102 3510 8104 3512 8104 3515 8105
3516 8101 3519 8100 3533 8083
LANESPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
458 PM EDT FRI MAR 23 2012
SCZ007-008-013-232145-
CHEROKEE-SPARTANBURG-UNION-
458 PM EDT FRI MAR 23 2012
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHWESTERN UNION...
SOUTHEASTERN SPARTANBURG AND SOUTHERN CHEROKEE COUNTIES THROUGH 545
PM EDT...
AT 452 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 3 MILES SOUTHEAST OF WOODRUFF...OR 15 MILES NORTH
OF LAURENS...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH.
THIS STORM WILL IMPACT LOCATIONS NEAR...
ROEBUCK...
PACOLET...
DIME SIZE HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH
THIS STORM.
LAT...LON 3466 8197 3466 8200 3469 8205 3471 8207
3474 8208 3475 8210 3505 8182 3488 8160
3463 8193
LANESPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
551 PM EDT FRI MAR 23 2012
NCZ056-068>070-504-232215-
CATAWBA-CLEVELAND-GASTON-GREATER BURKE-LINCOLN-
551 PM EDT FRI MAR 23 2012
...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT CLEVELAND...NORTHWESTERN
GASTON...SOUTHEASTERN BURKE...SOUTHWESTERN CATAWBA AND WESTERN
LINCOLN COUNTIES THROUGH 615 PM EDT...
AT 544 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 4 MILES NORTH OF
CASAR TO LAWNDALE TO 6 MILES SOUTH OF BOILING SPRINGS NC...MOVING
NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.
THESE STORMS WILL IMPACT LOCATIONS NEAR...
SHELBY...
VALE...
WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS.
LAT...LON 3571 8145 3549 8131 3525 8140 3517 8163
3517 8165 3518 8167 3534 8162 3562 8170
LANESPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
615 PM EDT FRI MAR 23 2012
NCZ035-056-069-070-502-504-232300-
ALEXANDER-CATAWBA-GASTON-GREATER BURKE-GREATER CALDWELL-LINCOLN-
615 PM EDT FRI MAR 23 2012
...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT CATAWBA...EASTERN BURKE...
LINCOLN...NORTHWESTERN GASTON...SOUTHEASTERN CALDWELL AND
SOUTHWESTERN ALEXANDER COUNTIES THROUGH 700 PM EDT...
AT 608 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM CONNELLY SPRINGS TO
4 MILES SOUTH OF VALE TO 4 MILES NORTHWEST OF KINGS MOUNTAIN...MOVING
NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.
THESE STORMS WILL IMPACT LOCATIONS NEAR...
GRANITE FALLS...
LINCOLNTON...
LAKE HICKORY...
NEWTON...
IRON STATION...
CLAREMONT...
WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS.
LAT...LON 3564 8104 3544 8105 3534 8137 3539 8143
3545 8143 3578 8160 3593 8122
LANESPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
620 PM EDT FRI MAR 23 2012
NCZ501-502-232245-
CALDWELL MOUNTAINS-GREATER CALDWELL-
620 PM EDT FRI MAR 23 2012
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHERN CALDWELL COUNTY THROUGH
645 PM EDT...
AT 616 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR PATTERSON...OR 5 MILES NORTH OF LENOIR...
MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.
THIS STORM WILL IMPACT LOCATIONS NEAR...
KINGS CREEK...
WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.
LAT...LON 3610 8151 3610 8148 3608 8142 3603 8134
3587 8149 3597 8168 3613 8157 3613 8155
LANESPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
631 PM EDT FRI MAR 23 2012
NCZ068-070-SCZ008-009-013-232315-
CHEROKEE-CLEVELAND-GASTON-UNION-YORK-
631 PM EDT FRI MAR 23 2012
...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT CENTRAL GASTON...EASTERN
CHEROKEE...NORTHEASTERN UNION...SOUTHEASTERN CLEVELAND AND WESTERN
YORK COUNTIES THROUGH 715 PM EDT...
AT 625 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 3 MILES EAST OF
GROVER TO HICKORY GROVE TO LOCKHART...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.
THESE STORMS WILL IMPACT LOCATIONS NEAR...
KINGS MOUNTAIN...
BESSEMER CITY...
CLOVER...
GASTONIA...
YORK...
WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH AND BRIEF PERIODS OF SMALL HAIL ARE EXPECTED
WITH THESE STORMS.
LAT...LON 3499 8113 3482 8140 3482 8147 3481 8148
3479 8146 3478 8146 3469 8159 3494 8147
3522 8146 3541 8105 3524 8101
LANEThe Greer radar (KGSP), 99 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:52 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A partially rotted tree fell on and crushed a vehicle on Stagecoach Rd, killing two occupants and seriously injuring a third.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind, Gaston | 2012-03-23 | 49 | Male | Vehicle/Towed Trailer | Direct |
| Thunderstorm Wind, Gaston | 2012-03-23 | 60 | Female | Vehicle/Towed Trailer | Direct |
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, March 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: 371334.