South Carolina, 2015

Damaging Winds in South Carolina, July 18, 2015

July 18, 2015 · NWS GSP · 7 events in 5 counties and zones

Scattered thunderstorms developed across northern portions of Upstate South Carolina during mid-to-late afternoon. Multiple storms organized into a couple of larger storm clusters, which were responsible for producing localized severe weather in the form of damaging winds, mainly across the 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
0
Property damage
$200,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
7

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.

Scattered thunderstorms developed across northern portions of Upstate South Carolina during mid-to-late afternoon. Multiple storms organized into a couple of larger storm clusters, which were responsible for producing localized severe weather in the form of damaging winds, mainly across the Piedmont.

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 Jul 18, 3:38 PM EST, 10 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 18, 3:38 PM EST, 10 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 18, 5:59 AM EST, 9 hours 49 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
659 AM EDT SAT JUL 18 2015

GAZ010-017-NCZ033-035>037-048>053-056>059-062>065-069-501>507-509-
SCZ001>003-191100-
RABUN-HABERSHAM-AVERY-ALEXANDER-IREDELL-DAVIE-MADISON-YANCEY-
MITCHELL-SWAIN-HAYWOOD-BUNCOMBE-CATAWBA-ROWAN-GRAHAM-
NORTHERN JACKSON-MACON-SOUTHERN JACKSON-TRANSYLVANIA-HENDERSON-
LINCOLN-CALDWELL MOUNTAINS-GREATER CALDWELL-BURKE MOUNTAINS-
GREATER BURKE-MCDOWELL MOUNTAINS-EASTERN MCDOWELL-
RUTHERFORD MOUNTAINS-POLK MOUNTAINS-OCONEE MOUNTAINS-
PICKENS MOUNTAINS-GREENVILLE MOUNTAINS-
659 AM EDT SAT JUL 18 2015

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT.

ISOLATED TO WIDELY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TODAY
ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS AND THE I-40 CORRIDOR IN THE PIEDMONT AND
FOOTHILLS...MAINLY THIS AFTERNOON. WHILE THE PRIMARY THREATS WILL
BE FROM CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL...AN
ISOLATED SEVERE STORM OR TWO WILL BE POSSIBLE...WITH LOCALLY
DAMAGING WINDS BEING THE PRIMARY THREAT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.

..SUNDAY...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
..MONDAY...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
..TUESDAY...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
..WEDNESDAY...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
..THURSDAY...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
..FRIDAY...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

NONE.

GAZ018-026-028-029-NCZ068-070>072-082-508-510-SCZ004>014-019-191100-
STEPHENS-FRANKLIN-HART-ELBERT-CLEVELAND-GASTON-MECKLENBURG-CABARRUS-
UNION-GREATER RUTHERFORD-EASTERN POLK-GREATER OCONEE-GREATER PICKENS-
GREATER GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG-CHEROKEE-YORK-ANDERSON-ABBEVILLE-
LAURENS-CHESTER-GREENWOOD-
659 AM EDT SAT JUL 18 2015

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT.

ISOLATED TO WIDELY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED THIS
AFTERNOON ACROSS THE PIEDMONT OF SOUTH CAROLINA...NORTHEAST
GEORGIA...AND SOUTHERN NORTH CAROLINA. WHILE THE PRIMARY THREATS
WILL BE FROM CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING AND LOCALLY HEAVY
RAINFALL...AN ISOLATED SEVERE STORM OR TWO WILL BE POSSIBLE...WITH
LOCALLY DAMAGING WINDS BEING THE PRIMARY THREAT.

IN ADDITION...HIGH TEMPERATURES IN THE MID TO UPPER 90S WILL
COMBINE WITH MODERATE LEVELS OF HUMIDITY TO PRODUCE HEAT INDEX
VALUES OF 100 TO 105. TRY TO LIMIT OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES TO THE EARLY
MORNING OR EVENING HOURS. STAY OUT OF THE SUN AS MUCH AS
POSSIBLE...PREFERABLY IN AN AIR-CONDITIONED AREA DURING THE
HOTTEST PART OF THE DAY. IF YOU DO GO OUTSIDE...DRINK PLENTY OF
FLUIDS...AND WEAR LIGHT COLORED AND LOOSE FITTING CLOTHING.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.

..SUNDAY...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
..MONDAY...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
..TUESDAY...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
..WEDNESDAY...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
..THURSDAY...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
..FRIDAY...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

NONE.

LANE

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 18, 3:09 PM EST, 39 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Jul 18, 3:14 PM EST, 34 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Jul 18, 3:19 PM EST, 29 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Jul 18, 3:23 PM EST, 25 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Jul 18, 3:26 PM EST, 22 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Jul 18, 3:30 PM EST, 18 minutes before
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The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 18 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:48 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

7 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Greenville

When
July 18, 3:48 PM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where
Greenville County, 0.89 mi SW of Woodside to East Gantt
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
34.860, -82.410

Public reported multiple trees and power lines blown down, mainly on the west and south side of the city of Greenville.

Thunderstorm Wind, Anderson

When
July 18, 4:04 PM EST
Where
Anderson County, 1.33 mi ESE of Powdersville
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
34.770, -82.460

Public reported multiple large tree limbs blown down on Raven Wood Cir.

Thunderstorm Wind, Oconee

When
July 18, 4:25 PM EST
Where
Oconee County, 2.82 mi NNW of Tokeena Xrds
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
34.640, -82.990

Spotter reported multiple trees blown down near Crooks Farm Rd and Dave Nix Rd.

Thunderstorm Wind, Anderson

When
July 18, 4:50 PM EST to 5:09 PM EST
Where
Anderson County, 2.38 mi WNW of Evergreen Hills to 0.69 mi S of Homeland Park
Measured
60 kt (69 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$200,000
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
34.540, -82.720

HAM radio operator reported multiple trees blown down at Sussex Way and Stonehaven Dr in the Centerville area. The National Weather Service automated observing system (ASOS) at the Anderson Regional Airport measured wind gusts as high as 58 kts (67 mph), and a spotter reported numerous trees blown down with minor roof damage to homes in the Homeland Park area. Also, the public reported a tree blown down on a home near the intersection of Kelly St and J st in Anderson.

Thunderstorm Wind, Laurens

When
July 18, 4:54 PM EST
Where
Laurens County, 3.25 mi NNW of Ekom
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
34.470, -82.160

Spotter reported multiple trees blown down along Highway 252 near Hickory Tavern.

Thunderstorm Wind, Greenwood

When
July 18, 5:00 PM EST
Where
Greenwood County, Ware Shoals
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
34.400, -82.250

Public reported multiple large tree limbs blown down and the top of a large tree blown out in Ware Shoals.

Thunderstorm Wind, Greenwood

When
July 18, 5:21 PM EST to 5:31 PM EST
Where
Greenwood County, 0.69 mi N of Cokesbury to 0.69 mi N of Wade Hgts
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Law Enforcement
Coordinates
34.290, -82.220

DOT reported a tree blown down at Highway 246 and Townsend Rd near Hodges. Highway Patrol reported trees down on E Cambridge Ave, N Main St, and Bailey Circle in the city of Greenwood.

What these are

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.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in South Carolina in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in South Carolina, July 2015

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 596716, 596717, 596718, 597044, 596719, 596720, 596721.