South Carolina, 2015

Flash Flood and Damaging Wind in South Carolina, May 28, 2015

May 28, 2015 · NWS GSP · 2 events in 1 county or zone

Scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms developed across Upstate South Carolina during the afternoon and evening. Isolated flash flooding and damaging winds occurred near the city of Spartanburg.

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
$5,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
2

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 to numerous showers and thunderstorms developed across Upstate South Carolina during the afternoon and evening. Isolated flash flooding and damaging winds occurred near the city of Spartanburg.

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 May 28, 3:51 PM EST, 1 hour 12 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 28, 3:51 PM EST, 1 hour 12 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, May 28, 4:33 PM EST, 30 minutes before
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In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 28, 3:25 PM EST, 1 hour 38 minutes before
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Special weather statement, May 28, 3:34 PM EST, 1 hour 29 minutes before
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Special weather statement, May 28, 3:44 PM EST, 1 hour 19 minutes before
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Special weather statement, May 28, 3:47 PM EST, 1 hour 16 minutes before
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Special weather statement, May 28, 4:08 PM EST, 55 minutes before
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Special weather statement, May 28, 4:23 PM EST, 40 minutes before
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The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 37 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:01 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 thunderstorm wind, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Spartanburg

When
May 28, 5:03 PM EST
Where
Spartanburg County, 1.79 mi SE of Forster to 0.57 mi W of Cowpens
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Law Enforcement
Coordinates
35.010, -81.850

Highway patrol reported a tree blown down at Cannon Campground Rd and Old Converse Rd (3 WSW Cowpens) and another tree down at Cannon Campground Rd and West Church St.

Flash Flood, Spartanburg

When
May 28, 5:50 PM EST to 7:00 PM EST
Where
Spartanburg County, 1.21 mi W of Whitney to 0.83 mi W of Whitney
Cause
Heavy Rain
Property damage
$5,000
Reported by
911 Call Center
Coordinates
34.977, -81.951

Law enforcement reported flash flooding along Chinquapin Creek after around 2 inches of rain fell in a very short period of time. Public reported water up to car bumpers on N Pine St, which was closed in the area around Highway 9 for a while.

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.
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

More

Every storm in South Carolina in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in South Carolina, May 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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 577661, 577660.