Scattered thunderstorms developed across the North Carolina Blue Ridge during the afternoon. Cell movement was generally slow, resulting in areas of heavy rainfall.
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 across the North Carolina Blue Ridge during the afternoon. Cell movement was generally slow, resulting in areas of heavy rainfall. One highly localized flash flood event occurred in McDowell County after training cells produced very heavy rainfall in the southern part of the county.
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 15, 12:57 PM EST, 3 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Greenville-Spartanburg SC
157 PM EDT WED JUN 15 2016
.SYNOPSIS...
Warm and humid conditions are expected through the end of the work
week with continued chances of afternoon showers and thunderstorms.
A cold front will push across the region on Friday, with dry and
cooler high pressure arriving this weekend.
&&
.NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/...
As of 145 PM: A weak low- to mid-level trough is present over
the region, with light southwesterly flow present near the
surface. The trough may have the effect of slightly enhancing lift
via convergence, but diurnal convection is the main interest thru
the rest of the day. Cells initiated over the Blue Ridge in late
morning and 1500-2000 J/kg of SBCAPE is shown over the Piedmont and
have slowly spread out from there, mostly to the east following the
mean flow. This agrees with the general expectation of the latest
HRRR and HiRes WRF-Window runs, which place most of their QPF over
the NC Piedmont, and the Upstate east of Greenville. Profiles are
rather moist (evidenced by PWAT values very close to 2 inches)
and deep shear values are similar to what they were Tuesday (15-20
kt). A couple of storms so far have grown tall enough to possibly
produce 35-45 mph wind gusts, but rainfall rates have been the
main concern. SPC just issued a Mesoscale Discussion to highlight
the potential for a few wet downbursts, and expects that some
multicell clusters could develop. I would agree with that, though
I personally think the threat of heavy rain and potentially minor
flooding from any such clusters is of more interest than the wind.
Convection should gradually wane tonight, though winds only slowly
begin to turn downslope as the aforementioned trough moves east,
and moisture remaining abundant. Lingering elevated instability
may be realized as MCVs from Ohio/Tenn valley convection drift
toward the Appalachians through early morning. PoPs will trend
down slowly as a result. Patchy fog is likely wherever a good
soaking occurs this afternoon/evening.
&&
.SHORT TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT/...
As of 315 AM EDT Wednesday: The short term begins in the wake of a
mid-level shortwave passage with surface trough/front positioned
across the Coastal Plain. Meanwhile a strong shortwave over the
Great Lakes will dive southeast toward the Central Appalachians
during the day, pushing the remains of the former trough/front
offshore. The Thursday forecast is rather challenging, but not for
any traditional reason such as model discrepancies. Operational
guidance is actually in fairly good agreement with surface flow
shifting around to the NW, providing a drying/downsloping component
to the sensible weather for Thursday. The Great Lakes shortwave
looks to induce some sort of MCS formation over the Upper Ohio
Valley, pushing east toward the Delmarva. GFS is slightly farther
west with the shortwave and thus the potential MCS is also slightly
farther west, but bottom line in all cases the severe potential
looks well to our north. WPC QPF is 0 for all of our area except the
mountains where NW flow will allow for some orographic enhancement.
Progs of sbCAPE keep most of our area (foothills and Piedmont) in a
minimum - generally below 1000 J/kg - though as usual the NAM is a
bit higher, about double. Notable deep-layer shear remains well to
our north, lining up with the shortwave itself, but 30kt 0-6km shear
reaches the northern mountains around 00z Thursday then falls apart,
though it manages to pull itself back together overnight as the
shortwave moves into VA. MOS is hard-pressed to put any mentionable
PoPs into the area, especially with the downsloping drying surface
winds. So...well, that is all well and good but the complication is
that SPC has continued the trend for Slight Risk with the Day2
outlook (though the probs have been reduced). This has introduced
the aforementioned challenges to the forecast as it seems severe
potential will be well to our north. In general I am a huge
proponent of putting forth a consistent message but based on all of
this, I don't plan to outline severe potential in the HWO. I could
be wrong.
Precipitation chances increase across the northern tier on Friday as
the front associated with the shortwave itself dips into the area,
moving through during the day. Canadian high pressure dips down the
Eastern Seaboard behind the front. SC and GA zones won't see much
appreciable change in temperatures from Thursday into Friday, but
the mountains and NC Piedmont will be a handful of degrees cooler
for Friday afternoon. The cooler/drier airmass will be much more
noticeable Friday night with lows 5-10 degrees cooler.
&&
.LONG TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/...
As of 330 AM EDT Wednesday: We have a very, very nice weekend in
store for the area in the wake of the short term cold front.
Canadian high pressure will dominate the area with decent low-level
CAA pushing in on Saturday as surface winds swing around to the NE.
Whatever happens with the former shortwave that will cause all the
ruckus for the short term (ECMWF still cuts it off over the western
Atlantic, whereas the GFS weakens it significantly and pulls it back
into southern GA), it doesn't look like it will affect us. Highs in
the 70s and 80s this weekend will be just lovely!
Should see enough return flow and upper ridging building in from mid-
level anticyclone over the Desert Southwest to see some rebound in
temperatures on Monday, closer to seasonal averages. The warmup
continues for Tuesday but more discrepancies in operational guidance
at this time with the short term shortwave (over the Southeast)
starting to spit some moisture toward the Upstate, though we remain
high and dry on the ECMWF. For now, kept PoPs out of the forecast,
though enough agreement in guidance on a deep longwave trough
setting up over Hudson Bay with a front pushing down the
Appalachians that we could start seeing some increase in PoPs in the
northern tier toward the end of the period.
&&
.AVIATION /18Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY/...
At KCLT and elsewhere: SHRA/TSRA will propagate ewd off the Blue
Ridge this afternoon, with the best chances for impacts at KHKY
and KCLT. However a mentionable chance exists at all sites. A
small threat of strong wind gusts exists, but the more likely
impact would be very heavy rain producing IFR vsby. Tonight some
showers may linger as shortwave passes overhead, allowing any
remnant buoyancy to be realized within what will still be a very
moist environment. Veering winds to WSW should occur late in the
period, perhaps into the NW quadrant after daybreak if lee trough
does not develop as anticipated.
Outlook: Mostly VFR conditions are expected. Afternoon SHRA and
TSRA are expected to be more isolated in coverage for Thursday
and Friday in the wake of a departing trough. Dry high pressure
builds in for the weekend.
Confidence Table...
18-24Z 00-06Z 06-12Z 12-18Z
KCLT High 85% High 100% High 100% High 100%
KGSP High 92% High 100% High 100% High 100%
KAVL High 85% High 100% Med 61% High 86%
KHKY High 92% High 100% High 97% High 100%
KGMU High 100% High 100% High 100% High 100%
KAND High 100% High 100% High 93% High 100%
The percentage reflects the number of guidance members agreeing
with the schedule TAF issuance flight rule category. Complete hourly
experimental aviation forecast consistency tables and ensemble forecasts
are available at the following link:
www.weather.gov/gsp/aviation
&&
.GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
GA...None.
NC...None.
SC...None.
&&
SYNOPSIS...TDP
NEAR TERM...Wimberley
SHORT TERM...TDP
LONG TERM...TDP
AVIATION...WimberleyHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 504 AM EDT WED JUN 15 2016 GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033-035>037-048>053-056>059-062>065- 068>072-082-501>510-SCZ001>014-019-160915- 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- 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-CHESTER-GREENWOOD- 504 AM EDT WED JUN 15 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST GEORGIA...PIEDMONT NORTH CAROLINA...WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...WITH BEST COVERAGE OVER THE MOUNTAINS. ANY STORMS THAT DEVELOP WILL PRODUCE CLOUD-TO-GROUND LIGHTNING... GUSTY WINDS...AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL. A FEW OF THE STORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE WITH THE MAIN THREAT BEING DAMAGING WINDS. ISOLATED FLASH FLOODING WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. ..THURSDAY...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. ..FRIDAY...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. ..SATURDAY...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. ..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. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... NONE.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
850 AM EDT WED JUN 15 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0830 PM TSTM WND DMG 5 ENE CHARLOTTE 35.21N 80.76W
06/14/2016 MECKLENBURG NC NEWSPAPER
MEDIA REPORTS TREES AND POWERLINES DOWN NEAR THE
INTERSECTION OF N SHARON AMITY RD AND WILORA LAKE RD.
TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR
&&
ASTAARPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1201 PM EDT WED JUN 15 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0635 PM TSTM WND DMG 1 N TIGERVILLE 35.08N 82.37W
06/14/2016 GREENVILLE SC PUBLIC
PUBLIC REPORTS SEVERAL LARGE BRANCHES DOWN ON N
TIGERVILLE RD. ONE BRACH WAS 6 INCHES OR LARGER
&&
ASTAARSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1204 PM EDT WED JUN 15 2016
NCZ053-064-065-151630-
BUNCOMBE NC-TRANSYLVANIA NC-HENDERSON NC-
1204 PM EDT WED JUN 15 2016
...A HEAVY RAIN SHOWER WILL IMPACT NORTHEASTERN TRANSYLVANIA...SOUTH
CENTRAL BUNCOMBE AND NORTHWESTERN HENDERSON COUNTIES UNTIL 1230 PM
EDT...
AT 1203 PM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A HEAVY RAIN SHOWER 10
MILES NORTHEAST OF BREVARD...OR 5 MILES WEST OF MILLS RIVER...MOVING
EAST AT 5 MPH.
LOCATIONS TO BE IMPACTED INCLUDE... HENDERSONVILLE...ARDEN...MILLS
RIVER...FLETCHER...ETOWAH...MOUNTAIN HOME... LAUREL PARK...ASHEVILLE
AIRPORT...SKYLAND AND MOUNT PISGAH.
WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH AND VERY HEAVY RAINFALL RATES UP TO 2 INCHES
PER HOUR WILL BE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
TORRENTIAL RAINFALL MAY FLOOD AREAS WITH POOR DRAINAGE...SUCH AS
DITCHES AND UNDERPASSES. AVOID THESE AREAS AND DO NOT CROSS FLOODED
ROADS. WATER LEVELS OF SMALL STREAMS MAY ALSO RISE RAPIDLY. SEEK
HIGHER GROUND IF THREATENED BY FLOOD WATERS. DO NOT DRIVE ACROSS
FLOODED ROADS.
&&
LAT...LON 3553 8252 3526 8245 3527 8272 3541 8275
3542 8275 3543 8276 3544 8276
TIME...MOT...LOC 1603Z 258DEG 5KT 3537 8266
07SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1226 PM EDT WED JUN 15 2016
NCZ509-510-151700-
EASTERN POLK NC-POLK MOUNTAINS NC-
1226 PM EDT WED JUN 15 2016
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT POLK COUNTY UNTIL 100 PM EDT...
AT 1226 PM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM
NEAR COLUMBUS...MOVING EAST AT 10 MPH.
LOCATIONS TO BE IMPACTED INCLUDE...
COLUMBUS...TRYON...MILL SPRING...LAKE ADGER AND GREEN CREEK.
WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH AND VERY HEAVY RAINFALL RATES UP TO 2 INCHES
PER HOUR WILL BE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
GUSTY WINDS CAN BLOW DOWN TREES THAT ARE DEAD...OR THAT HAVE WEAKENED
ROOT SYSTEMS. OUTDOOR FURNITURE AND SIMILAR ITEMS CAN BE TOSSED
AROUND IF NOT ANCHORED. SEEK SHELTER INDOORS.
TORRENTIAL RAINFALL MAY FLOOD AREAS WITH POOR DRAINAGE...SUCH AS
DITCHES AND UNDERPASSES. AVOID THESE AREAS AND DO NOT CROSS FLOODED
ROADS. WATER LEVELS OF SMALL STREAMS MAY ALSO RISE RAPIDLY. SEEK
HIGHER GROUND IF THREATENED BY FLOOD WATERS. DO NOT DRIVE ACROSS
FLOODED ROADS.
&&
LAT...LON 3540 8213 3534 8208 3533 8206 3520 8200
3519 8206 3520 8225 3519 8230 3529 8234
3531 8233 3531 8231 3537 8228 3540 8223
3540 8218 3541 8217 3541 8216
TIME...MOT...LOC 1626Z 248DEG 8KT 3528 8224
07SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
116 PM EDT WED JUN 15 2016
NCZ065-509-510-151745-
HENDERSON NC-EASTERN POLK NC-POLK MOUNTAINS NC-
116 PM EDT WED JUN 15 2016
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WITH INTENSE LIGHTNING WILL IMPACT WESTERN
POLK AND SOUTHEASTERN HENDERSON COUNTIES UNTIL 145 PM EDT...
AT 116 PM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WITH
INTENSE LIGHTNING 6 MILES SOUTHEAST OF HENDERSONVILLE...OR NEAR
SALUDA...MOVING EAST AT 5 MPH.
LOCATIONS TO BE IMPACTED INCLUDE... COLUMBUS...FLAT
ROCK...TRYON...SALUDA...EAST FLAT ROCK...TUXEDO...DANA... LAKE ADGER
AND MILL SPRING.
IN ADDITION TO INTENSE LIGHTNING...WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH WILL BE
POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
GUSTY WINDS CAN BLOW DOWN TREES THAT ARE DEAD...OR THAT HAVE WEAKENED
ROOT SYSTEMS. OUTDOOR FURNITURE AND SIMILAR ITEMS CAN BE TOSSED
AROUND IF NOT ANCHORED. SEEK SHELTER INDOORS.
FREQUENT LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM. IF OUTDOORS...TRY TO
GET INDOORS OR INTO A HARD TOPPED VEHICLE. OTHERWISE...STAY AWAY FROM
OPEN AREAS AND ISOLATED HIGH OBJECTS SUCH AS TREES. WHEN INDOORS...
STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS AND DOORS AND AVOID USING WIRED ELECTRONIC
DEVICES. DO NOT TAKE A SHOWER OR BATH. TRY TO UNPLUG UNNECESSARY
APPLIANCES BEFORE THE STORM APPROACHES.
&&
LAT...LON 3535 8214 3520 8221 3520 8229 3519 8232
3519 8235 3518 8237 3519 8238 3520 8238
3521 8239 3518 8243 3521 8248 3538 8240
TIME...MOT...LOC 1716Z 288DEG 5KT 3527 8236
07SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
149 PM EDT WED JUN 15 2016
NCZ504-506-508-151815-
GREATER BURKE NC-GREATER RUTHERFORD NC-EASTERN MCDOWELL NC-
149 PM EDT WED JUN 15 2016
...A THUNDERSTORM WITH TORRENTIAL RAINFALL WILL IMPACT SOUTHWESTERN
BURKE...NORTHEASTERN RUTHERFORD AND SOUTHEASTERN MCDOWELL COUNTIES
UNTIL 215 PM EDT...
AT 149 PM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A THUNDERSTORM WITH
TORRENTIAL RAINFALL NEAR MARION...MOVING EAST AT 20 MPH.
LOCATIONS TO BE IMPACTED INCLUDE...
MORGANTON...MARION...GLEN ALPINE...SOUTH MOUNTAINS STATE PARK...LAKE
JAMES...LAKE JAMES STATE PARK...OAK HILL...NEBO...DYSARTSVILLE AND
GLENWOOD.
WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH AND VERY HEAVY RAINFALL RATES UP TO 2 INCHES
PER HOUR WILL BE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
GUSTY WINDS CAN BLOW DOWN TREES THAT ARE DEAD...OR THAT HAVE WEAKENED
ROOT SYSTEMS. OUTDOOR FURNITURE AND SIMILAR ITEMS CAN BE TOSSED
AROUND IF NOT ANCHORED. SEEK SHELTER INDOORS.
&&
LAT...LON 3585 8171 3559 8161 3559 8165 3557 8173
3554 8200 3566 8205 3571 8203 3575 8197
TIME...MOT...LOC 1749Z 252DEG 17KT 3565 8195
07The Greer radar (KGSP), 81 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:01 UTC.
1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
EM reported flash flooding developed along West Fork Cove Creek in the Sugar Hill community after 3 to 4 inches of rain fell over a small area in around an hour. Several inches of water were reported flowing over Scenic Valley Dr.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in North Carolina in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in North Carolina, June 2016
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: 646272.