South Carolina, 2016

Damaging Winds and Lightning Strike in South Carolina, July 15, 2016

July 15, 2016 · NWS GSP · 4 events in 2 counties and zones

Scattered thunderstorms developed across the Upstate during the late afternoon and evening. Some of the storms produced brief damaging winds and heavy rainfall.

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
$22,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
4

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 the Upstate during the late afternoon and evening. Some of the storms produced brief damaging winds and heavy rainfall.

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 15, 1:25 PM EST, 2 hours 17 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 15, 1:25 PM EST, 2 hours 17 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 15, 2:13 PM EST, 1 hour 29 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
313 PM EDT FRI JUL 15 2016

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033-035>037-048>053-056>059-062>065-
068>072-082-501>510-SCZ001>014-019-161915-
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-
313 PM EDT FRI JUL 15 2016

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

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP
ACROSS THE WESTERN CAROLINAS AND NORTHEAST GEORGIA LATE THIS
AFTERNOON THROUGH THIS EVENING BEFORE GRADUALLY DISSIPATING
OVERNIGHT. SOME OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE...WITH
DAMAGING WIND GUSTS BEING THE PRIMARY THREAT. ANY HAIL PRODUCED
WILL BE MAINLY LESS THAN QUARTER SIZE. ANY OF THE THUNDERSTORMS
WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING
AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL.

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

..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.
..WEDNESDAY...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
..THURSDAY...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SKYWARN SPOTTERS ARE REQUESTED TO FORWARD ANY REPORTS OF LARGE
HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...OR FLASH FLOODING TO OUR OFFICE.

GERAPETRITIS

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 15, 2:32 PM EST, 1 hour 10 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Jul 15, 2:35 PM EST, 1 hour 7 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Jul 15, 2:38 PM EST, 1 hour 4 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Jul 15, 3:25 PM EST, 17 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Jul 15, 3:28 PM EST, 14 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Jul 15, 3:42 PM EST, 0 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 20:40 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 thunderstorm wind, 1 lightning, 1 heavy rain. Local standard time, as filed.

Lightning, Spartanburg

When
July 15, 3:42 PM EST
Where
Spartanburg County, 0.89 mi SE of Glendale
Property damage
$20,000
Reported by
Broadcast Media
Coordinates
34.940, -81.820

Media reported lightning struck and ignited a fire at a home on Indian Creek Rd.

Thunderstorm Wind, York

When
July 15, 4:55 PM EST
Where
York County, 0.57 mi E of Guthries
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
34.920, -81.190

Public reported multiple large tree limbs blown down on Highway 321 north of McConnells.

Heavy Rain, York

When
July 15, 5:15 PM EST
Where
York County, 0.69 mi N of Boyd Hill
Property damage
$2,000
Reported by
Social Media
Coordinates
34.940, -81.030

One to two feet of deep standing water developed on a street on the Winthrop University campus after more than an inch of rain fell in less than an hour. One vehicle was stalled in the water.

Thunderstorm Wind, York

When
July 15, 5:25 PM EST
Where
York County, 0.69 mi S of Ft Mill
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
NWS Employee
Coordinates
35.010, -80.930

NWS Columbia relayed a report of trees blown down along Tom Hall St.

What these are

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.
Heavy Rain
Rainfall totals unusual for the place and season that did not produce a flood.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in South Carolina in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in South Carolina, July 2016

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: 651527, 651528, 651823, 651825.