South Carolina, 2017

Damaging Winds and Lightning Strike in South Carolina, July 14, 2017

July 14, 2017 · NWS GSP · 3 events in 2 counties and zones

Scattered clusters of thunderstorms developed across the foothills during the evening. A few of these clusters produced brief severe weather, mainly in the form of damaging winds.

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
$70,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
3

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 clusters of thunderstorms developed across the foothills during the evening. A few of these clusters produced brief severe weather, mainly in the form of damaging winds.

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 14, 6:59 PM EST, 35 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 14, 6:59 PM EST, 35 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 14, 4:10 AM EST, 15 hours 24 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Greenville-Spartanburg SC
510 AM EDT Fri Jul 14 2017

GAZ010-NCZ033-048>053-058-059-062>065-501-503-505-507-509-150915-
Rabun-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-
510 AM EDT Fri Jul 14 2017

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for northeast Georgia and western
North Carolina.

.DAY ONE...Today and Tonight.

Scattered to numerous thunderstorms are expected to develop across
the mountains this afternoon and evening. While the main threats will
be from torrential rainfall and cloud to ground lightning, a few of
the storms could become briefly severe, capable of producing
damaging wind gusts.

.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...

None.

GAZ017-018-026-028-029-NCZ035>037-056-057-068>072-082-502-504-506-
508-510-SCZ001>014-019-150915-
Habersham-Stephens-Franklin-Hart-Elbert-Alexander-Iredell-Davie-
Catawba-Rowan-Cleveland-Lincoln-Gaston-Mecklenburg-Cabarrus-Union-
Greater Caldwell-Greater Burke-Eastern McDowell-Greater Rutherford-
Eastern Polk-Oconee Mountains-Pickens Mountains-Greenville Mountains-
Greater Oconee-Greater Pickens-Greater Greenville-Spartanburg-
Cherokee-York-Anderson-Abbeville-Laurens-Chester-Greenwood-
510 AM EDT Fri Jul 14 2017

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for northeast Georgia, piedmont
North Carolina, western North Carolina and upstate South Carolina.

.DAY ONE...Today and Tonight.

Temperatures in the lower to mid 90s will combine with moderate to
high levels of humidity to produce heat index values of around 100
across much of the Piedmont and foothills this afternoon. In
addition, scattered to numerous thunderstorms are expected to
develop across the area this afternoon and evening. While the main
threats will be from torrential rainfall and cloud to ground
lightning, a few of the storms could become briefly severe, capable
of producing damaging wind gusts.

.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...

None.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 14, 5:38 PM EST, 1 hour 56 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Jul 14, 5:57 PM EST, 1 hour 37 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Jul 14, 6:31 PM EST, 1 hour 3 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Jul 14, 7:04 PM EST, 30 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Jul 14, 7:24 PM EST, 10 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Jul 14, 7:31 PM EST, 3 minutes before
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The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 97 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:35 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

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

Thunderstorm Wind, Oconee

When
July 14, 7:34 PM EST
Where
Oconee County, 1.94 mi NW of Long Creek to 2.37 mi N of Long Creek
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
911 Call Center
Coordinates
34.796, -83.278

County comms reported a tree and power line blown down at the intersection of Woodall Shoals Rd and Orchard Rd and another tree and power lines down at Academy Rd and Chattooga Ridge Rd.

Lightning, Oconee

When
July 14, 8:00 PM EST
Where
Oconee County, 0.24 mi SSE of Westminster
Property damage
$70,000
Reported by
Broadcast Media
Coordinates
34.667, -83.098

Radio station reported lightning struck and disabled two public works water pumps.

Thunderstorm Wind, Greenville

When
July 14, 8:08 PM EST
Where
Greenville County, 1.23 mi SE of Cherokee Forest to 2.27 mi W of Batesville
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
911 Call Center
Coordinates
34.869, -82.313

County comms reported a tree blown down at Hudson Rd and Shady Ln and another tree down on Shannon Lake Circle.

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.
Lightning
A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in South Carolina in 2017Every state in 2017This day in weather historyWarnings in South Carolina, July 2017

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: 714345, 714347, 714346.