Georgia, 2019

Damaging Winds in Georgia, June 22, 2019

June 22, 2019 · NWS GSP · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

A line of strong to severe thunderstorms that originated in the vicinity of an area of low pressure over Tennessee moved across northeast Georgia during the early morning hours, resulting in some areas of wind damage.

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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
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.

A line of strong to severe thunderstorms that originated in the vicinity of an area of low pressure over Tennessee moved across northeast Georgia during the early morning hours, resulting in some areas of wind damage.

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 Jun 21, 9:55 PM EST, 2 hours 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 21, 9:55 PM EST, 2 hours 30 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Greenville-Spartanburg SC
1055 PM EDT Fri Jun 21 2019

.SYNOPSIS...
Showers and thunderstorm activity will return this weekend and
persist off and on through much of next week. Near seasonable
temperatures are expected to prevail through the next seven days.

&&

.NEAR TERM /THROUGH SATURDAY/...
As of 11pm EDT Friday:  Upstream convective system is currently in
Eastern TN and is expected to reach the TN border and parts of
Northeast Georgia in the next couple hours, with a severe
thunderstorm watch in effect for the western part of the CWA where
CAPE is elevated.

A Mesoscale Convective Complex (MCC) has developed atop the ridge
over northern Missouri, and convection driven by the associated cold
pool continues to run eastward into southern Illinois, with
additional activity developing over south-central MO. These features
will become the main players in our forecast for the upcoming
nighttime period. Corfidi vector steering flow should drive the
system mainly eastward toward the Appalachians, but with additional
south flank development expected as the cold pool encounters better
instability there. The convection-allowing models have converged on
a solution with more of a direct hit of the MCS on the southern
Appalachians overnight. The HRRR has the system arriving the fastest
(circa 05Z) and surviving east of the mountains through 08Z or so.
The NAMNest and national hi-res solutions are a touch slower, with
varying decay as the system traverses the higher terrain and
encounters stabler air. Given the latest solutions, will feature
more solid chances over the NC mountains for the overnight hours,
and advertise isolated to scattered coverage eastward through the
lower piedmont. The HWO wording has been beefed up accordingly for
mountain areas.

Saturday is a major question mark for the timing and coverage of the
next round of MCS activity, especially in light of the early morning
passage of the decaying MCS late tonight. There are some features
that suggest the afternoon timing will be favored. First, the region
just east of the central CONUS flat ridge, mainly over the lower
Ohio Valley and surrounding areas, will provide a prime area of
genesis for further MCS activity through Saturday. This appears tied
more strongly to weak upper shortwaves or MCVs moving down the east
side of the upper ridge and this activity would time out toward
Saturday afternoon. Also, a boundary will be in place across the
forecast area through the day on Saturday, and peak afternoon
instability will lead to maintenance of the passing MCS, if one
forms. All told, will feature a peak of coverage (likely northwest
to solid chance southeast) for the afternoon hours. The latest Day 2
Slight Risk Outlook looks well placed, with some 3000+ muCAPE likely
south of the stalled boundary. This too will be talked up in the HWO
for mainly wind potential.

&&

.SHORT TERM /SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT/...
As of 200 PM EDT Friday: The forecast area will remain on the east
side of a mid level ridge axis on Saturday night and Sunday. This
position in the flow looks to be active with convective complexes
moving through and some local development of storms also possible
both periods. A few of the storms may be severe per the SPC Day 2
outlook.

The ridge axis will move across the area Sunday night and east of
the area on Monday. This will lead to a quieter period Sunday night
and most of Monday. A mid level trough moving across the Great Lakes
states is expected to activate a front moving across the Tennessee
Valley on Monday afternoon. Some of this activity will move into the
mountains during the late afternoon hours.

The forecast for Sunday will feature highs in the upper 80s to lower
90s in the Piedmont and mid 80s in the mountain valleys. The overall
pattern suggests that debris cloudiness and possible leftover
convective boundaries may have an impact on these readings. We may
have to make some adjustments once the timing and location of storms
become more clear.

With less cloudiness and the ridge overhead, Monday looks to be the
hottest day of the week. We expect highs in the lower to middle 90s
in the Piedmont and in the mid to upper 80s in the mountain valleys.

&&

.LONG TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/...
As of 200 PM EDT Friday: A potent upper trough is expected to lift
northeast into the Great Lakes states Monday evening driving a
rapidly weakening cold front through the region sometime Monday
night or Tuesday morning. A few showers and thunderstorms will be
possible with the front.

Moisture will decrease slightly for the middle of next week so the
chance of showers and thunderstorms will be lower than this weekend
which is closer to climo. Temperatures will be near or slightly
above climo.

&&

.AVIATION /03Z SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/...
At KCLT and elsewhere: Very weak pressure gradient in post-frontal
regime is giving generally light northerly to northwesterly winds,
with a few gusts still seen that will fairly quickly die-out
diurnally. Skies are also mostly clear at the moment as moisture has
been shunted southward with the front.  These good VFR conditions
will likely change early Saturday morning as the remnants of an MCS
cross over the Southern Appalachians.  This is expected to give a
period of a few hours of scattered showers to the region, and
possibly some thunder.  By Saturday afternoon, front lifts back
northward bringing increasing moisture, clouds, and chances for
afternoon thunder with it for Saturday afternoon.  Timing of showers
in the TAFs was derived from the HRRR model and other cams.  Latest
radar has upstream MCS, currently over western KY and TN, a little
ahead of schedule.

Outlook: A more diurnally-driven convective pattern is expected
Sunday through Tuesday, with some mid-week drying possible. Mainly
daybreak restrictions will be possible each day, aside from any
thunderstorms.

Confidence Table...

            03-09Z        09-15Z        15-21Z        21-00Z
KCLT       High 100%     High 100%     High 100%     High 100%
KGSP       High 100%     High 100%     High 100%     High 100%
KAVL       High 100%     High 100%     High 100%     High 100%
KHKY       High 100%     High 100%     High  95%     High 100%
KGMU       High 100%     High 100%     High 100%     High 100%
KAND       High 100%     High 100%     High 100%     High 100%

The percentage reflects the number of guidance members agreeing
with the scheduled 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...SW
NEAR TERM...HG/WJM
SHORT TERM...SW
LONG TERM...SW
AVIATION...WJM
Hazardous weather outlook, Jun 21, 9:51 PM EST, 2 hours 34 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Greenville-Spartanburg SC
1051 PM EDT Fri Jun 21 2019

GAZ010-NCZ051-052-058-059-062>064-230300-
Rabun-Swain-Haywood-Graham-Northern Jackson-Macon-Southern Jackson-
Transylvania-
1051 PM EDT Fri Jun 21 2019

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 422 IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 AM EDT SATURDAY...

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

.DAY ONE...Tonight.

Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the
Internet for more information about the following hazards.

   Severe Thunderstorm Watch.

A line of thunderstorms may arrive across the North Carolina
mountains from the northwest overnight tonight into early Saturday
morning. Some of these thunderstorms may be strong to severe and
produce damaging winds. The greatest threat for severe thunderstorms
will be along the Tennessee border and over the southwest mountains
of North Carolina.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday.

Hazardous weather is not expected at this time.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotters are requested to forward any reports of large hail,
damaging winds, tornadoes, or flash flooding to our office.

NCZ033-048>050-053-065-501-503-505-507-509-230300-
Avery-Madison-Yancey-Mitchell-Buncombe-Henderson-Caldwell Mountains-
Burke Mountains-McDowell Mountains-Rutherford Mountains-
Polk Mountains-
1051 PM EDT Fri Jun 21 2019

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for western North Carolina.

.DAY ONE...Tonight.

A line of thunderstorms may arrive across the North Carolina
mountains from the northwest overnight tonight into early Saturday
morning. Some of these thunderstorms may be strong to severe and
produce damaging winds. The greatest threat for severe thunderstorms
will be along the Tennessee border and over the southwest mountains
of North Carolina.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday.

Hazardous weather is not expected at this time.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotters are requested to forward any reports of large hail,
damaging winds, tornadoes, or flash flooding to our office.

GAZ028-029-NCZ035>037-056-057-068>072-082-502-504-506-508-510-SCZ003-
006>014-019-230300-
Hart-Elbert-Alexander-Iredell-Davie-Catawba-Rowan-Cleveland-Lincoln-
Gaston-Mecklenburg-Cabarrus-Union-Greater Caldwell-Greater Burke-
Eastern McDowell-Greater Rutherford-Eastern Polk-
Greenville Mountains-Greater Greenville-Spartanburg-Cherokee-York-
Anderson-Abbeville-Laurens-Chester-Greenwood-
1051 PM EDT Fri Jun 21 2019

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

.DAY ONE...Tonight.

A diminishing line of thunderstorms may push into the region from
the northwest overnight tonight into Saturday morning. Depending on
how quickly these storms diminish as they cross the mountains, one
or
two storms may be strong to severe, especially across western
Upstate South Carolina and northeast Georgia. The primary threat
will
be strong to damaging winds.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday.

Thunderstorms are expected Saturday afternoon into Saturday evening.
Some of these thunderstorms may be strong to severe. The
primary threat will be damaging winds with an isolated threat of
large hail.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotters are requested to forward any reports of large hail,
damaging winds, tornadoes, or flash flooding to our office.

GAZ017-018-026-SCZ001-002-004-005-230300-
Habersham-Stephens-Franklin-Oconee Mountains-Pickens Mountains-
Greater Oconee-Greater Pickens-
1051 PM EDT Fri Jun 21 2019

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 422 IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 AM EDT SATURDAY...

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for northeast Georgia and Upstate
South Carolina.

.DAY ONE...Tonight.

Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the
Internet for more information about the following hazards.

   Severe Thunderstorm Watch.

A diminishing line of thunderstorms may push into the region from
the northwest overnight tonight into Saturday morning. Depending on
how quickly these storms diminish as they cross the mountains, one
or
two storms may be strong to severe, especially across western
Upstate South Carolina and northeast Georgia. The primary threat
will
be strong to damaging winds.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday.

Thunderstorms are expected Saturday afternoon into Saturday evening.
Some of these thunderstorms may be strong to severe. The
primary threat will be damaging winds with an isolated threat of
large hail.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotters are requested to forward any reports of large hail,
damaging winds, tornadoes, or flash flooding to our office.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jun 22, 12:15 AM EST, 10 minutes before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Greenville-Spartanburg SC
115 AM EDT Sat Jun 22 2019

NCZ033-049-050-053-064-065-068-501>510-SCZ003-007-220615-
Buncombe NC-Transylvania NC-Caldwell Mountains NC-Cleveland NC-
Greater Burke NC-Rutherford Mountains NC-Eastern McDowell NC-
Avery NC-Eastern Polk NC-Greater Rutherford NC-McDowell Mountains NC-
Yancey NC-Burke Mountains NC-Henderson NC-Greater Caldwell NC-
Polk Mountains NC-Mitchell NC-Greenville Mountains SC-Spartanburg SC-
115 AM EDT Sat Jun 22 2019

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL IMPACT RUTHERFORD...SOUTHEASTERN
TRANSYLVANIA...HENDERSON...MITCHELL...YANCEY...MCDOWELL...POLK...
CALDWELL...AVERY...EASTERN BUNCOMBE...WESTERN CLEVELAND...BURKE...
NORTHERN GREENVILLE AND NORTHWESTERN SPARTANBURG COUNTIES UNTIL 215
AM EDT...

At 114 AM EDT, Doppler radar indicated strong thunderstorms along a
line extending from 10 miles south of Elizabethton to 6 miles
southeast of Brevard, and moving east at 40 mph.

Locations to be impacted include...
Lenoir, Morganton, Hendersonville, Forest City, Marion,
Rutherfordton, Spruce Pine, Burnsville, Columbus and Newland.

Wind gusts up to 55 mph and pea size hail 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.

&&

A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 500 AM EDT for
western North Carolina.

LAT...LON 3627 8189 3621 8190 3616 8183 3611 8181
      3612 8155 3607 8141 3602 8134 3593 8134
      3557 8153 3555 8152 3518 8170 3518 8187
      3516 8186 3510 8274 3613 8226 3616 8222
      3615 8215 3611 8213 3612 8203 3629 8192
TIME...MOT...LOC 0514Z 260DEG 41KT 3620 8217 3518 8264

RM

The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 133 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 05:25 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Habersham

When
June 22, 12:25 AM EST
Where
Habersham County, 1.38 mi N of Raoul
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
911 Call Center
Coordinates
34.470, -83.580

County comms reported multiple trees and power lines blown down in the Alto area.

Thunderstorm Wind, Franklin

When
June 22, 12:45 AM EST to 12:50 AM EST
Where
Franklin County, 1.69 mi WSW of Carnesville to 3.31 mi SSE of Carnesville
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Department of Highways
Coordinates
34.360, -83.257

Dept of highways reported trees blown down and blocking Commerce Rd as well as Atkinson Bridge Rd.

Thunderstorm Wind, Elbert

When
June 22, 12:58 AM EST to 1:18 AM EST
Where
Elbert County, 1.2 mi W of Bowman to 1.11 mi SE of Heardmont
Measured
55 kt (63 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
34.200, -83.051

Emergency mngr reported widespread trees and power lines blown down throughout the county.

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 Georgia in 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyWarnings in Georgia, June 2019

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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 837878, 839142, 839143.