South Carolina, 2023

Damaging Wind in South Carolina, May 7, 2023

May 7, 2023 · NWS GSP · 1 event in 1 county or zone

A broken line of heavy rain showers and thunderstorms developed across western North Carolina during the late afternoon and evening and moved southeast into upstate South Carolina by mid-evening. One severe thunderstorm produced a swath of wind damage in Spartanburg County.

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
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

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 broken line of heavy rain showers and thunderstorms developed across western North Carolina during the late afternoon and evening and moved southeast into upstate South Carolina by mid-evening. One severe thunderstorm produced a swath of wind damage in Spartanburg County.

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 7, 5:21 PM EST, 1 hour 42 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 7, 5:21 PM EST, 1 hour 42 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, May 7, 1:21 PM EST, 5 hours 42 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Greenville-Spartanburg SC
221 PM EDT Sun May 7 2023

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033-035>037-048>053-056>059-062>065-
068>072-082-501>510-SCZ008>014-019-101>109-081830-
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 NC-
Caldwell Mountains-Greater Caldwell-Burke Mountains-Greater Burke-
McDowell Mountains-Eastern McDowell-Rutherford Mountains-
Greater Rutherford-Polk Mountains-Eastern Polk-Cherokee-York-
Anderson-Abbeville-Laurens-Union SC-Chester-Greenwood-
Oconee Mountains-Pickens Mountains-Greenville Mountains-
Greater Oconee-Greater Pickens-Central Greenville-
Southern Greenville-Northern Spartanburg-Southern Spartanburg-
221 PM EDT Sun May 7 2023

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

.DAY ONE...This afternoon and tonight.

Thunderstorms moving from the Ohio River Valley this afternoon could
cross the Western Carolina Mountains. If storms can stay together,
strong, gusty winds and lightning should be the primary threats to
the area. A marginal risk of severe thunderstorms exists across most
of the southern Appalachians and surrounding areas for today and this
evening.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday.

Hazardous weather is not expected at this time.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

None.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 7, 5:00 PM EST, 2 hours 3 minutes before
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Special weather statement, May 7, 5:51 PM EST, 1 hour 12 minutes before
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Special weather statement, May 7, 5:54 PM EST, 1 hour 9 minutes before
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Special weather statement, May 7, 6:26 PM EST, 37 minutes before
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Special weather statement, May 7, 6:49 PM EST, 14 minutes before
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Special weather statement, May 7, 6:54 PM EST, 9 minutes before
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The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 32 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:00 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Spartanburg

When
May 7, 7:03 PM EST to 7:25 PM EST
Where
Spartanburg County, 0.75 mi SW of Landrum to 0.53 mi ESE of Inman Mills
Measured
55 kt (63 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
911 Call Center
Coordinates
35.172, -82.189

County comms reported numerous trees blown down from Landrum, across Campobello to Inman.

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 South Carolina in 2023Every state in 2023This day in weather historyWarnings in South Carolina, May 2023

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: 1104917.