Tornadoes · United States · South Carolina · 2003

F1 tornado, Easley, South Carolina, May 2, 2003

This F1 tornado ran 2.3 miles across Pickens County on May 2, 2003, touching down at 3:55 PM EDT and reaching 100 yards wide. It killed nobody and injured 1, and did $250,000 of property damage.

The rating scale

Tracks are drawn in the color of the rating. The Fujita scale rates the damage rather than measuring the wind: the speeds are what that damage is taken to imply.

  1. F040 to 72 mph

    Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.

  2. F173 to 112 mphthis tornado

    Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.

  3. F2113 to 157 mph

    Considerable damage. Roofs torn off well-built houses, frame homes shifted on their foundations, mobile homes destroyed, large trees snapped or uprooted, cars lifted off the ground.

  4. F3158 to 206 mph

    Severe damage. Whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, trees debarked, heavy cars lifted and thrown.

  5. F4207 to 260 mph

    Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.

  6. F5261 to 318 mph

    Incredible damage. Strong frame houses swept off their foundations, car-sized missiles thrown more than 100 meters, steel-reinforced concrete badly damaged, high-rise buildings deformed.

  7. Unrated

    The survey recorded a tornado but could not put a number on it, most often because it crossed open country and damaged nothing a rating can be read from.

The record

Rating
F1
Date
May 2, 2003
Touchdown
3:55 PM EDT (19:55 UTC)
Path length
2.3 miles (3.7 km)
Path width
100 yards (91 m)
Deaths
0
Injuries
1
Property damage
$250,000
County
Pickens County
Touchdown point
34.830, -82.520
Lift-off point
34.830, -82.480
Record number
190

What the Weather Service recorded

This tornado traveled just south of highway 123, causing some structural damage and blowing down numerous trees and power lines before lifting near the Greenville County line. Several homes and a church received light to moderate roof damage, and several vacant mobile homes were damaged or destroyed at a sales lot.

From NOAA NCEI's Storm Events Database, the narrative the local forecast office wrote for Storm Data.

The warnings

No tornado warning for this county appears in the archive as in force at the moment the tornado touched down.

Issued (UTC)ExpiredProductOffice
19:21 UTC20:15 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSP

Every warning and watch covering the touchdown point that day, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service products. Lead time is measured from the issue of the warning in force to the touchdown time in the database, both of which were recorded to the minute by different people.

The forecast that day

The Storm Prediction Center had this point in a Slight Risk. The outlook in force was issued at 12:43 UTC.

SPC's Day 1 convective outlook as it stood when the tornado began, read at the touchdown point. The same archive is on the radar archive.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the tornado touched down, 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 tornado touched down at May 2, 2:49 PM EDT, 1 hour 6 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 2, 2:49 PM EDT, 1 hour 6 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
249 PM EDT FRI MAY 2 2003

UPDATING FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH ENTIRE AREA UNTIL 8 PM.

FCSTID =    7
GSP   82  58  77  51 /  70  40  20  20
AND   83  58  79  52 /  70  40  20  20
CLT   82  58  78  50 /  70  40  20  20
HKY   81  56  74  48 /  80  40  20  20
AVL   78  54  73  47 /  80  50  20  20

.GSP...
GA...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH UNTIL 8 PM.
NC...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH UNTIL 8 PM.
SC...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH UNTIL 8 PM.

O7
Hazardous weather outlook, May 2, 5:20 AM EDT, 10 hours 35 minutes before
GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014-
019-021115-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
520 AM EDT FRI MAY 2 2003

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON.
SOME OF THESE STORMS WILL LIKELY BE SEVERE. PLEASE SEE CAESPSGSP
SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR DETAILS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED THIS AFTERNOON AND/OR EVENING.

LANE

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 2, 11:20 AM EDT, 4 hours 35 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
1120 AM EDT FRI MAY 02 2003

TIME(EDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

530 PM     TALLULAH FALLS            GA   .88 INCH HAIL
04/29/03   HABERSHAM                      BETWEEN DIME AND QUARTER
                                          SIZE HAIL AT STATE PARK
                                          AND POST OFFICE AREA.

645 PM     7 SW CLAYTON              GA   1.00 INCH HAIL
04/30/03   RABUN                          HAIL THE SIZE OF QUARTERS
                                          ON BRIDGE CREEK ROAD NEAR
                                          LAKE BURTON REPORTED BY
                                          911 CENTER.

630 PM     6 N TOCCOA                GA   1.00 INCH HAIL
04/30/03   STEPHENS                       HAIL DIME TO QUARTER
                                          COVERED THE GROUND  3
                                          INCHES DEEP ON BLACK MTN
                                          ROAD AT EOC DIRECTORS
                                          HOME.  DESTROYED GARDEN.

630 PM     TALLULAH FALLS            GA   1.00 INCH HAIL
04/30/03   HABERSHAM                      HAIL FROM DIME TO QUARTER
                                          SIZE COVERED THE GROUND
                                          REPORTED BY STORE
                                          EMPLOYEE.

TJB
Local storm report, May 2, 2:41 PM EDT, 1 hour 14 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
241 PM EDT FRI MAY 02 2003

TIME(EDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

231 PM     CORNELIA                  GA   1.50 INCH HAIL
05/02/03   HABERSHAM                      EOC REPORT.

JAT
Local storm report, May 2, 2:56 PM EDT, 59 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
256 PM EDT FRI MAY 02 2003

TIME(EDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

352 PM     BRYSON BRANCH             NC   WIND DAMAGE
05/02/03   SWAIN                          2 TO 3 TREES DOWN AT
                                          NEEDMORE ROAD.

354 PM     FRANKLIN                  NC   WIND DAMAGE
05/02/03   MACON                          1 TREE ON HOUSE.  SEVERAL
                                          TREES DOWN BLOCKING ROAD
                                          IN THE NORTHERN PART OF
                                          COUNTY.

KRENTZ
Local storm report, May 2, 3:24 PM EDT, 31 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
324 PM EDT FRI MAY 02 2003

TIME(EDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

320 PM     WESTMINISTER              GA   1.00 INCH HAIL
05/02/03   FRANKLIN                       QUARTER SIZE HAIL

321 PM     SOUTHERN OCONEE           SC   WIND DAMAGE
05/02/03   OCONEE                         8 INCH DIAMETER TREE
                                          DOWN.

325 PM     HENDERSONVILLE            NC   1.00 INCH HAIL
05/02/03   HENDERSON                      QUARTER SIZE HAIL.

KRENTZ
Local storm report, May 2, 3:41 PM EDT, 14 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
341 PM EDT FRI MAY 02 2003

TIME(EDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

335 PM     ASHEVILLE                 NC   WIND DAMAGE
05/02/03   BUNCOMBE                       COUNTY REPORTS 6 TREES
                                          DOWN ON SOUTH SIDE OF
                                          ASHEVILLE.

322 PM     HENDERSONVILLE            NC   .88 INCH HAIL
05/02/03   HENDERSON                      SPOTTER REPORTS NICKEL
                                          SIZE HAIL.

336 PM     COUNTYWIDE                NC   WIND DAMAGE
05/02/03   BUNCOMBE                       COUNTY EOC REPORTS TREES
                                          DOWN COUNTYWIDE.

345 PM     CENTRAL                   SC   1.50 INCH HAIL
05/02/03   PICKENS                        SPOTTER REPORTS PING PONG
                                          BALL SIZE HAIL.

HG
Local storm report, May 2, 3:52 PM EDT, 3 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
352 PM EDT FRI MAY 02 2003

TIME(EDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

337 PM     COUNTYWIDE                NC   WIND DAMAGE
05/02/03   HAYWOOD                        SCATTERED TREES AND POWER
                                          LINES DOWN.

342 PM     CANTON                    NC   .75 INCH HAIL
05/02/03   HAYWOOD                        DIME SIZED. LAYERED.

346 PM     WAYNESVILLE               NC   WIND DAMAGE
05/02/03   HAYWOOD                        LOTS OF TREES DOWN.

348 PM     CRUSO                     NC   .75 INCH HAIL
05/02/03   HAYWOOD                        DIME SIZE HAIL.

KRENTZ

The air that afternoon

The radiosonde launches on either side of the tornado, from the nearest station that was launching then, drawn and analyzed the way Storm Lab does: the same diagram, the same parcel and shear definitions SPC's mesoanalysis uses.

Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA (KFFC), 12:00Z

7.9 hours before the tornado, 245 km from the path. May 2, 2003.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA at 12:00Z on 2003-05-02Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 181 joules per kilogram, CIN -255, lifted condensation level 1158 meters above ground. Wind barbs in knots down the right edge.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed. The warm shading is its CAPE, the cool shading the inhibition it has to break through.
HodographHodograph, Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA at 12:00Z on 2003-05-02The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers as a curve, rings every 10 meters per second labeled in knots. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 33 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 23 knots.193958Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km. RM and LM are the right and left moving storms Bunkers' method gives; the shaded area is the 0 to 1 km storm-relative helicity.
Mixed-layer CAPE
181 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-255 J/kg
Surface CAPE
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1158 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
23 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
9 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
33 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
102 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0
0-3 km lapse rate
3.2 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA (KFFC), 00:00Z

4.1 hours after it, 245 km from the path. May 3, 2003.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA at 00:00Z on 2003-05-03Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 2666 joules per kilogram, CIN -7, lifted condensation level 1050 meters above ground. Wind barbs in knots down the right edge.LCLEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed. The warm shading is its CAPE, the cool shading the inhibition it has to break through.
HodographHodograph, Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA at 00:00Z on 2003-05-03The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers as a curve, rings every 10 meters per second labeled in knots. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 55 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 43 knots.193958Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km. RM and LM are the right and left moving storms Bunkers' method gives; the shaded area is the 0 to 1 km storm-relative helicity.
Mixed-layer CAPE
2666 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-7 J/kg
Surface CAPE
4168 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1050 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
43 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
12 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
55 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
60 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.6
Supercell composite
4.3
0-3 km lapse rate
6.9 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 26 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 19:53 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment, over the track

Reflectivity and velocity, decoded from the Level II archive in the browser. Volumes take a few seconds to open the first time.

This ground now

The live radar over the trackEvery 2003 tornado in South CarolinaEvery tornado in South Carolina since 1950Warnings in force in South Carolina nowThe forecast where you are

What this means

Ratings are the survey's, read off the damage rather than measured; the rating scale is above. Tornado counts rise through the record as reporting improved, so a year in the 1950s is not comparable with one today except for the strongest tornadoes, which were always noticed.

Sources

NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, the official record kept by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.