NWS finds evidence of 90 MPH WINDS in Upstate S.C.

[Stormsfury]

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
545 PM EST WED NOV 19 2003

...NO TORNADOES CAN BE CONFIRMED IN THE WESTERN CAROLINAS OR EXTREME
NORTHEAST GEORGIA TODAY...

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STORM SURVEY TEAMS WERE DISPATCHED THIS
MORNING TO INVESTIGATE SEVERAL AREAS OF WIND DAMAGE THAT OCCURRED
THIS MORNING ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE WESTERN CAROLINAS AND EXTREME
NORTHEAST GEORGIA. THESE AREAS OF DAMAGE WERE ASSOCIATED WITH A LINE
OF SHOWERS AND STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THAT MOVED INTO
EXTREME NORTHEAST GEORGIA DURING THE PRE-DAWN HOURS...AND PROGRESSED
ACROSS UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA AND THE SOUTHWEST PIEDMONT OF NORTH
CAROLINA THROUGH 9 AM. ANALYSIS OF THESE AREAS OF DAMAGE INDICATES
THAT IN EACH CASE...THE DAMAGE WAS THE RESULT OF STRAIGHT LINE
WINDS.

THE FIRST AREA OF DAMAGE INVESTIGATED WAS IN NORTHERN FRANKLIN
COUNTY AND SOUTHEAST STEPHENS COUNTY IN GEORGIA. OTHER THAN
SCATTERED AREAS OF DOWNED TREES...THE ONLY DAMAGE OF NOTE WAS A ROOF
BLOWN OFF OF AN OUTBUILDING IN THE MARTIN AREA. ANOTHER BUILDING
RECEIVED SOME MINOR ROOF DAMAGE ALONG HIGHWAY 106 NORTH OF
CARNESVILLE IN FRANKLIN COUNTY. THIS DAMAGE APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN THE
RESULT OF STRAIGHT LINE WINDS OF 60 TO 70 MPH. A LAW ENFORCEMENT
OFFICIAL OBSERVED A FUNNEL CLOUD OVER HARTWELL LAKE IN STEPHENS
COUNTY AT AROUND 6 AM...BUT DAMAGE ON LAND ADJACENT TO THE LAKE
COULD NOT CONFIRM THAT A TORNADO OCCURRED.

PORTIONS OF EASTERN SPARTANBURG COUNTY...FROM ROEBUCK...TO THE EAST
SIDE OF SPARTANBURG...TO COWPENS WERE ALSO SURVEYED FOR STORM
DAMAGE...BASED ON WEATHER RADAR SIGNATURES INDICATIVE OF A POSSIBLE
TORNADO IN THESE AREAS. HOWEVER...NO SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE COULD BE
FOUND.

ANOTHER SURVEY TEAM INVESTIGATED DAMAGE IN ROWAN COUNTY...AND ONCE
AGAIN THE DAMAGE PATTERN WAS INCONSISTENT WITH A TORNADO EVENT.
HOWEVER...IT APPEARS THAT STRAIGHT LINE WINDS OF UP TO 90 MPH MAY
HAVE BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS DAMAGE. MORE INFORMATION ON THE ROWAN
COUNTY DAMAGE MAY BE AVAILABLE LATER TODAY OR TOMORROW IN A SEPARATE
STATEMENT.

$$

LANE

[StormCrazyIowan]

Whew, that's some wind!!