391
NOUS42 KGSP 171925
PNSGSP
SCZ008-180730-
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
325 PM EDT TUE MAR 17 2026
..NWS DAMAGE SURVEY FOR 03/16/2026 THUNDERSTORM WIND EVENT
GAFFNEY, SOUTH CAROLINA - STRAIGHT-LINE WIND DAMAGE
PEAK WIND /E/: 75 MPH
FATALITIES: 0
INJURIES: 0
START DATE: 3/16/2026
START TIME: 8:32 AM EDT
START LOCATION: GAFFNEY, CHEROKEE COUNTY, SOUTH CAROLINA
START LAT/LON: 35.0801, -81.6547
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONDUCTED A STORM DAMAGE SURVEY IN
GAFFNEY, SC. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT DAMAGE WAS CAUSED BY STRAIGHT-
LINE WINDS PEAKING AROUND 75 MPH. THESE DAMAGING WINDS WERE FROM A
LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THAT MOVED THROUGH NORTHEAST
GEORGIA, WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA, AND THE SOUTH CAROLINA UPSTATE
MONDAY MORNING.
DAMAGE WAS FIRST OBSERVED WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS, WHERE
CORRUGATED METAL ROOF PANELS, WOODEN JOISTS, AND FASCIA WERE
RIPPED OFF THE FRONT OF A SMALL BUSINESS ALONG WEST FREDERICK
STREET (ROUTE 11). THE WIND ALSO SHIFTED THE EXTERIOR METAL WALL
OF A NEARBY AUTO PARTS STORE, CAUSING THE CORNER PANELS TO BUCKLE
AND SEPARATE. APPROXIMATELY ONE-THIRD MILE EAST, A LARGE TREE WAS
UPROOTED NEXT TO A HOUSE BETWEEN MARION AVENUE AND MILL STREET.
BASED ON RADAR ANALYSIS, AS WELL AS THE FACT THAT THE DAMAGE WAS
SPORADIC AND LACKED ANY SIGNS OF CIRCULATION, IT WAS DETERMINED
THE DAMAGE WAS CAUSED BY A LOCALIZED DOWNBURST OF STRAIGHT-LINE
WINDS RATHER THAN A TORNADO.
NOTE:
THE INFORMATION IN THIS STATEMENT IS PRELIMINARY AND SUBJECT TO
CHANGE PENDING FINAL REVIEW OF THE EVENT AND PUBLICATION IN NWS
STORM DATA.
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