Alert archive / South Carolina / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1989
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 1, NWS Columbia, SC
NWS Columbia, SC issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Feb 21, 1989, 8:59 AM EST for Lexington County, Richland County, South Carolina. It was in force for 61 min. 4 reports came from inside the area while it was in force.
The area
The counties it named, with what was reported inside it.
The facts
- Issued
- Feb 21, 1989, 8:59 AM EST (13:59 UTC)
- Expired
- Feb 21, 1989, 10:00 AM EST
- In force
- 61 min
- Issued by
- NWS Columbia, SC
- Area
- Whole counties
Counties Lexington County, SC, Richland County, SC
The radar
The WSR-88D network and its archive begin in 1991, so there is no radar volume for this alert.
What was reported inside it
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 21, 9:00 AM EST | Thunderstorm Wind 0 | Lexington, SC | |
| Feb 21, 9:00 AM EST | Thunderstorm Wind 0 | Lexington, SC | |
| Feb 21, 9:10 AM EST | Thunderstorm Wind 0 | Lexington, SC | |
| Feb 21, 9:20 AM EST | Thunderstorm Wind 0 | Richland, SC |
NCEI Storm Data entries that began inside the alert's area while it was in force. Before 2003 the local storm report archive is thin, so this is the record of what happened rather than what was phoned in. Storm Data before 1996 records only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail.
The nearest sounding before it
Charleston AFB, SC (KCHS), launched 12:00Z, 2.0 hours before the alert went out and 155 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 701 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -4 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 648 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 42 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 185 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 246 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.6
- Supercell composite
- 4.3
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
TTAA00 KCAE 211400
SVRCAE
SCC063-079-211500-
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA SC
859 AM EST TUE FEB 21 1989
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN COLUMBIA HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1000 AM EST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
IN SOUTH CAROLINA
...LEXINGTON...RICHLAND
A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS INDICATED BY RADAR OVER LEXINGTON COUNTY
NEAR THE COLUMBIA METROPOLITAN AIRPORT. WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 40
KNOTS WERE OBSERVED. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 40
MPH.
IF YOU ARE CAUGHT OUTSIDE...SEEK SHELTER FROM THE WEATHER IN A
STRONG BUILDING. DAMAGING WIND...LARGE HAIL...VERY HEAVY RAIN...
AND DEADLY LIGHTNING ARE ALL POSSIBLE IN SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS.
STAY INSIDE AWAY FROM WINDOWS UNTIL THE STORM HAS PASSED.What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Feb 21, 3:52 AM EST, 5 hours 7 minutes before
BULLETIN SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA, SC 350 AM EST TUE FEB 21 1989 ...DENSE FOG ADVISORY IN EFFECT OVER NORTHWEST HALF OF STATE EARLY THIS MORNING... PATCHY DENSE FOG COVERS MUCH OF THE NORTHWEST HALF OF SOUTH CAROLINA THIS MORNING. IN MANY AREAS VISIBILITES HAVE BEEN REDUCED TO LESS THAN 1/2 MILE. LITTLE OR NO IMPROVEMENT IS EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 2 TO 3 HOURS MAKING HAZARDEOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS DURING THE EARLY MORNING TRAFFIC. A WARM FRONT LOCATED OVER THE COASTAL PLAINS WILL MOVE SLOWLY NORTHWARD THIS MORNING AND CONDTIONS ARE EXPECTED TO IMPROVE RAPIDLY BEHIND THE FRONT. MOTORISTS ARE ADVISED TO USE EXTREME CAUTION DRIVING DURING THE EARLY MORzNING HOURS WITH VISIBILITES NEAR ZERO IN MANY AREAS. ARDREY
Special weather statement, Feb 21, 7:26 AM EST, 1 hour 33 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUGUSTA GA 725AM EST TUE FEB 21 1989 ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR HANCOCK...WASHINGTON... JOHNSON...AND EMANUEL COUNTIES UNTIL 11 AM THIS MORNING... AT 720 AM WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS EMBEDDED IN LIGHT RAIN OVER MUCH OF THE CENTRAL SAVANNAH RIVER AREA. THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS IN SOUTH CAROLINA WERE NEAR EDGEFIELD. A LEADING EDGE OF A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDS FROM NEAR LAKE GREENWOOD IN SOUTH CAROLINA SOUTHWEST ACROSS THURMOND LAKE INTO CENTRAL GEORGIA SOUTH OF MACON. STRONG GUSTY WINDS, BRIEF HEAVY RAIN AND DANGEROUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS POSSIBLE AS THIS LINE MOVES EAST AT 35 MPH.
Special weather statement, Feb 21, 8:32 AM EST, 27 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUGUSTA GA 830AM EST TUE FEB 21 1989 ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR HANCOCK...WASHINGTON... JOHNSON...AND EMANUEL COUNTIES UNTIL 11 AM THIS MORNING... AT 820 AM WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS EMBEDDED IN LIGHT RAIN OVER MUCH OF THE CENTRAL SAVANNAH RIVER AREA. THE LEADING EDGE OF LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDS FROM THE WESTERN REACHES OF LAKE MURRAY IN SOUTH CAROLINA SOUTHWEST INTO GEORGIA NEAR AUGUSTA INTO CENTRAL GEORGIA. STRONG GUSTY WINDS, BRIEF GUSTY WINDS, LIGHTNING AND HAIL MAY ACCOMPANY THIS LINE AS IT MOVES EASTWARD AT 35 MPH. A STRONG THUNDERSTORM IS LOCATED SOUTHWEST OF MILLEN GEORGIA IN SOUTHWEST JENKINS COUNTY. THIS STORM IS MOVING NORTHEAST 35 MPH. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR LATER STATEMENTS.
Special weather statement, Feb 21, 8:35 AM EST, 24 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUGUSTA GA 830AM EST TUE FEB 21 1989 ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR HANCOCK...WASHINGTON... JOHNSON...AND EMANUEL COUNTIES UNTIL 11 AM THIS MORNING... AT 820 AM WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS EMBEDDED IN LIGHT RAIN OVER MUCH OF THE CENTRAL SAVANNAH RIVER AREA. THE LEADING EDGE OF A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDS FROM THE WESTERN REACHES OF LAKE MURRAY IN SOUTH CAROLINA SOUTHWEST INTO GEORGIA NEAR AUGUSTA INTO CENTRAL GEORGIA. STRONG BRIEF GUSTY WINDS, LIGHTNING AND HAIL MAY ACCOMPANY THIS LINE AS IT MOVES EASTWARD AT 35 MPH. A STRONG THUNDERSTORM IS LOCATED SOUTHWEST OF MILLEN GEORGIA IN SOUTHWEST JENKINS COUNTY. THIS STORM IS MOVING NORTHEAST 35 MPH. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR LATER STATEMENTS.
Special weather statement, Feb 21, 8:54 AM EST, 5 minutes before
BULLETIN SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA, SC 846 AM EST TUE FEB 21 1989 ...HEAVY SHOWERS AND A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS RUMBLING THROUGH THE MIDLANDS OF SOUTH CAROLINA... AT 845AM EST THIS TUESDAY MORNING A LINE OF HEAVY SHOWERS WITH A FEW THUNDERSTORMS EMBEDDED IN THE LINE WAS DETECTED BY RADAR MOVING THROUGH THE MIDLANDS OF SOUTH CAROLINA. THE LINE EXTENDED FROM JUST SOUTH OF CHARLOTTE NORTH CAROLINA TO JUST WEST OF COLUMBIA SOUTH CAROLINA TO THE AUGUSTA GEORGIA AREA. THE HEAVIEST THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY IN THIS LINE IS IN AIKEN COUNTY JUST NORTHWEST OF WILLISTON WITH ADDITIONAL HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS IN THE COLUMBIA AREA. THE STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST ABOUT 30 MILES AN HOUR AND MAY BE ACCOMPANIED BY VERY STRONG GUSTY WINDS..SMALL HAIL AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ALONG WITH HEAVY DOWNPOURS. ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS WILL BE ISSUED AS CONDITIONS WARRANT. THORPE
The office that day
Everything else NWS Columbia, SC issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 21, 9:46 AM EST | Tornado Warning | CAE | Chesterfield | 59 min |
| Feb 21, 10:09 AM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CAE | Bamberg, Orangeburg | 66 min |
| Feb 21, 10:24 AM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CAE | Sumter | 66 min |
Nearby
Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in South Carolina, 1989Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1989
Sources
The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.