Alert archive / South Carolina / Tornado Warnings in 1989
Tornado Warning 8, NWS Columbia, SC
NWS Columbia, SC issued this tornado warning at May 5, 1989, 7:20 PM EDT for Fairfield County, South Carolina. It was in force for 55 min. 1 report 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
- May 5, 1989, 7:20 PM EDT (23:20 UTC)
- Expired
- May 5, 1989, 8:15 PM EDT
- In force
- 55 min
- Issued by
- NWS Columbia, SC
- Area
- Whole counties
County Fairfield 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 5, 7:30 PM EDT | Thunderstorm Wind 0 | Fairfield, 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, 11.3 hours before the alert went out and 196 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
- 360 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -5 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 728 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 27 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 144 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 222 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.2
- Supercell composite
- 1.2
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
TTAA00 KCAE 052320 RRA
TORCAE
SCC039-060015-
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA SC
720 PM EDT FRI MAY 5 1989
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN COLUMBIA HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 815 PM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
IN SOUTH CAROLINA
...FAIRFIELD
RADAR IS SHOWING SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND POSSIBLE TORNADOS MOVING
INTO WESTERN RICHLAND AND FAIRFIELD COUNTIES. THERE HAVE BEEN REPORTS
OF VERY STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND LARGE HAIL IN LEXINGTON COUNTY WITH
THIS LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS. TAKE COVER IMMEDIATELY IF THESE STORMS ARE
IN YOUR VICINITY.
IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...THE SAFEST PLACE IS A
BASEMENT. GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE.
IF NO BASEMENT IS AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER IN AN INTERIOR ROOM
SUCH AS A CLOSET ON THE LOWEST FLOOR. USE BLANKETS...PILLOWS...
OR CUSHIONS TO COVER YOUR BODY. AVOID WINDOWS.What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before this tornado 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, May 5, 3:26 PM EDT, 3 hours 54 minutes before
BULLETIN SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA, SC 325 PM EDT FRI MAY 05 1989 ...THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPE ACROSS CENTRAL SOUTH CAROLINA... SCATTERED TUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED RAPIDLY DURING THE PAST HOUR OVER CENTRAL SOUTH CAROLINA. AT 320 PM EDT RADAR SHOWED THESE THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING SOUTHWARD ACROSS THE COUNTIES OF YORK.. CHESTER ..FAIRFIELD.. LEXINGTON ..AND RICHLAND COUNTIES. THE HEAVIER STORMS WERE LOCATED OVER THE NORTHERN END OF LAKE MURRAY AND IN FAIRFIELD AND SOUTHERN LEXINGTON COUNTY. PEOPLE ACORSS THE MIDLANDS SHOULD BE ALERT TO STRONG GUSTY WINDS DANGEEROUS LIGHTNING.. AND POSSILBE HAIL AS THESE STORM MOVE NORTHEAST AT 40 TO 45 MPH. BOATERS SHOULD TAKE SHELTER IMMMEDIATELY IF A STORM APPROACHES YOU IN OPEN WATER. KANUPP
Special weather statement, May 5, 3:27 PM EDT, 3 hours 53 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUGUSTA GA 328 PM EDT FRI MAY 5 1989 ...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM FOR NORTHERN AND WESTERN GEORGIA AND NORTHWEST SOUTH CAROLINA... AT 315 PM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A WIDE BAND OF THUNDERSTORMS...A FEW WITH VERY HEAVY RAINFALL...EXTENDING FROM NORTHWEST SOUTH CAROLINA INTO SOUTHEAST GEORGIA. THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE IN NORTHWEST LEXINGTON COUNTY SOUTH CAROLINA AND IN CENTRAL SCREVEN COUNTY GEORGIA JUST NORTH OF THE CITY OF SYLVANIA. ALL OF THE THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING RAPIDLY TO THE NORTHEAST AT ABOUT 60 MPH. PEOPLE IN AND NEAR THESE RAPIDLY MOVING STORMS...AS WELL PERSONS IN THE COUNTIES UNDER THE TOR%NADO WATCH...LINCOLN...WILKES...AND HANCOCK COUNTIES GEORGIA...AND MCCORMICK COUNTY SOUTH CAROLINA...SHOULD BE BE ALERT FOR HEAVY RAIN...STRONG GUSTY WINDS...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING... HAIL AND TORNADOES.
Special weather statement, May 5, 4:36 PM EDT, 2 hours 44 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUGUSTA GA 437 PM EDT FRI MAY 5 1989 ...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM FOR NORTHERN AND WESTERN GEORGIA AND NORTHWEST SOUTH CAROLINA... AT 430 PM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED THAT MOST OF THE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY HAS MOVED OUT OF THE CENTRAL SAVANNAH RIVER AREA. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WERE DETECTED EAST OF A LINE IN SOUTH CAROLINA FROM DENMARK TO COLUMBIA TO LANCASTER. HOWEVER...A SECOND MORE INTENSE LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS EXTEND FROM NORTHEAST GEORGIA SOUTHWESTWARD TO BETWEEN ATLANTA AND MACON GEORGIA. RADAR DETECTED A VERY INTENSE THUNDERSTORM BETWEEN JACKSON AND FORSYTH GEORGIA. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT ABOUT 40 MPH. PEOPLE IN AND NEAR THESE RAPIDLY MOVING STORMS...AS WELL PERSONS IN THE COUNTIES UNDER THE TORNADO WATCH...LINCOLN...WILKES...AND HANCOCK COUNTIES GEORGIA...AND MCCORMICK COUNTY SOUTH CAROLINA...SHOULD BE ALERT FOR HEAVY RAINS...STRONG GUSTY WINDS...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING... HAIL AND TORNADOES.
Special weather statement, May 5, 5:56 PM EDT, 1 hour 24 minutes before
BULLETIN SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA, SC 548 PM EDT FRI MAY 05 1989 ...THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO WESTERN SOUTH CAROLINA... A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFECT FOR THE ENTIRE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA THIS EVENING. AT 445PM A TORNADO WARNING WAS ISSUED FOR CHESTERFIELD COUNTY OF SOUTH CAROLINA...THAT HAS NOW EXPIRED. UPSTATE THE WEATHER OFFICE AT GREER HAS ISSUED SEVERAL WARNING FOR THE THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO THE STATE FROM GEORGIA. THERE IS A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS FROM THE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG AREA SOUTHWARD INTO GEORGIA WEST OF AUGUSTA GEORGIA. INDIVIDUAL THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING NORTHEAST AT ABOUT 50 MPH WHILE THE AREA AS A WHOLE IS MOVING EAST AT MORE THAN 30 MPH. THESE STORMS WILL BE MOVING INTO THE WESTERN MIDLANDS OF SOUTH CAROLINA VERY SOON AND MOVING INTO THE COLUMBIA AREA PROBABLY BEFORE 8PM. THESE ARE VERY SERIOUS THUNDERSTORMS...AND POSSIBLE TORNADOS. PEOPLE WHO PLAN TO BE OUTDORRS THIS EVENING SHOULD TAKE PRECAUTIONS TO BE AWARE OF THE WEATHER APPROACHING FROM THE WEST OR SOUTHWEST. THE STORMS ARE MOVING VERY FAST. IF AT ALL POSSIBLE BE INDOORS IN A SAFE SHELTER...AWAY FROM WINDOWS. BE PREPARED TO ACT QUICKLY FOR YOUR SAFETY AND STAY IN TOUCH WITH RADIO AND TV REPORTS. EXPECT VERY STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND HEAVY RAIN...AND POSSIBLE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OR EVEN TORNADOS. KELLY
Special weather statement, May 5, 6:11 PM EDT, 1 hour 9 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AUGUSTA GA 615 PM EDT FRI MAY 5 1989 ...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT FOR PART OF EAST CENTRAL GEORGIA AND MOST OF SOUTH CAROLINA... AT 605 PM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR DETECTED A LINE OF VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS FROM NEAR GREENVILLE SOUTH CAROLINA SOUTHWESTWARD TO NEAR MACON GEORGIA. THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE ALONG THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE LINE AROUND BALDWIN AND WILKINSON COUNTIES AND WILL BE MOVING INTO WESTERN WASHINGTON COUNTY WITHIN THE NEXT HALF HOUR. THIS LINE OF STORMS WAS MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH. PEOPLE IN AND NEAR THESE RAPIDLY MOVING STORMS...AS WELL AS PERSONS IN THE COUNTIES UNDER THE TORNADO WATCH=...SHOULD BE ALERT FOR HEAVY RAINS...STRONG GUSTY WINDS...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...HAIL AND TORNADOES.
The office that day
Everything else NWS Columbia, SC issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 5, 4:45 PM EDT | Tornado Warning | CAE | Chesterfield | 60 min |
| May 5, 6:30 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CAE | Saluda | 60 min |
| May 5, 6:48 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CAE | Newberry | 57 min |
| May 5, 7:09 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CAE | Lexington | 66 min |
| May 5, 7:23 PM EDT | Tornado Warning | CAE | Richland | 67 min |
| May 5, 7:33 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CAE | Chester, York | 57 min |
| May 5, 7:46 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CAE | Kershaw, Lancaster | 59 min |
| May 5, 7:58 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CAE | Bamberg, Orangeburg | 62 min |
| May 5, 7:58 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CAE | Calhoun | 62 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in South Carolina, 1989Every tornado warning in 1989Tornadoes 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.