Alert archive / South Carolina / Tornado Warnings in 1993
Tornado Warning 16, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this tornado warning at Apr 15, 1993, 5:09 PM EDT for Union County, South Carolina. It was in force for 51 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
- Apr 15, 1993, 5:09 PM EDT (21:09 UTC)
- Expired
- Apr 15, 1993, 6:00 PM EDT
- In force
- 51 min
- Issued by
- NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
- Area
- Whole counties
County Union County, SC
What was reported inside it
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 15, 5:26 PM EDT | Tornado F2 | Southside To, SC | Exactly an hour after producing the first severe weather in the upstate, the supercell produced its strongest tornado in South Carolina. A high F1/low F2 tornado struck Union. Property damage resulting from the tornado's winds was estimated about $500,000. |
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
Athens Municipal, GA (KAHN), launched 12:00Z, 9.2 hours before the alert went out and 175 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
- 102 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -253 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 903 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 42 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 194 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 241 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KGSP 152111 TORGSP SCC087-152200- BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC 509 PM EDT THU APR 15 1993 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 600 PM EDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION... IN SOUTH CAROLINA ...SOUTHERN UNION COUNTY DAMAGE HAS BEEN REPORTED IN THE CROSS HILL AREA OF LAURENS COUNTY AND A FIREFIGHTER AT JOANNA REPORTED THAT CIRCULATION UNDER A FUNNEL CLOUD TWISTED TREES OFF ABOUT 500 PM. THIS STORM IS MAINTAINING INTENSITY ON RADAR...THE PROJECTED PATH WOULD BE SEDALIA TO SANTUCK/CARLISLE. THE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHERN LAURENS COUNTY UNTIL 530 PM. PEOPLE IN OR NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM SHOULD TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION TO PROTECT THEIR LIVES. GO TO YOUR BASEMENT...THE CENTER OF BUILDINGS...COVER YOUR HEAD. DO NOT GO NEAR DOORS OR WINDOWS. GET OUT OF MOBILE HOMES AND VEHICLES. GET INTO" A STURDY BUILDING OR A DITCH. &
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, Apr 15, 3:00 PM EDT, 2 hours 9 minutes before
SCZ001-002-004-152000- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC 3 PM EDT THU APR 15 1993 ...THUNDERSTORMS OVER SOUTH CAROLINA UPSTATE LAKES... AT 3 PM A BAND OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WAS MOVING ACROSS LAKES JOCASEE...KEOWEE...AND HARTWELL...AND EXTENDED SOUTH INTO EAST GEORGIA TO ABOUT THE WASHINGTON AREA. THE SHOWERS AND STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE EAST 20 TO 25 MILES AN HOUR... BUT HAVE WEAKENED SOMEWHAT DURING THE LAST TWO HOURS. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL SWEEP ACROSS THE UPSTATE AREAS OF SOUTH CAROLINA DURING THE NEXT TWO TO THREE HOURS...WITH BRIEF HEAVY RAIN...LIGHTNING...AND STRONG GUSTY WIND. MUSGROVE
Special weather statement, Apr 15, 3:01 PM EDT, 2 hours 8 minutes before
SCZ001-002-004-152000- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC 3 PM EDT THU APR 15 1993 ...THUNDERSTORMS OVER SOUTH CAROLINA UPSTATE LAKES... AT 3 PM A BAND OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WAS MOVING ACROSS LAKES JOCASEE...KEOWEE...AND HARTWELL...AND EXTENDED SOUTH INTO EAST GEORGIA TO ABOUT THE WASHINGTON AREA. THE SHOWERS AND STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE EAST 20 TO 25 MILES AN HOUR... BUT HAVE WEAKENED SOMEWHAT DLURING THE LAST TWO HOURS. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL SWEEP ACROSS THE UPSTATE AREAS OF SOUTH CAROLINA DURING THE NEXT TWO TO THREE HOURS...WITH BRIEF HEAVY RAIN...LIGHTNING...AND STRONG GUSTY WIND. MUSGROVE
Special weather statement, Apr 15, 3:38 PM EDT, 1 hour 31 minutes before
NCZ009-010-011-012-152245- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ASHEVILLE NC 338 PM EDT THU APR 15 1993 ...DAMAGING WINDS POSSIBLE ACROSS THE WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING... AT MID AFTERNOON STRONG GUSTY WINDS WERE REPORTED IN THE MOUNTAINS OF NORTH CAROLINA. EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS IN HAYWOOD COUNTY REPORTED SEVERAL TREES DOWNED OR UPROOTED FROM THESE WINDS. THE STRONG WINDS ARE IN ADVANCE OF A COLD FRONT THAT WAS LOCATED IN WESTERN TENNESSEE AT 200PM. IN ADDITION TO THE STRONG SURFACE WINDS STRONG WINDS ASSOCIATED WITH THUNDERSTORMS MAY ENHANCE THE DAMAGE. PEOPLE ARE ENCOURAGED TO SECURE LOOSE OBJECTS THAT MAY BE BLOWN ABOUT BY STRONG WINDS. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL RADIO AND TV FOR LATER INFORMATION. HM
Special weather statement, Apr 15, 3:39 PM EDT, 1 hour 30 minutes before
NCZ009-010-011-012-152245- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ASHEVILLE NC 338 PM EDT THU APR 15 1993 ...DAMAGING WINDS POSSIBLE ACROSS THE WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING... AT MID AFTERNOON STRONG GUSTY WINDS WERE REPORTED IN THE MOUNTAINS OF NORTH CAROLINA. EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS IN HAYWOOD COUNTY REPORTED SEVERAL TREES DOWNED OR UPROOTED FROM THESE WINDS. THE STRONG WINDS ARE IN ADVANCE OF A COLD FRONT THAT WAS LOCATED IN WESTERN TENNESSEE AT 200PM. IN ADDITION TO THE STRONG SURFACE WINDS STRONG WINDS ASSOCIATED WITH THUNDERSTORMS MAY ENHANCE THE DAMAGE. PEOPLE ARE ENCOURAGED TO SECURE LOOSE OBJECTS THAT MAY BE BLOWN ABOUT> BY STRONG WINDS. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL RADIO AND TV FOR LATER INFORMATION. HM
Special weather statement, Apr 15, 4:11 PM EDT, 58 minutes before
SCZ001-002-004-152100- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC 410 EDT THU APR 15 1993 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORM MOVING THROUGH GREENWOOD COUNTY... AT 4 PM WEATHER RADAR SHOWED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM JUST SOUTH OF GREENWOOD MOVING RAPIDLY NORTH TOWARD THE CITY OF GREENWOOD. THIS STORM WAS RAPIDLY DEVELOPING AND IT IS POSSIBLE WARNINGS MAY SOON BE ISSUED FOR THIS STORM. STRONG WINDS AND SOME HAIL ARE VERY LIKELY WITH THIS STORM. LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. W. JONES/GSP
Special weather statement, Apr 15, 4:11 PM EDT, 58 minutes before
SCZ001-002-004-152100- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC 410 EDT THU APR 15 1993 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORM MOVING THROUGH GREENWOOD COUNTY... AT 4 PM WEATHER RADAR SHOWED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM JUST SOUTH OF GREENWOOD MOVING RAPIDLY NORTH TOWARD THE CITY OF GREENWOOD. THIS STORM WAS RAPIDLY DEVELOPING AND IT IS POSSIBLE WARNINGS MAY SOON BE ISSUED FOR THIS STORM. STRONG WINDS AND SOME HAIL ARE VERY LIKELY WITH THIS STORM. LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. W. JONES/GSP
The office that day
Everything else NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 15, 4:21 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Greenwood | 54 min |
| Apr 15, 4:31 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Laurens | 44 min |
| Apr 15, 4:37 PM EDT | Tornado Warning | GSP | Laurens | 53 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in South Carolina, 1993Every tornado warning in 1993Tornadoes in 1993
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.