Alert archive / South Carolina / Tornado Warnings in 1994

Tornado Warning 27, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

June 27, 1994Anderson County, Pickens County, South Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this tornado warning at Jun 27, 1994, 1:48 AM EDT for Anderson County, Pickens County, South Carolina. It was in force for 42 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jun 27, 1994, 1:48 AM EDT (05:48 UTC)
Expired
Jun 27, 1994, 2:30 AM EDT
In force
42 min
Issued by
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area
Whole counties

Counties Anderson County, SC, Pickens County, SC

The nearest sounding before it

Athens Municipal, GA (KAHN), launched 00:00Z, 5.8 hours before the alert went out and 101 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.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Athens Municipal, GA at 00:00Z on 1994-06-27Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1328 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Athens Municipal, GA at 00:00Z on 1994-06-27The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 102 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
1328 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-17 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1090 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
19 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
102 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
218 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
1.9

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
TTAA00 KGSP 270549
TORGSP
SCC007-077-270630-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
148 AM EDT MON JUN 27 1994
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  230 AM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
 
IN  SOUTH CAROLINA
 
   ...NORTHERN ANDERSON COUNTY...SOUTHERN PICKENS COUNTY
 
RADAR SHOWED A POSSIBLE TORNADO ABOUT TO MOVE INTO SOUTHERN PICKENS AND
AFFECT AREAS NEAR PENDLETON..EASLEY..AND CLEMSON. THE STORM WAS MOVING
EAST AROUND 35 MPH. THIS IS A SECOND TORNADO WARNING FOR PICKNES COUNTY.
THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM...TAKE COVER NOW!!!
 
 
TORNADOES WHICH OCCUR AFTER DARK ARE ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS. GET TO A
PLACE OF SAFETY NOW!! STAY AWAY FROM DOORS AND WINDOWS...BUT GET OUT
OF MOBILE HOMES AND CARS. IF DAMAGE OCCURS NEAR YOU...DO NOT ATTEMPT
TO WALK AROUND IN THE DARK. THERE MAY BE DOWNED POWER LINES.
 
 
LEFKOF/GSP
 
x

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, Jun 27, 12:19 AM EDT, 1 hour 29 minutes before
NCZALL-270515-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ASHEVILLE NC
1217 AM EDT MON JUN 27 1994

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR POLK...HENDERSON...RUTHERFORD...
JACKSON...TRANSYLVANIA...AND MACON COUNTIES UNTIL 600 AM...

AT 1215 AM EDT WEATHER RADAR INDICATED VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH
HEAVY RAIN EXTENDING FROM HENDERSON COUNTY TO EASTERN CHEROKEE
COUNTY. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE EMBEDDED IN A LARGE AREA OF SHOWERS
AND LIGHT RAIN. MOVEMENT WAS TO THE EAST AT 40 MILES AN HOUR.

SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS MAY PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL...
AND POSSIBLY TORNADOES. LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT DEADLY
LIGHTNING WILL ALSO ACCOMPANY THE THUNDERSTORMS. IN PISGAH
FOREST...OVER ONE INCH OF RAIN HAS BEEN REPORTED BY THE IFLOWS
SYSTEM OF REMOTE RAIN GAGES SINCE 1100 PM EDT.

PEOPLE IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA SHOULD REMAIN ALERT. TORNADOES ARE
VERY DIFFICULT TO SPOT AT NIGHT...PEOPLE SHOULD MOVE INTO A SAFE
SHELTER IMMEDIATELY IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES. SAFE AREAS IN
A HOME INCLUDE BASEMENTS...SMALL INTERIOR ROOMS...AND BATHROOMS ON
THE LOWEST FLOOR.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL RADIO ANDF TELEVISION FOR
LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, Jun 27, 12:21 AM EDT, 1 hour 27 minutes before
NCZ056-068>072-082-270500-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLOTTE NC
1210 AM EDT MON JUN 27 1994

...CORRECTED FOR COUNTY LISTING IN HEADER...

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM FOR CLEVELAND... CATAWBA...
LINCOLN... GASTON... IREDELL... MECKLENBURG... ROWAN... CABARRUS...
AND UNION COUNTIES OF NORTH CAROLINA AND CHEROKEE... YORK...
CHESTER... AND LANCASTER COUNTIES OF SOUTH CAROLINA...

AT 1208 AM WEATHER RADAR SHOWED A WIDESPREAD AREA OF RAIN AND ISOLATED
THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO THE MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS OF NORTH AND
SOUTH CAROLINA.  MOVEMENT WAS TOWARD THE EAST AT 30 MPH.

THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION WITH CONDITIONS FAVORABLE FOR THE
DEVELOPMENT OF EXTREMELY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WHICH MAY PRODUCE
TORNADOES.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO... AND LOCAL TELEVISION AND RADIO FOR
UPDATES ON THE MOST UP TO DATE WEATHER INFORMATION AND FOR POSSIBLE
ISSUANCE OF WARNINGS.

GK
Special weather statement, Jun 27, 1:05 AM EDT, 43 minutes before
NCZ056-068>072-082-280600-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLOTTE NC
105 AM EDT MON JUN 27 1994

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM FOR CLEVELAND... CATAWBA...
LINCOLN... GASTON... IREDELL... MECKLENBURG... ROWAN... CABARRUS...
AND UNION COUNTIES OF NORTH CAROLINA AND CHEROKEE... YORK...
CHESTER... AND LANCASTER COUNTIES OF SOUTH CAROLINA...

AT 100 AM WEATHER RADAR SHOWED A WIDESPREAD AREA OF RAIN AND ISOLATED
THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUING TO MOVE EAST AT ABOUT 30 MPH OUT OF THE
MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS OF NORTH CAROLINA INTO THE SOUTHERN PIEDMONT.
THE EASTERN EDGE OF THE RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS HAD MOVED INTO CENTRAL
CATAWBA AND NORTHERN CLEVELAND COUNTY EXTENDING SOUTHWEST INTO SOUTH
CAROLINA AND THE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG AREA.

THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION WITH CONDITIONS FAVORABLE FOR THE
DEVELOPMENT OF EXTREMELY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WHICH MAY PRODUCE
TORNADOES.  ANY THUNDERSTORM CAN PRODUCE STRONG GUSTY WINDS...
DAMAGING HAIL... AND FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO... AND LOCAL TELEVISION AND RADIO FOR
UPDATES ON THE MOST UP TO DATE WEATHER INFORMATION AND FOR POSSIBLE
ISSUANCE OF WARNINGS.

GK
Special weather statement, Jun 27, 1:06 AM EDT, 42 minutes before
NCZ056-068>072-082-280600-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLOTTE NC
105 AM EDT MON JUN 27 1994

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM FOR CLEVELAND... CATAWBA...
LINCOLN... GASTON... IREDELL... MECKLENBURG... ROWAN... CABARRUS...
AND UNION COUNTIES OF NORTH CAROLINA AND CHEROKEE... YORK...
CHESTER... AND LANCASTER COUNTIES OF SOUTH CAROLINA...

AT 100 AM WEATHER RADAR SHOWED A WIDESPREAD AREA OF RAIN AND ISOLATED
THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUING TO MOVE EAST AT ABOUT 30 MPH OUT OF THE
MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS OF NORTH CAROLINA INTO THE SOUTHERN PIEDMONT.
THE EASTERN EDGE OF THE RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS HAD MOVED INTO CENTRAL
CATAWBA AND NORTHERN CLEVELAND COUNTY EXTENDING SOUTHWEST INTO SOUTH
CAROLINA AND THE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG AREA.

THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION WITH CONDITIONS FAVORABLE FOR THE
DEVELOPMENT OF EXTREMELY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WHICH MAY PRODUCE
TORNADOES.  ANY THUNDERSTORM CAN PRODUCE STRONG GUSTY WINDS...
DAMAGING HAIL... AND FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO... AND LOCAL TELEVISION AND RADIO FOR
UPDATES ON THE MOST UP TO DATE WEATHER INFORMATION AND FOR POSSIBLE
ISSUANCE OF WARNINGS.

GK
Special weather statement, Jun 27, 1:33 AM EDT, 15 minutes before
NCZ053-055-034-060-061-058-065-059-063-062-054-066-067-270630-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ASHEVILLE NC
133 AM EDT MON JUN 27 1994

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR CHEROKEE COUNTY UNTIL 300 AM EDT...

...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT FOR POLK...HENDERSON...RUTHERFORD...
JACKSON...TRANSYLVANIA...AND MACON COUNTIES UNTIL 600 AM EDT...

AT 115 AM EDT WEATHER RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY
RAIN EXTENDED FROM MCDOWELL COUNTY NEAR MARION ACROSS BUNCOMBE AND
HENDERSON COUNTIES NEAR THE ASHEVILLE AIRPORT TO TRANSYLVANIA COUNTY
NEAR ROSMAN. MOVEMENT OF THE THUNDERSTORMS WAS TO THE EAST AT 30
MILES AN HOUR.

THE THUNDERSTORMS ARE ACCOMPANIED BY STRONG GUSTY WINDS...FREQUENT
DEADLY LIGHTNING...AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS. THE THUNDERSTORMS ALSO
HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS...HAIL...AND POSSIBLY
TORNADOES.

EARLIER IN THE EVENING...THUNDERSTORMS WITH STRONG WINDS AND VERY
HEAVY RAIN CAUSED FLOODING IN THE ANDREWS AREA AND BLEW SEVERAL
TREES DOWN IN THE AREA OF THE HIWASSEE DAM.

PEOPLE SHOULD REMAIN ALERT...BE READY TO MOVE INTO A SAFE SHELTER
IMMEDIATELY IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES. STAY TUNED TO NOAA
WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL RADIO AND TELEVISION FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND
POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

&
Special weather statement, Jun 27, 1:35 AM EDT, 13 minutes before
NCZ053-055-034-060-061-058-065-059-063-062-054-066-067-270630-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ASHEVILLE NC
133 AM EDT MON JUN 27 1994

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR CHEROKEE COUNTY UNTIL 300 AM EDT...

...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT FOR POLK...HENDERSON...RUTHERFORD...
JACKSON...TRANSYLVANIA...AND MACON COUNTIES UNTIL 600 AM EDT...

AT 115 AM EDT WEATHER RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY
RAIN EXTENDED FROM MCDOWELL COUNTY NEAR MARION ACROSS BUNCOMBE AND
HENDERSON COUNTIES NEAR THE ASHEVILLE AIRPORT TO TRANSYLVANIA COUNTY
NEAR ROSMAN. MOVEMENT OF THE THUNDERSTORMS WAS TO THE EAST AT 30
MILES AN HOUR.

THE THUNDERSTORMS ARE ACCOMPANIED BY STRONG GUSTY WINDS...FREQUENT
DEADLY LIGHTNING...AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS. THE THUNDERSTORMS ALSO
HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS...HAIL...AND POSSIBLY
TORNADOES.

EARLIER IN THE EVENING...THUNDERSTORMS WITH STRONG WINDS AND VERY
HEAVY RAIN CAUSED FLOODING IN THE ANDREWS AREA AND BLEW SEVERAL
TREES DOWN IN THE AREA OF THE HIWASSEE DAM.

PEOPLE SHOULD REMAIN ALERT...BE READY TO MOVE INTO A SAFE SHELTER
IMMEDIATELY IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES. STAY TUNED TO NOAA
WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL RADIO AND TELEVISION FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND
POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

&

The office that day

Everything else NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jun 26, 11:39 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPOconee66 min
Jun 27, 12:58 AM EDTTornado WarningGSPPickens32 min
Jun 27, 1:21 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPOconee69 min
Jun 27, 1:27 AM EDTTornado WarningGSPGreenville48 min
Jun 27, 3:04 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPAbbeville, Anderson41 min
Jun 27, 5:36 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPAbbeville, Greenwood35 min
Jun 27, 5:05 PM EDTTornado WarningGSPSpartanburg25 min
Jun 27, 6:09 PM EDTTornado WarningGSPSpartanburg51 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in South Carolina, 1994Every tornado warning in 1994Tornadoes in 1994

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.