Alert archive / South Carolina / Tornado Warnings in 1994

Tornado Warning 44, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

August 16, 1994Cherokee County, Union County, South Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this tornado warning at Aug 16, 1994, 7:04 PM EDT for Cherokee County, Union County, South Carolina. It was in force for 56 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Aug 16, 1994, 7:04 PM EDT (23:04 UTC)
Expired
Aug 16, 1994, 8:00 PM EDT
In force
56 min
Issued by
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area
Whole counties

Counties Cherokee County, SC, Union County, SC

The nearest sounding before it

Athens Municipal, GA (KAHN), launched 12:00Z, 11.1 hours before the alert went out and 185 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 12:00Z on 1994-08-16Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 19 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 12:00Z on 1994-08-16The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 138 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
19 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-37 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
708 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
22 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
138 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
198 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KGSP 162304
TORGSP
SCC021-087-170000-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
704 PM EDT TUE AUG 16 1994
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  800 PM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
 
IN  SOUTH CAROLINA
 
   ...CHEROKEE COUNTY...NORTHEASTERN UNION COUNTY
 
RADAR SHOWED A POSSIBLE TORNADO MOVING FROM CHESTER COUNTY TOWARD
LOCKHART IN NORTHEAST UNION COUNTY...A TORNADO WAS JUST REPORTED IN
CHESTER COUNTY. THE STORM COULD ALSO MOVE INTO CHEROKEE COUNTY AFTER IT
MOVES THROUGH NORTHEAST UNION COUNTY.
 
TORNADOES IN THE SOUTH ARE HARD TO SEE BECAUSE OF RAIN...LOW
CLOUDS...AND TREES. TAKE COVER NOW...DO NOT TRY TO WAIT ON THE
STORM AND DO NOT TRY TO OUTRUN IT.
 
W. JONES/GSP

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, Aug 16, 6:12 PM EDT, 52 minutes before
NCZ056-068>074-082>084-162330-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTION...
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLOTTE NC
612 PM EDT TUE AUG 16 1994

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM FOR MUCH OF THE
SOUTHERN PIEDMONT AND SECTIONS OF THE NORTHERN FOOTHILLS OF NORTH
CAROLINA. THE WATCH INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN NORTH
CAROLINA..CATAWBA...CLEVELAND...LINCOLN...GASTON...MECKLENBURG...
CABARRUS...UNION...ANSON...STANLY...MONTGOMERY...RICHMOND...IREDELL
AND ROWAN ALSO YORK COUNTY SOUTH CAROLINA. A TORNADO WATCH IS IN
EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM EDT FOR CHEROKEE...CHESTER AND LANCASTER COUNTIES
OF SOUTH CAROLINA.

...A TORNADO WARNING IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 630 FOR GASTON COUNTY...

AT 600 PM WEATHER RADAR SHOWED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS JUST NORTH OF
GASTONIA EXTENDING NORTH TO NEAR LINCOLNTON IN LINCOLN COUNTY. OTHER
THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED NEAR CONCORD IN CABARRUS COUNTY. NUMEROUS
REPORTS OF FUNNEL CLOUDS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE
MOVING TO THE NORTH AT AROUND 20 MPH.

EVERYONE IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS CAN EXPECT HEAVY
DOWNPOURS...DEADLY LIGHTNING...GUSTY WIND AND SOME SMALL HAIL.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO... AND LOCAL TELEVISION AND RADIO FOR
UPDATES ON THE MOST RECENT WEATHER INFORMATION OR IF WARNINGS ARE
ISSUED.

JPW
Special weather statement, Aug 16, 6:13 PM EDT, 51 minutes before
NCZ056-068>074-082>084-162330-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTION...
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLOTTE NC
612 PM EDT TUE AUG 16 1994

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM FOR MUCH OF THE
SOUTHERN PIEDMONT AND SECTIONS OF THE NORTHERN FOOTHILLS OF NORTH
CAROLINA. THE WATCH INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN NORTH
CAROLINA..CATAWBA...CLEVELAND...LINCOLN...GASTON...MECKLENBURG...
CABARRUS...UNION...ANSON...STANLY...MONTGOMERY...RICHMOND...IREDELL
AND ROWAN ALSO YORK COUNTY SOUTH CAROLINA. A TORNADO WATCH IS IN
EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM EDT FOR CHEROKEE...CHESTER AND LANCASTER COUNTIES
OF SOUTH CAROLINA.

...A TORNADO WARNING IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 630 FOR GASTON COUNTY...

AT 600 PM WEATHER RADAR SHOWED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS JUST NORTH OF
GASTONIA EXTENDING NORTH TO NEAR LINCOLNTON IN LINCOLN COUNTY. OTHER
THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED NEAR CONCORD IN CABARRUS COUNTY. NUMEROUS
REPORTS OF FUNNEL CLOUDS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE
MOVING TO THE NORTH AT AROUND 20 MPH.

EVERYONE IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS CAN EXPECT HEAVY
DOWNPOURS...DEADLY LIGHTNING...GUSTY WIND AND SOME SMALL HAIL.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO... AND LOCAL TELEVISION AND RADIO FOR
UPDATzES ON THE MOST RECENT WEATHER INFORMATION OR IF WARNINGS ARE
ISSUED.

JPW
Special weather statement, Aug 16, 6:26 PM EDT, 38 minutes before
NCZ067-162330-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ASHEVILLE NC
626 PM EDT TUE AUG 16 1994

AT 625 PM EDT WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM
MOVING INTO RUTHERFORD COUNTY FROM UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA. THERE WERE
REPORTS OF A FUNNEL CLOUD FROM THIS STORM ON US 221. MOVEMENT WAS TO
NORTH AT 15 MILE AN HOUR.

THIS STORM WILL LIKELY PRODUCE STRONG GUSTY WINDS...FREQUENT CLOUD TO
GROUND LIGHTNING...HEAVY DOWNPOURS AND SMALL HAIL.

IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM TAKE SHELTER IN A STRONG BUILDING
UNTIL IT PASSES OR UNTIL THUNDER IS NO LONGER HEARD. STAY TUNED TO YOUR
LOCAL MEDIA OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR LATER STATEMENTS.

REU
Special weather statement, Aug 16, 6:29 PM EDT, 35 minutes before
NCZ067-162330-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ASHEVILLE NC
626 PM EDT TUE AUG 16 1994

AT 625 PM EDT WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM
MOVING INTO RUTHERFORD COUNTY FROM UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA. THERE WERE
REPORTS OF A FUNNEL CLOUD FROM THIS STORM ON US 221. MOVEMENT WAS TO
NORTH AT 15 MILE AN HOUR.

THIS STORM WILL LIKELY PRODUCE STRONG GUSTY WINDS...FREQUENT CLOUD TO
GROUND LIGHTNING...HEAVY DOWNPOURS AND SMALL HAIL.

IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM TAKE SHELTER IN A STRONG BUILDING
UNTIL IT PASSES OR UNTIL THUNDER IS NO LONGER HEARD. STAY TUNED TO YOUR
LOCAL MEDIA OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR LATER STATEMENTS.

REU
Local storm report, Aug 16, 6:38 PM EDT, 26 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
638 PM EDT TUE AUG 16 1994

TIME        EVENT

636 PM EDT  TORNADO ON GROUND IN BLACKSBURG AT THIS TIME.  FROM 911.

WAJ
Local storm report, Aug 16, 6:39 PM EDT, 25 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
638 PM EDT TUE AUG 16 1994

TIME        EVENT

636 PM EDT  TORNADO ON GROUND IN BLACKSBURG AT THIS TIME.  FROM 911.

WAJ

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 16, 3:34 PM EDTTornado WarningGSPUnion56 min
Aug 16, 3:46 PM EDTTornado WarningGSPAnderson59 min
Aug 16, 4:26 PM EDTTornado WarningGSPCherokee64 min
Aug 16, 4:31 PM EDTTornado WarningGSPUnion44 min
Aug 16, 4:43 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPSpartanburg47 min
Aug 16, 5:47 PM EDTTornado WarningGSPCherokee58 min
Aug 16, 5:53 PM EDTTornado WarningGSPSpartanburg67 min
Aug 16, 7:46 PM EDTTornado WarningGSPSpartanburg44 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.