Alert archive / South Carolina / Tornado Warnings in 1995

Tornado Warning 12, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

May 1, 1995Abbeville County, Laurens County, South Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this tornado warning at May 1, 1995, 10:28 PM EDT for Abbeville County, Laurens County, South Carolina. It was in force for 47 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 1, 1995, 10:28 PM EDT (02:28 UTC)
Expired
May 1, 1995, 11:15 PM EDT
In force
47 min
Issued by
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area
Whole counties

Counties Abbeville County, SC, Laurens County, SC

The nearest sounding before it

Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA (KFFC), launched 00:00Z, 2.5 hours before the alert went out and 236 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, Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA at 00:00Z on 1995-05-02Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 725 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, Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA at 00:00Z on 1995-05-02The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 135 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
725 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-20 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1502 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
67 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
135 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
336 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.5
Supercell composite
8.9

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KGSP 020228
TORGSP
SCC001-059-020315-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
1028 PM EDT MON MAY 1 1995
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1115 PM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
 
IN  SOUTH CAROLINA
 
   ...NORTHERN ABBEVILLE COUNTY...WESTERN LAURENS COUNTY
 
REPORTS FROM SPOTTERS AND WEATHER RADAR INDICATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS
MOVING ACROSS EASTERN ANDERSON COUNTY. THESE STORMS WILL MOVE ACROSS
NORTHERN ABBEVILLE AND WESTERN LAURENS COUNTIES. MOVEMENT WAS TOWARD
THE EAST AT 60 MPH.
 
 
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, May 1, 8:08 PM EDT, 2 hours 20 minutes before
NCZ068-056-020100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLOTTE NC
800 PM EDT MON MAY 01 1995

...A TORNADO WATCH CONTINUES IN EFFECT FOR CHEROKEE COUNTY
SOUTH CAROLINA UNTIL 11 PM EDT.

...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS SOME WITH HEAVY RAIN MOVING INTO
THE SOUTHERN PIEDMONT AND FOOTHILLS OF NORTH CAROLINA....

AT 755 PM EDT WEATHER RADAR SHOWS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
DEVELOPING JUST SOUTH OF CHARLOTTE NEAR PINEVILLE. OTHER
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING JUST TO THE NORTH
OF SHELBY AND WEST OF SHELBY IN CLEVELAND COUNTY. OTHER SHOWERS
AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE JUST WEST OF HICKORY IN CATAWBA COUNTY.

THESE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE PART OF A LARGE AREA OF SHOWERS
AND THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING ACROSS WESTERN SECTIONS OF THE
CAROLINAS. THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST AND
ARE EXPECTED TO INTENSIFIED OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS.

EVERYONE IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS CAN EXPECT THUNDERSTORMS WITH
HEAVY RAINFALL ... GUSTY WINDS ... DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND POSSIBLE
HAIL.

CONTINUE TO MONITOR YOUR LOCAL RADIO...TELEVISION OR WEATHER RADIO
FOR ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

JPW
Special weather statement, May 1, 8:51 PM EDT, 1 hour 37 minutes before
NCZ056-068>072-082-020200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLOTTE NC
0850 PM EDT MON MAY 01 1995

...A TORNADO WATCH CONTINUES IN EFFECT FOR CHEROKEE COUNTY
SOUTH CAROLINA UNTIL 11 PM EDT.

...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS SOME WITH HEAVY RAIN HAS MOVED INTO
THE SOUTHERN PIEDMONT AND NORTHERN FOOTHILLS OF NORTH CAROLINA....

AT 845 PM EDT WEATHER RADAR SHOWED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
SOME WITH HEAVY RAIN EXTENDING FROM AROUND HICKORY IN CATAWBA
COUNTY SOUTH ACROSS WESTERN LINCOLN COUNTY TO JUST NORTHEAST
OF SHELBY IN CLEVELAND COUNTY.

THESE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE PART OF A LARGE AREA OF SHOWERS
AND THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM AROUND GREENSBORO SOUTH TO
MONROE IN UNION COUNTY AND WEST INTO THE NORTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS.
ARE EXPECTED TO INTENSIFIED OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS.

EVERYONE IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS CAN EXPECT THUNDERSTORMS WITH
HEAVY RAINFALL ... GUSTY WINDS ... DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND POSSIBLE
HAIL.

CONTINUE TO MONITOR YOUR LOCAL RADIO...TELEVISION OR WEATHER RADIO
FOR ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

JPW
Local storm report, May 1, 9:01 PM EDT, 1 hour 27 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
900 PM EDT MON MAY 1 1995

DELAYED REPORT FROM 911...

TIME EST    ....CITY LOCATION       STATE  ....EVENT/REMARKS....
            ....COUNTY LOCATION

  730 PM   SIX MILE                  SC   POSSIBLE SMALL TORNADO
05/01/95   COUNTY                         UPROOTED TREES AND CAUSED
                                          MINOR PROPERTY DAMAGE

W. JONES/GSP
\
Local storm report, May 1, 9:36 PM EDT, 52 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
934 PM EDT MON MAY 1 1995

DELAYED REPORT FROM 911...

TIME EST    ....CITY LOCATION       STATE  ....EVENT/REMARKS....
            ....COUNTY LOCATION

  925 PM   GAFFNEY TO BLACKSBURG     SC   ...TORNADO...
05/01/95   CHEROKEE                       BUILDINGS DOWN LARGE AREA
                                          WITHOUT POWER NOT SURE OF
                                          EXTENT OF DAMAGE.

W. JONES/GSP
Local storm report, May 1, 9:44 PM EDT, 44 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
940 PM EDT MON MAY 1 1995

DELAYED REPORT FROM 911...

TIME EDT    ....CITY LOCATION       STATE  ....EVENT/REMARKS....
            ....COUNTY LOCATION

  939 PM   EAST OF GAFFNEY           SC   ...TORNADO...
05/01/95   CHEROKEE                       DEPUTY HAS VISUAL ON TORNADO
                                          ON GROUND MOVING TOWARD
                                          BLACKSBURG AT THIS TIME
                                          NEAR HIGHWAY 329...POSSIBLE
                                          SECOND TORNADO THIS STORM

W. JONES/GSP
Special weather statement, May 1, 10:01 PM EDT, 27 minutes before
NCZ033-053-055-034-060-061-058-052-065-059-063-062-048-054-050-
066-067-051-064-049-020400-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ASHEVILLE NC
957 PM EDT MON MAY 1 1995

THE TORNADO WATCH HAS BEEN CANCELLED FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN
NORTH CAROLINA:

CHEROKEE...GRAHAM...CLAY...MACON...JACKSON...TRANSYLVANIA...HENDERSON...
POLK...

AT 0955 PM EDT WEATHER RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY OVER
THE PIEDMONT AND SANDHILLS OF NORTH CAROLINA.

THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 50 MPH.

LIGHT RAIN OVER MOST OF WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA WILL BE ENDING AROUND
MIDNIGHT.

SM

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 1, 9:08 PM EDTTornado WarningGSPCherokee43 min
May 1, 9:45 PM EDTTornado WarningGSPAnderson45 min
May 1, 10:47 PM EDTTornado WarningGSPGreenwood43 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in South Carolina, 1995Every tornado warning in 1995Tornadoes in 1995

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.