Alert archive / South Carolina / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1998

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 59, NWS Columbia, SC

May 3, 1998Barnwell County, South Carolina

NWS Columbia, SC issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 3, 1998, 8:59 PM EDT for Barnwell County, South Carolina. It was in force for 46 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 3, 1998, 8:59 PM EDT (00:59 UTC)
Expired
May 3, 1998, 9:45 PM EDT
In force
46 min
Issued by
NWS Columbia, SC
Area
Whole counties

County Barnwell County, SC

The radar

The Charleston,SC radar (KCLX), 77 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:05 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
May 3, 9:08 PM EDTHail 1Barnwell, SCSheriff reported 1 inch hail on highway 278.

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.

The nearest sounding before it

Charleston AFB, SC (KCHS), launched 00:00Z, 1.0 hours before the alert went out and 140 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, Charleston AFB, SC at 00:00Z on 1998-05-04Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 21 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, Charleston AFB, SC at 00:00Z on 1998-05-04The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 18 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
21 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-216 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1172 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
44 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
18 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
89 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
-0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

569 
WUUS1 KCAE 040100 RRA
SVRCAE
SCC011-040145-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA SC
859 PM EDT SUN MAY 3 1998

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN COLUMBIA SC HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  BARNWELL COUNTY IN SOUTH CAROLINA

* UNTIL 945 PM EDT 

* AT900 PM EDT...RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM NEAR 
  THE SAVANNAH RIVER DOE PLANT...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
  SNELLING AT 915 PM EDT
  WILLISTON AT 935 PM EDT

THIS STORM WILL PRODUCE  ONE INCH HAIL. 

RCC

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 3, 3:22 PM EDT, 5 hours 37 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA SC
322 PM EDT SUN MAY 03 1998

TIME (EDT) .....CITY LOCATION....... ST   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           .....COUNTY LOCATION.....

258 PM     BLACKVILLE                SC   60 MPH TSTM GUST
05/03/98   BARNWELL                       BLACKVILLE POLICE DEPT.
                                          REPORTED LARGE TREE DOWN
                                          ACROSS STREET   AND
                                          SEVERAL LARGES BRANCHES
                                          DOWN

RCJ
Local storm report, May 3, 3:27 PM EDT, 5 hours 32 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA SC
327 PM EDT SUN MAY 03 1998

TIME (EDT) .....CITY LOCATION....... ST   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           .....COUNTY LOCATION.....

206 PM     5 N WAYNESBORO            GA   60 MPH TSTM GUST
05/03/98   BURKE                          BURKE CO COMMUNICATIONS
                                          REPORTED SEVERAL TREES
                                          DOWN ALONG HIGHWAY25 NORTH
                                          OF WAYNESBORO.

RCJ
Special weather statement, May 3, 3:45 PM EDT, 5 hours 14 minutes before
SCZ015-016-018-020-021-022-025-026-027-028-029-030-031-035-
036-037-038-041-GAZ040-063-064-065-077-040300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA SC
345 PM EDT SUN MAY 3 1998

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH CANCELED FOR THE SOUTH CAROLINA
MIDLANDS AND THE CENTRAL SAVANNAH RIVER AREA OF EAST-CENTRAL GEORGIA...

THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER HAS ENDED FOR AREAS OF THE MIDLANDS OF
SOUTH CAROLINA UNDER THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH. THE WATCH IS ALSO
CANCELED FOR THE AREA UNDER THE WATCH IN THE CENTRAL SAVANNAH RIVER OF
EAST-CENTRAL GEORGIA. THIS AREA INCLUDED BAMBERG...BARNWELL AND
ORANGEBURG COUNTIES OF SOUTH CAROLINA AND BURKE COUNTY OF GEORGIA.
AGAIN THE THREAT OF SE$VERE WEATHER IS OVER FOR THE MIDLANDS OF SOUTH
CAROLINA AND THE CENTRAL SAVANNAH RIVER AREA OF EAST-CENTRAL GEORGIA.

TTH
Special weather statement, May 3, 3:45 PM EDT, 5 hours 14 minutes before
SCZ015-016-018-020-021-022-025-026-027-028-029-030-031-035-
036-037-038-041-GAZ040-063-064-065-077-040300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA SC
345 PM EDT SUN MAY 3 1998

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH CANCELED FOR THE SOUTH CAROLINA
MIDLANDS AND THE CENTRAL SAVANNAH RIVER AREA OF EAST-CENTRAL GEORGIA...

THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER HAS ENDED FOR AREAS OF THE MIDLANDS OF
SOUTH CAROLINA UNDER THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH. THE WATCH IS ALSO
CANCELED FOR THE AREA UNDER THE WATCH IN THE CENTRAL SAVANNAH RIVER OF
EAST-CENTRAL GEORGIA. THIS AREA INCLUDED BAMBERG...BARNWELL AND
ORANGEBURG COUNTIES OF SOUTH CAROLINA AND BURKE COUNTY OF GEORGIA.
AGAIN THE THREAT OF SE$VERE WEATHER IS OVER FOR THE MIDLANDS OF SOUTH
CAROLINA AND THE CENTRAL SAVANNAH RIVER AREA OF EAST-CENTRAL GEORGIA.

TTH
Special weather statement, May 3, 3:50 PM EDT, 5 hours 9 minutes before
SCZ015-016-018-020-021-022-025-026-027-028-029-030-031-035-
036-037-038-041-GAZ040-063-064-065-077-041000-

THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA SC
350 PM EDT SUN MAY 3 1998

THE OUTLOOK PERTAINS TO THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN SOUTH CAROLINA:

AIKEN        BAMBERG      BARNWELL     CALHOUN      CHESTERFIELD
CLARENDON    EDGEFIELD    FAIRFIELD    KERSHAW      LANCASTER
LEE          LEXINGTON    MCCORMICK    NEWBERRY     ORANGEBURG
RICHLAND     SALUDA       SUMTER

THE OUTLOOK PERTAINS TO THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN GEORGIA:

BURKE        COLUMBIA     LINCOLN      MCDUFFIE     RICHMOND

A TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE WILL MOVE THROUGH SOUTH CAROLINA THIS EVENING.
THIS WILL CONTINUE TO CAUSE THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP AND MORE
THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED LATER TONIGHT AS A TRAILING COLD FRONT MOVES
THROUGH THE STATE FROM THE WEST. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL PRODUCE LOCAL
RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES AND WIND GUSTS OF 30 MPH.

CURRENT DATA DOES NOT FAVOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT.
THEREFORE...EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND SPOTTER ACTIVATION SHOULD
NOT BE REQUIRED.

TTH
Special weather statement, May 3, 3:50 PM EDT, 5 hours 9 minutes before
SCZ015-016-018-020-021-022-025-026-027-028-029-030-031-035-
036-037-038-041-GAZ040-063-064-065-077-041000-

THUNDERSTORM OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA SC
350 PM EDT SUN MAY 3 1998

THE OUTLOOK PERTAINS TO THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN SOUTH CAROLINA:

AIKEN        BAMBERG      BARNWELL     CALHOUN      CHESTERFIELD
CLARENDON    EDGEFIELD    FAIRFIELD    KERSHAW      LANCASTER
LEE          LEXINGTON    MCCORMICK    NEWBERRY     ORANGEBURG
RICHLAND     SALUDA       SUMTER

THE OUTLOOK PERTAINS TO THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN GEORGIA:

BURKE        COLUMBIA     LINCOLN      MCDUFFIE     RICHMOND

A TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE WILL MOVE THROUGH SOUTH CAROLINA THIS EVENING.
THIS WILL CONTINUE TO CAUSE THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP AND MORE
THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED LATER TONIGHT AS A TRAILING COLD FRONT MOVES
THROUGH THE STATE FROM THE WEST. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL PRODUCE LOCAL
RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES AND WIND GUSTS OF 30 MPH.

CURRENT DATA DOES NOT FAVOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT.
THEREFORE...EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND SPOTTER ACTIVATION SHOULD
NOT BE REQUIRED.

TTH

The office that day

Everything else NWS Columbia, SC issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 4, 1:17 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCAESumter58 min
May 4, 1:34 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCAEBamberg41 min
May 4, 1:46 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCAEOrangeburg44 min
May 4, 2:08 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCAEClarendon67 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in South Carolina, 1998Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1998

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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.