Alert archive / South Carolina / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2002
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 265, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 26, 2002, 5:49 PM EDT for Anderson County, South Carolina. It was in force for 56 min. 2 reports 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
- Aug 26, 2002, 5:49 PM EDT (21:49 UTC)
- Expired
- Aug 26, 2002, 6:45 PM EDT
- In force
- 56 min
- Issued by
- NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
- Area
- Whole counties
County Anderson County, SC
The radar
The Greer radar (KGSP), 56 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:49 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
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 26, 5:50 PM EDT | Thunderstorm Wind 50 E | Pendleton, SC | Trees and powerlines were blown down. A tree was blown onto a vehicle on Clemson Bvd in Anderson. |
| Aug 26, 6:49 PM EDT | Thunderstorm Wind 50 E | Belton, SC | Eight to ten inch diameter trees were blown down. |
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
Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA (KFFC), launched 12:00Z, 9.8 hours before the alert went out and 214 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
- 615 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -65 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1066 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 43 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- -28 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- -20 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
944 WUUS52 KGSP 262149 SVRGSP SCC007-262245- BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 549 PM EDT MON AUG 26 2002 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A * SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR... ANDERSON COUNTY IN UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA * UNTIL 645 PM EDT * AT 549 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 4 MILES SOUTHEAST OF CLEMSON...OR ABOUT 2 MILES EAST OF PENDLETON...MOVING EAST AT 20 MPH. * THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR... ANDERSON AT 610 PM EDT. PEOPLE IN THE PATH OF THIS SEVERE THUNDERSTORM SHOULD BE ALERT FOR LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN CAN OCCUR WITH ANY THUNDERSTORM. $$ JONES/RWH
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.
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Aug 26, 3:35 PM EDT, 2 hours 14 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Aug 26, 3:35 PM EDT, 2 hours 14 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 335 PM EDT MON AUG 26 2002 ATMOS QUITE UNSTABLE AS H5 COLD TROF ROTATES THRU THE AREA TONIGHT. UPR JET PRODUCING DIFFLUENCE OVER THE AREA AS WELL. CONVECTION ONGOING PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN AND SOME SVR ATTM. EXPECT LIKELY COVERAGE THRU THE EVENING. ANOTHER COLD TROF ROTATES AROUND UPPER LOW AND MOVES THRU TUE. LOTS OF MOISTURE AND SELY FLOW WILL LEAD TO ANOTHER DAY OF INCREASED COVERAGE. BEST LIFT ROTATES NORTHWARD FOR TUE NITE/WED. HOWEVER DEEP MOISTURE AND SELY FLOW CONTINUES. THEREFORE WILL GO LIKELY POP NORTH AND CHC SOUTH. WILL CONTINUE TO MENTION THUNDER DUE TO FORCING EVEN THOUGH ATMOS WILL BE LESS UNSTABLE. THIS GENERAL TREND CONTINUES THU AS DOES CHC POP. WENT TOWARD WARM GUIDANCE ON LOWS AND COOLER GUIDANCE HIGHS GIVEN PRECIP AND CLOUDS. FOR THE MEDIUM RANGE...LONGER RANGE MODELS CONTINUE TO WEAKEN THE UPPER LOW...AS IT WANDERS SLOWLY ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST STATES. LOW LEVEL MOISTURE REMAINS RATHER HIGH...AND WITH A GRADUAL WARMING TREND...EXPECT MOSTLY A CHANCE OF AFTERNOON AND EVENING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH SATURDAY...BUT CERTAINLY MUCH LESS COVERAGE THAN EXPECTED THROUGH OUR CURRENT MIDWEEK PERIOD. BY MONDAY...WITH HIGH PRESSURE IN CONTROL AND UPPER LOW LOSING ITS IDENTITY ON THE MODELS...WILL GO WITH FAIR SKIES AND NO CHANCE OF RAIN FOR SUNDAY AND MONDAY. FCSTID = 81 GSP 69 82 67 82 / 70 60 50 50 AND 69 83 67 83 / 70 60 50 50 CLT 69 81 68 81 / 70 70 60 50 HKY 66 78 66 78 / 70 70 60 50 AVL 64 76 63 76 / 70 70 60 50 .GSP... GA...NONE. NC...NONE. SC...NONE. RWH/SAB
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Aug 26, 12:46 PM EDT, 5 hours 3 minutes before
GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014- 019-262100- SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 1246 PM EDT MON AUG 26 2002 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING... THUNDERSTORMS WILL BECOME NUMEROUS BY LATE THIS AFTERNOON. COLD DRY AIR ALOFT WILL HELP PRODUCE AN UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE. THIS...COMBINED WITH STRONG WINDS ALOFT...WILL INCREASE THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. DAMAGING WIND GUSTS WILL BE THE MOST LIKELY SEVERE WEATHER THREAT. HOWEVER...LARGE HAIL IS ALSO POSSIBLE. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ANYWHERE ACROSS EXTREME NORTHEAST GEORGIA...AND THE WESTERN CAROLINAS. SPOTTER GROUPS SHOULD BE PREPARED TO ACTIVATE QUICKLY LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING. DISPATCHERS SHOULD ENSURE COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS ARE AWARE OF THIS INFORMATION. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR FAVORITE MEDIA OUTLET FOR THE LATEST UPDATES CONCERNING THIS POTENTIAL SEVERE WEATHER SITUATION. RWH
Local storm report, Aug 26, 3:15 PM EDT, 2 hours 34 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
315 PM EDT MON AUG 26 2002
TIME(EDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
312 PM DILLARD GA .75 INCH HAIL
08/26/02 RABUN RABUN 911 RELAYED A
REPORT OF DIME HAIL.
JONESLocal storm report, Aug 26, 4:33 PM EDT, 1 hour 16 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
433 PM EDT MON AUG 26 2002
TIME(EDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
420 PM TOCCOA GA WIND DAMAGE
08/26/02 STEPHENS 2 TREES AND A POWER LINE
DOWN NEAR TOCCOA.
LIGHTNING DAMAGE ALSO
REPORTED BY TOCCOA
POLICE.
MCAVOYSpecial weather statement, Aug 26, 4:53 PM EDT, 56 minutes before
GAZ026-028-029-SCZ002-005-010-011-019-262245- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 453 PM EDT MON AUG 26 2002 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS TO MOVE ACROSS THE SAVANNAH RIVER VALLEY... A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE SOUTHEAST ALONG THE SAVANNAH RIVER VALLEY LATE THIS AFTERNOON. THESE STORMS HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH. HEAVY RAINFALL...CAUSING PONDING OF WATER ON ROADS AND IN LOW LYING AREAS...AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING ARE LIKELY WITH THE STORMS. THE STORMS WILL BE NEAR EASLEY...ANDERSON AND HARTWELL BY 530 PM...AND NEAR ELBERTON...ABBEVILLE AND GREENWOOD BY 630 PM. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR FAVORITE MEDIA OUTLET FOR THE LATEST UPDATES CONCERNING THIS POTENTIAL SEVERE WEATHER SITUATION. RWH
Local storm report, Aug 26, 5:11 PM EDT, 38 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
511 PM EDT MON AUG 26 2002
TIME(EDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
440 PM WALHALLA SC WIND DAMAGE
08/26/02 OCONEE TREES AND POWER LINES
DOWN IN TOWN
MCAVOYLocal storm report, Aug 26, 5:47 PM EDT, 2 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
547 PM EDT MON AUG 26 2002
TIME(EDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
543 PM CENTRAL SC .75 INCH HAIL
08/26/02 PICKENS DIME SIZED HAIL REPORTED
BY SPOTTER
525 PM CENTRAL SC WIND DAMAGE
08/26/02 PICKENS 1 TREE DOWN REPORTED BY
COUNTY SHERIFF
528 PM CLEMSON SC WIND DAMAGE
08/26/02 PICKENS 1 TREE ON POWER LINE AT
CLEMSON UNIV CAMPUS.
REPORT FROM CAMPUS PD.
540 PM CLEMSON SC 60 MPH TSTM GUST
08/26/02 PICKENS STORM SPOTTER ESTIMATED
WINDS AROUND 60
MPH...WITH SMALL HAIL.
HANDELThe office that day
Everything else NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 26, 4:01 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Oconee | 59 min |
| Aug 26, 4:58 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Pickens | 62 min |
| Aug 26, 6:47 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Anderson | 43 min |
| Aug 26, 7:21 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Greenwood | 54 min |
| Aug 26, 7:23 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Abbeville | 52 min |
| Aug 26, 7:35 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Laurens | 55 min |
Nearby
Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in South Carolina, 2002Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2002
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.