Alert archive / Georgia / Tornado Watches in 2003
Tornado Watch 615
The Storm Prediction Center issued this tornado watch at Jul 1, 2003, 9:55 PM EDT for 38 counties in Georgia; 24 counties in South Carolina. It was in force for 6 hr.
The area
The outline as issued.
The facts
- Issued
- Jul 1, 2003, 9:55 PM EDT (01:55 UTC)
- Expired
- Jul 2, 2003, 4:00 AM EDT
- In force
- 6 hr
- Issued by
- the Storm Prediction Center
All 62 counties
Baldwin County, GA, Bleckley County, GA, Bryan County, GA, Bulloch County, GA, Burke County, GA, Candler County, GA, Chatham County, GA, Columbia County, GA, Crisp County, GA, Dodge County, GA, Dooly County, GA, Effingham County, GA, Emanuel County, GA, Evans County, GA, Glascock County, GA, Hancock County, GA, Houston County, GA, Jefferson County, GA, Jenkins County, GA, Johnson County, GA, Laurens County, GA, Lincoln County, GA, McDuffie County, GA, Montgomery County, GA, Pulaski County, GA, Richmond County, GA, Screven County, GA, Sumter County, GA, Tattnall County, GA, Telfair County, GA, Toombs County, GA, Treutlen County, GA, Twiggs County, GA, Warren County, GA, Washington County, GA, Wheeler County, GA, Wilcox County, GA, Wilkinson County, GA, Aiken County, SC, Allendale County, SC, Bamberg County, SC, Barnwell County, SC, Beaufort County, SC, Berkeley County, SC, Calhoun County, SC, Charleston County, SC, Clarendon County, SC, Colleton County, SC, Dorchester County, SC, Edgefield County, SC, Florence County, SC, Georgetown County, SC, Hampton County, SC, Horry County, SC, Jasper County, SC, Lexington County, SC, McCormick County, SC, Orangeburg County, SC, Richland County, SC, Saluda County, SC, Sumter County, SC, Williamsburg County, SC
The radar
The Charleston,SC radar (KCLX), 98 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:58 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.
Warnings issued inside it
18 tornado, severe thunderstorm and flash flood warnings for its counties while it was in force.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 1, 10:24 PM EDT | Tornado Warning | CHS | Bulloch, Screven | 36 min |
| Jul 1, 10:38 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | CAE | Barnwell, Orangeburg | 2 hr |
| Jul 1, 10:57 PM EDT | Tornado Warning | CHS | Screven | 33 min |
| Jul 1, 10:58 PM EDT | Tornado Warning | CHS | Allendale | 32 min |
| Jul 1, 10:59 PM EDT | Tornado Warning | CAE | Barnwell | 31 min |
| Jul 1, 11:06 PM EDT | Tornado Warning | CHS | Bulloch, Screven | 24 min |
| Jul 1, 11:27 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CHS | Screven | 33 min |
| Jul 1, 11:49 PM EDT | Tornado Warning | CHS | Hampton | 41 min |
| Jul 2, 12:27 AM EDT | Tornado Warning | CHS | Colleton | 33 min |
| Jul 2, 12:49 AM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CAE | Richland | 41 min |
| Jul 2, 12:52 AM EDT | Tornado Warning | CAE | Orangeburg | 38 min |
| Jul 2, 12:59 AM EDT | Tornado Warning | CHS | Colleton | 31 min |
| Jul 2, 1:17 AM EDT | Tornado Warning | CHS | Dorchester | 58 min |
| Jul 2, 1:40 AM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CAE | Kershaw, Sumter | 50 min |
| Jul 2, 1:47 AM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CAE | Clarendon, Orangeburg | 43 min |
| Jul 2, 2:15 AM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CHS | Colleton, Dorchester | 30 min |
| Jul 2, 2:36 AM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CAE | Clarendon | 39 min |
| Jul 2, 2:43 AM EDT | Tornado Warning | CAE | Clarendon | 47 min |
Discussions around it
SPC mesoscale discussions over the same counties from four hours before the watch to its end.
The nearest sounding before it
Charleston AFB, SC (KCHS), launched 00:00Z, 1.9 hours before the alert went out and 196 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
- 257 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -19 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 769 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 40 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 111 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 287 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 1.1
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
WWUS20 KWNS 020200
SEL5
SPC WW 020155
GAZ000-SCZ000-CWZ000-020800-
URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 615
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
955 PM EDT TUE JUL 1 2003
THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF
CENTRAL AND EASTERN GEORGIA
CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN SOUTH CAROLINA
COASTAL WATERS
EFFECTIVE THIS TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY MORNING FROM 955 PM
UNTIL 400 AM EDT.
TORNADOES...THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS TO 55 MPH...AND DANGEROUS
LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.
THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS ALONG AND 110 STATUTE MILES EAST AND
WEST OF A LINE FROM 80 MILES SOUTHEAST OF MACON GEORGIA TO 50
MILES EAST NORTHEAST OF COLUMBIA SOUTH CAROLINA.
REMEMBER...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR
TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA.
PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING
WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE
WARNINGS.
OTHER WATCH INFORMATION...THIS TORNADO WATCH REPLACES TORNADO
WATCH NUMBER 613...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 614. WATCH NUMBER 613 614
WILL NOT BE IN EFFECT AFTER 955 PM EDT.
DISCUSSION...THREAT FOR ISOLATED TORNADOES EXPECTED TO SPREAD SLOWLY
ENE THIS EVENING AS REMNANTS OF T.S.BILL CONTINUE NEWD. GREATEST
PROBABILITY WILL LIKELY REMAIN ALONG SLOW-MOVING WARM FRONT WHICH
ATTM EXTENDS FROM E OF MCN E TO NEAR OGB. CLUSTER OF LONG-LIVED
STORMS ALONG THIS BOUNDARY...NOW APPROACHING THE SAVANNAH RIVER...IS
IN VERY FAVORABLE ENVIRONMENT FOR LOW LEVEL STORM ROTATION GIVEN
STRONG 0-1 KM SRH /ON THE ORDER OF 200 M2/S2/...AND VERY RICH
BOUNDARY LAYER MOISTURE INFLOW /DEWPOINTS IN THE MID 70S/.
AVIATION...TORNADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH EXTREME
TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND GUSTS TO 50 KNOTS. A FEW CUMULONIMBI
WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 450. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 21025.
...CORFIDI
315,0843 341,0821 341,0782 315,0804
WWUS20 KWNS 020200
SEL5
SPC WW 020155
GAZ000-SCZ000-CWZ000-020800-
URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 615
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
955 PM EDT TUE JUL 1 2003
THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF
CENTRAL AND EASTERN GEORGIA
CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN SOUTH CAROLINA
COASTAL WATERS
EFFECTIVE THIS TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY MORNING FROM 955 PM
UNTIL 400 AM EDT.
TORNADOES...THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS TO 55 MPH...AND DANGEROUS
LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.
THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS ALONG AND 110 STATUTE MILES EAST AND
WEST OF A LINE FROM 80 MILES SOUTHEAST OF MACON GEORGIA TO 50
MILES EAST NORTHEAST OF COLUMBIA SOUTH CAROLINA.
REMEMBER...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR
TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA.
PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING
WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE
WARNINGS.
OTHER WATCH INFORMATION...THIS TORNADO WATCH REPLACES TORNADO
WATCH NUMBER 613...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 614. WATCH NUMBER 613 614
WILL NOT BE IN EFFECT AFTER 955 PM EDT.
DISCUSSION...THREAT FOR ISOLATED TORNADOES EXPECTED TO SPREAD SLOWLY
ENE THIS EVENING AS REMNANTS OF T.S.BILL CONTINUE NEWD. GREATEST
PROBABILITY WILL LIKELY REMAIN ALONG SLOW-MOVING WARM FRONT WHICH
ATTM EXTENDS FROM E OF MCN E TO NEAR OGB. CLUSTER OF LONG-LIVED
STORMS ALONG THIS BOUNDARY...NOW APPROACHING THE SAVANNAH RIVER...IS
IN VERY FAVORABLE ENVIRONMENT FOR LOW LEVEL STORM ROTATION GIVEN
STRONG 0-1 KM SRH /ON THE ORDER OF 200 M2/S2/...AND VERY RICH
BOUNDARY LAYER MOISTURE INFLOW /DEWPOINTS IN THE MID 70S/.
AVIATION...TORNADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH EXTREME
TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND GUSTS TO 50 KNOTS. A FEW CUMULONIMBI
WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 450. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 21025.
...CORFIDI
315,0843 341,0821 341,0782 315,0804SPC that day
Everything else SPC issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 1, 8:12 PM EDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Appling, Atkinson, Bacon, Baker, Baldwin, Ben Hill and 100 more | 2 hr |
| Jul 2, 12:25 AM EDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Bryan, Bulloch, Burke, Candler, Chatham, Columbia and 8 more | 2 hr |
| Jul 2, 2:20 AM EDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | Berkeley, Charleston, Colleton, Dillon, Dorchester, Florence and 4 more | 7 hr |
| Jul 2, 5:32 AM EDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Berkeley, Charleston, Dillon, Dorchester, Florence, Georgetown and 3 more | 58 min |
| Jul 2, 10:49 AM EDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Georgetown, Horry | 116 min |
| Jul 2, 2:26 PM EDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Chesterfield, Darlington, Dillon, Florence, Marlboro | 2 hr |
| Jul 2, 6:22 PM EDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Dillon, Marlboro | 53 min |
| Jul 2, 7:50 PM EDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | Dillon | 5 hr |
Nearby
Tornado Watches in Georgia, 2003Tornado Watches in South Carolina, 2003Every tornado watch in 2003
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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.