Alert archive / South Carolina / Tornado Warnings in 2008

Tornado Warning 15, NWS Columbia, SC

March 15, 20084 counties in South Carolina

NWS Columbia, SC issued this tornado warning at Mar 15, 2008, 5:21 PM EDT for 4 counties in South Carolina. It was in force for 39 min. 7 reports came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
Mar 15, 2008, 5:21 PM EDT (21:21 UTC)
Expired
Mar 15, 2008, 6:00 PM EDT
In force
39 min
Issued by
NWS Columbia, SC
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Aiken County, SC, Edgefield County, SC, Lexington County, SC, Saluda County, SC

The radar

The Columbia radar (KCAE), 15 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:22 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
Mar 15, 5:37 PM EDTHAIL 1.52 N Johnston, SCCOOP OBSERVER REPORTED HAIL COVERING THE YARD.
Mar 15, 5:44 PM EDTHAIL 0.881 S Gilbert, SCSPOTTER REPORTS LARGE HAIL ONE MILE SOUTH OF GILBERT.
Mar 15, 5:44 PM EDTHAIL 14 E Swansea, SCNWS EMPLOYEE REPORTS ONE INCH HAIL.
Mar 15, 5:44 PM EDTTORNADO4 Ese Lexington, SCCOUNTY 911 OFFICAL REPORTS HOME DAMAGED AND LARGE TREES DOWN AT TRUAX RD IN LEXINGTON COUNTY.
Mar 15, 5:53 PM EDTHAIL 1.754 Sw Red Bank, SCGOLF BALL SIZE HAIL ON BOILING SPRINGS ROAD.
Mar 15, 5:55 PM EDTHAIL 0.752 Sw Red Bank, SCPENNY SIZE HAIL AROUND WHITE KNOLL HIGH SCHOOL.
Mar 15, 5:56 PM EDTTSTM WND DMG5 S Red Bank, SCNUMEROUS TREES DOWN AT HWY 6 AND HWY 302.

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

The watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Mar 15, 11:02 AM EDTTornado WatchSPC8 hr
Mar 15, 4:36 PM EDTTornado Watch PDSSPC8 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Charleston AFB, SC (KCHS), launched 12:00Z, 9.4 hours before the alert went out and 152 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 12:00Z on 2008-03-15Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 585 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Charleston AFB, SC at 12:00Z on 2008-03-15The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 71 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
585 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-85 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
636 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
41 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
71 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
38 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.6

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WFUS52 KCAE 152122
TORCAE
SCC003-037-063-081-152200-
/O.NEW.KCAE.TO.W.0015.080315T2121Z-080315T2200Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA SC
521 PM EDT SAT MAR 15 2008

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN COLUMBIA HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  LEXINGTON COUNTY IN CENTRAL SOUTH CAROLINA
  SOUTHERN SALUDA COUNTY IN CENTRAL SOUTH CAROLINA
  NORTHEASTERN EDGEFIELD COUNTY IN CENTRAL SOUTH CAROLINA
  NORTHERN AIKEN COUNTY IN CENTRAL SOUTH CAROLINA

* UNTIL 600 PM EDT

* AT 520 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO NEAR JOHNSTON...
  OR ABOUT 17 MILES WEST OF BATESBURG...MOVING EAST AT 50 MPH.

* OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO RIDGE
  SPRING...LEESVILLE...RED BANK...SPRINGDALE...SOUTH CONGAREE...PINE
  RIDGE...GASTON AND CAYCE

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 AM EDT SUNDAY MORNING FOR
EAST CENTRAL GEORGIA AND CENTRAL SOUTH CAROLINA.

LARGE HAIL TO GOLF BALL SIZE IS POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. THIS IS A 
PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS STORM...SEEK SHELTER.

REPORT LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS OR FLOODING TO YOUR COUNTY
SHERIFF...OR CALL THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN COLUMBIA TOLL FREE
AT 1 800 7 7 5 7 1 9 9.

LAT...LON 3386 8104 3383 8103 3375 8105 3374 8103
      3371 8104 3366 8116 3382 8192 3406 8185
      3395 8103 3389 8101
TIME...MOT...LOC 2121Z 278DEG 44KT 3389 8178

$$
1 follow-up statement
000 
WWUS52 KCAE 152147
SVSCAE

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA SC
546 PM EDT SAT MAR 15 2008

SCC003-037-063-081-152200-
/O.CON.KCAE.TO.W.0015.000000T0000Z-080315T2200Z/
LEXINGTON SC-SALUDA SC-EDGEFIELD SC-AIKEN SC-
546 PM EDT SAT MAR 15 2008

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 600 PM EDT FOR AIKEN...
EDGEFIELD...SALUDA AND LEXINGTON COUNTIES...

AT 545 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR SUMMIT...OR ABOUT
6 MILES SOUTHEAST OF BATESBURG...MOVING EAST AT 50 MPH.

OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO RED
BANK...PELION...SWANSEA...SPRINGDALE...SOUTH CONGAREE...PINE RIDGE
AND GASTON

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 100 AM EDT SUNDAY MORNING FOR
EAST CENTRAL GEORGIA AND CENTRAL SOUTH CAROLINA.

THIS STORM HAS A HISTORY OF PRODUCING GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL AND 
SIGNIFICANT WIND DAMAGE.

REPORT LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS OR FLOODING TO YOUR COUNTY
SHERIFF...OR CALL THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN COLUMBIA TOLL FREE
AT 1 800 7 7 5 7 1 9 9.

LAT...LON 3386 8104 3383 8103 3375 8105 3374 8103
      3371 8104 3366 8116 3382 8192 3406 8185
      3395 8103 3389 8101
TIME...MOT...LOC 2146Z 278DEG 44KT 3384 8142

$$

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 15, 1:34 AM EDTLake Wind AdvisoryCAEAiken, Bamberg, Barnwell, Calhoun, Chesterfield, Clarendon and 10 more22 hr
Mar 15, 9:25 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCAEFairfield, Newberry23 min
Mar 15, 3:51 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCAEFairfield24 min
Mar 15, 3:58 PM EDTTornado WarningCAEFairfield17 min
Mar 15, 4:04 PM EDTTornado WarningCAENewberry41 min
Mar 15, 4:06 PM EDTTornado WarningCAELancaster24 min
Mar 15, 4:16 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCAEFairfield, Kershaw, Lancaster, Richland44 min
Mar 15, 4:17 PM EDTTornado WarningCAEMcCormick43 min
Mar 15, 4:25 PM EDTTornado WarningCAEKershaw, Lancaster35 min
Mar 15, 4:40 PM EDTTornado WarningCAEFairfield, Lexington, Newberry, Richland50 min
Mar 15, 4:41 PM EDTTornado WarningCAEChesterfield34 min
Mar 15, 4:50 PM EDTTornado WarningCAEEdgefield, McCormick, Saluda40 min
Mar 15, 5:16 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCAEKershaw, Lee, Richland, Sumter44 min
Mar 15, 5:23 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCAEMcCormick52 min
Mar 15, 5:30 PM EDTTornado WarningCAERichland30 min
Mar 15, 5:36 PM EDTTornado WarningCAEEdgefield, McCormick39 min
Mar 15, 5:46 PM EDTTornado WarningCAELee44 min
Mar 15, 5:50 PM EDTTornado WarningCAECalhoun, Lexington, Orangeburg, Richland40 min
Mar 15, 5:56 PM EDTTornado WarningCAENewberry, Saluda34 min
Mar 15, 6:03 PM EDTTornado WarningCAEAiken, Edgefield, McCormick42 min
Mar 15, 6:18 PM EDTTornado WarningCAECalhoun, Clarendon, Orangeburg, Richland, Sumter42 min
Mar 15, 6:26 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCAEFairfield, Lexington, Richland34 min
Mar 15, 6:32 PM EDTTornado WarningCAEAiken, Bamberg, Barnwell, Orangeburg43 min
Mar 15, 6:34 PM EDTTornado WarningCAEAiken, Barnwell41 min
Mar 15, 7:01 PM EDTTornado WarningCAEClarendon14 min
Mar 15, 7:14 PM EDTTornado WarningCAEBamberg, Orangeburg46 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in South Carolina, 2008Every tornado warning in 2008Tornadoes in 2008

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.