Alert archive / South Carolina / Tornado Warnings in 2008

Tornado Warning 13, NWS Charleston, SC

March 15, 20085 counties in South Carolina

NWS Charleston, SC issued this tornado warning at Mar 15, 2008, 9:03 PM EDT for 5 counties in South Carolina. It was in force for 42 min. 4 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, 9:03 PM EDT (01:03 UTC)
Expired
Mar 15, 2008, 9:45 PM EDT
In force
42 min
Issued by
NWS Charleston, SC
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Beaufort County, SC, Charleston County, SC, Colleton County, SC, Hampton County, SC, Jasper County, SC

The radar

The Charleston,SC radar (KCLX), 29 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:06 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, 9:06 PM EDTTSTM WND DMGCoosawhatchie, SCTREES DOWN AT EXIT 28 ON I-95. POSSIBLE TORNADO. REPORT FROM THE COUNTY WARNING POINT.
Mar 15, 9:15 PM EDTTSTM WND DMGBeaufort, SCPOSSIBLE TORNADO NEAR THE BEAUFORT MCAS /KNBC/.
Mar 15, 9:20 PM EDTTSTM WND DMGDale, SCEMERGENCY MANAGER DETERMINED DAMAGE TO BE FROM STRAIGHT LINE WINDS. 2 LARGE PINE TREES DOWN. 2 TOPS OF PINE TREES SNAPPED. 1 LARGE OAK TREE LIMB DOWN. SHINGLE AND SKIRTING DAMAGE TO MOBILE HOME. SHED FLIPPED. CARPORT BLOWN OVER. DAMAGE HAPPENED IN ABOUT 7 SECO
Mar 15, 9:20 PM EDTTSTM WND DMGDale, SCPOSSIBLE TORNADO. DAMAGE TO 1 MOBILE HOME. TREES DOWN. EMERGENCY MANAGER WILL INVESTIGATE. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR.

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, 4:36 PM EDTTornado Watch PDSSPC8 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Charleston AFB, SC (KCHS), launched 00:00Z, 1.1 hours before the alert went out and 82 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 2008-03-16Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 966 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 00:00Z on 2008-03-16The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 0 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
966 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-56 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
741 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
0 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
0 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
0 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.

000 
WFUS52 KCHS 160104
TORCHS
SCC013-019-029-049-053-160145-
/O.NEW.KCHS.TO.W.0013.080316T0103Z-080316T0145Z/

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

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHARLESTON HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  NORTH CENTRAL BEAUFORT COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA...
  SOUTHWESTERN CHARLESTON COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA...
  SOUTHERN COLLETON COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA...
  SOUTHEASTERN HAMPTON COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA...
  NORTHEASTERN JASPER COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA...

* UNTIL 945 PM EDT

* AT 901 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO NEAR
  COOSAWHATCHIE...OR ABOUT 6 MILES SOUTHWEST OF YEMASSEE...MOVING
  EAST AT 45 MPH.

* SOME LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH OF THE STORM INCLUDE...
  POCOTALIGO...COOSAWHATCHIE...
  SHELDON...
  GARDENS CORNER...WHITE HALL...
  DALE...MARINE CORPS AIR STATION...
  BEAUFORT...

A TORNADO MAY FORM AT ANY TIME. TAKE COVER NOW. ABANDON MOBILE HOMES
AND VEHICLES. MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM OR HALLWAY ON THE LOWEST 
FLOOR. STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER SUCH AS HAIL...DOWNED TREES...LIMBS...AND
POWER LINES...PLEASE CONTACT THE CHARLESTON NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
TOLL FREE AT 1-888-383-2024.

LAT...LON 3241 8081 3244 8082 3243 8083 3262 8101
      3271 8103 3279 8061 3268 8063 3261 8032
      3236 8076
TIME...MOT...LOC 0103Z 285DEG 39KT 3262 8090

$$
1 follow-up statement
000 
WWUS52 KCHS 160130 RRA
SVSCHS

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC
926 PM EDT SAT MAR 15 2008

SCC013-019-029-049-053-160145-
/O.CON.KCHS.TO.W.0013.000000T0000Z-080316T0145Z/
HAMPTON SC-COLLETON SC-CHARLESTON SC-BEAUFORT SC-JASPER SC-
926 PM EDT SAT MAR 15 2008

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 945 PM EDT FOR
NORTHEASTERN JASPER...NORTH CENTRAL BEAUFORT...SOUTHWESTERN
CHARLESTON...SOUTHERN COLLETON AND SOUTHEASTERN HAMPTON COUNTIES...

AT 924 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO 
INDICATE A TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED 4 MILES NORTHWEST OF 
COOSAWHATCHIE MOVING EAST AT 45 MPH.

SOME LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM 
INCLUDE...COOSAWHATCHIE...GARDENS CORNER...GRAYS... POCOTALIGO...AND 
YEMASSEE.

IN ADDITION TO THE TORNADO...THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING 
QUARTER SIZE HAIL AND DESTRUCTIVE STRAIGHT LINE WINDS.

TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER SUCH AS HAIL...DOWNED TREES...LIMBS...AND
POWER LINES...PLEASE CONTACT THE CHARLESTON NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
TOLL FREE AT 1-888-383-2024 OR EMAIL YOUR REPORTS TO
CHS.SKYWARN@NOAA.GOV.

LAT...LON 3241 8081 3244 8082 3243 8083 3262 8101
      3271 8103 3279 8061 3268 8063 3261 8032
      3236 8076
TIME...MOT...LOC 0126Z 275DEG 41KT 3255 8062

$$

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 15, 8:03 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCHSHampton17 min
Mar 15, 8:18 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCHSAllendale, Hampton57 min
Mar 15, 8:23 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCHSAllendale, Colleton, Hampton52 min
Mar 15, 8:32 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCHSBerkeley20 min
Mar 15, 8:40 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningCHS2 hr
Mar 15, 8:44 PM EDTTornado WarningCHSCharleston, Colleton, Dorchester46 min
Mar 15, 8:49 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCHSJasper56 min
Mar 15, 8:54 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCHSBeaufort, Charleston, Colleton, Hampton, Jasper66 min
Mar 15, 9:17 PM EDTTornado WarningCHSHampton, Jasper34 min
Mar 15, 9:25 PM EDTTornado WarningCHSBeaufort, Charleston, Colleton50 min
Mar 15, 9:34 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningCHS116 min
Mar 15, 9:34 PM EDTTornado WarningCHSJasper33 min
Mar 15, 9:38 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningCHS97 min
Mar 15, 9:57 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCHSBeaufort, Jasper35 min
Mar 15, 9:58 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCHSBeaufort, Charleston, Colleton26 min
Mar 15, 9:59 PM EDTTornado WarningCHSBeaufort, Jasper31 min
Mar 15, 10:00 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCHSJasper45 min
Mar 15, 10:16 PM EDTTornado WarningCHSJasper29 min
Mar 15, 10:39 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCHSBeaufort, Jasper50 min
Mar 15, 10:43 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningCHS92 min
Mar 15, 10:45 PM EDTTornado WarningCHSBeaufort, Jasper30 min
Mar 15, 10:58 PM EDTLake Wind AdvisoryCHSBerkeley15 hr
Mar 15, 11:04 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningCHS55 min
Mar 16, 12:38 AM EDTSpecial Marine WarningCHS67 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.