Alert archive / Georgia / Tornado Warnings in 2008

Tornado Warning 5, NWS Charleston, SC

March 15, 2008Jenkins County, Screven County, Georgia; Allendale County, South Carolina

NWS Charleston, SC issued this tornado warning at Mar 15, 2008, 6:41 PM EDT for Jenkins County, Screven County, Georgia; Allendale County, South Carolina. It was in force for 64 min. 5 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, 6:41 PM EDT (22:41 UTC)
Expired: Mar 15, 2008, 7:45 PM EDT
In force: 64 min
Issued by: NWS Charleston, SC
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Jenkins County, GA, Screven County, GA, Allendale County, SC

The radar

The Charleston,SC radar (KCLX), 63 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:42 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
Mar 15, 7:13 PM EDT	TORNADO	1 Ssw Martin, SC	* 1 INJ * EF2 TORNADO CONFIRMED BY NWS CHARLESTON STORM SURVEY. TOUCHED DOWN IN WESTERN ALLENDALE COUNTY WITH A PATH LENGTH 9.5 MILES AND A MAXIMUM PATH WIDTH OF ABOUT 3/4 MILE. ESTIMATED SPEEDS 115-125 MPH. DAMAGE INCLUDES UPROOTED/SNAPPED 1500-2000 TREES
Mar 15, 7:13 PM EDT	TORNADO	3 Ssw Martin, SC	* 1 INJ * EF2 TORNADO CONFIRMED BY NWS CHARLESTON STORM SURVEY. TOUCHED DOWN IN WESTERN ALLENDALE COUNTY WITH A PATH LENGTH 18 MILES AND A MAXIMUM PATH WIDTH OF ABOUT 3/4 MILE. ESTIMATED SPEEDS 115-125 MPH. DAMAGE INCLUDES UPROOTED/SNAPPED 1500-2000 TREES.
Mar 15, 7:15 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	Martin, SC	TREES DOWN ALL OVER THE AREA AND MINOR ROOF DAMAGE TO SEVERAL HOUSES AND OTHER STRUCTURES IN THE MARTIN AREA. ALSO HAIL TO HALF-DOLLAR SIZE.
Mar 15, 7:25 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	Allendale, SC	PUBLIC REPORTED TWO TREES DOWN IN THEIR YARD AT 56 MAIN STREET IN ALLENDALE.
Mar 15, 7:35 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	Allendale, SC	1 LARGE TREE DOWN IN ALLENDALE.

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.

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
Mar 15, 4:36 PM EDT	Tornado Watch PDS	SPC	8 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Charleston AFB, SC (KCHS), launched 12:00Z, 10.7 hours before the alert went out and 149 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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 KCHS 152243
TORCHS
GAC165-251-SCC005-152345-
/O.NEW.KCHS.TO.W.0005.080315T2241Z-080315T2345Z/

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

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHARLESTON HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  NORTHEASTERN JENKINS COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST GEORGIA...
  NORTHERN SCREVEN COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST GEORGIA...
  ALLENDALE COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA...

* UNTIL 745 PM EDT

* AT 638 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO 20 MILES
  NORTHWEST OF MILLHAVEN...OR ABOUT OVER WAYNESBORO...MOVING EAST AT
  65 MPH.

* SOME LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH OF THE STORM INCLUDE...
  MILLHAVEN...HILLTONIA...
  MARTIN...MILLETT...
  ALLENDALE...APPLETON...
  BARTON...SYCAMORE...

THIS STORM HAS A HISTORY OF PRODUCING TORNADOES. TAKE COVER NOW. 
ABANDON MOBILE HOMES AND VEHICLES. MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM OR 
HALLWAY ON THE LOWEST FLOOR. STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND POTENTIALLY LIFE THREATENING
SITUATION. IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO...TAKE COVER
IMMEDIATELY.

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 3295 8185 3291 8176 3304 8156 3309 8162
      3315 8155 3313 8142 3311 8137 3310 8118
      3286 8130 3271 8163 3292 8197
TIME...MOT...LOC 2241Z 283DEG 59KT 3309 8188

$$

2 follow-up statements

000 
WWUS52 KCHS 152304
SVSCHS

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

GAC165-251-SCC005-152345-
/O.CON.KCHS.TO.W.0005.000000T0000Z-080315T2345Z/
JENKINS GA-SCREVEN GA-ALLENDALE SC-
702 PM EDT SAT MAR 15 2008

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 745 PM EDT FOR
ALLENDALE...NORTHERN SCREVEN AND NORTHEASTERN JENKINS COUNTIES...

AT 701 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR GIRARD...OR ABOUT
19 MILES WEST OF ALLENDALE...MOVING EAST AT 65 MPH.

SOME LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE...
ALLENDALE...APPLETON...BARTON...MARTIN...MILLETT...SEIGLING...
SYCAMORE...ULMER...ALTMAN...HILLTONIA...MILLHAVEN AND SYLVANIA.

THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS IN A BASEMENT. GET UNDER A
WORKBENCH OR OTHER PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE. IF NO BASEMENT IS
AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF THE BUILDING IN AN
INTERIOR HALLWAY OR ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET. USE BLANKETS OR PILLOWS TO
COVER YOUR BODY AND ALWAYS STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

IF IN MOBILE HOMES OR VEHICLES...EVACUATE THEM AND GET INSIDE A
SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER. IF NO SHELTER IS AVAILABLE...LIE FLAT IN THE
NEAREST DITCH OR OTHER LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.

THIS STORM HAS A HISTORY OF PRODUCING TORNADOES AND LARGE HAIL.

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 3295 8185 3291 8176 3304 8156 3309 8162
      3315 8155 3313 8142 3311 8137 3310 8118
      3286 8130 3271 8163 3292 8197
TIME...MOT...LOC 2302Z 290DEG 56KT 3304 8156

$$

000 
WWUS52 KCHS 152329
SVSCHS

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

GAC165-251-SCC005-152345-
/O.CON.KCHS.TO.W.0005.000000T0000Z-080315T2345Z/
JENKINS GA-SCREVEN GA-ALLENDALE SC-
727 PM EDT SAT MAR 15 2008

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 745 PM EDT FOR
ALLENDALE...NORTHERN SCREVEN AND NORTHEASTERN JENKINS COUNTIES...

AT 724 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR SEIGLING...OR
ABOUT OVER ALLENDALE...MOVING EAST AT 50 MPH.

THE STRONGEST PART OF THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR SIEGLING... 
ALLENDALE...AND SYCAMORE. 

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

THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS IN A BASEMENT. GET UNDER A
WORKBENCH OR OTHER PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE. IF NO BASEMENT IS
AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF THE BUILDING IN AN
INTERIOR HALLWAY OR ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET. USE BLANKETS OR PILLOWS TO
COVER YOUR BODY AND ALWAYS STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

IF IN MOBILE HOMES OR VEHICLES...EVACUATE THEM AND GET INSIDE A
SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER. IF NO SHELTER IS AVAILABLE...LIE FLAT IN THE
NEAREST DITCH OR OTHER LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.

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 3295 8185 3291 8176 3304 8156 3309 8162
      3315 8155 3313 8142 3311 8137 3310 8118
      3286 8130 3271 8163 3292 8197
TIME...MOT...LOC 2327Z 274DEG 43KT 3303 8128

$$

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Mar 15, 5:45 PM EDT	Wind Advisory	CHS	Bulloch, Candler, Effingham, Evans, Jenkins, Long and 2 more	5 hr
Mar 15, 7:23 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CHS	Jenkins, Screven	67 min
Mar 15, 7:45 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CHS	Jenkins, Screven	60 min
Mar 15, 6:49 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	CHS	Berkeley	45 min
Mar 15, 7:09 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	CHS	Berkeley, Colleton, Dorchester	66 min
Mar 15, 7:14 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	CHS	Allendale, Colleton, Hampton	46 min
Mar 15, 7:51 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	CHS	Charleston, Colleton, Dorchester	54 min
Mar 15, 7:56 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CHS	Colleton, Hampton	64 min
Mar 15, 7:57 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	CHS	Berkeley, Charleston, Dorchester	63 min

Nearby

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