Alert archive / South Carolina / Tornado Warnings in 2008

Tornado Warning 7, NWS Wilmington, NC

March 15, 2008Florence County, Marion County, South Carolina

NWS Wilmington, NC issued this tornado warning at Mar 15, 2008, 6:20 PM EDT for Florence County, Marion County, South Carolina. It was in force for 40 min. 6 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, 6:20 PM EDT (22:20 UTC)
Expired: Mar 15, 2008, 7:00 PM EDT
In force: 40 min
Issued by: NWS Wilmington, NC
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Florence County, SC, Marion County, SC

The radar

The Wilmington radar (KLTX), 113 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:21 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, 6:21 PM EDT	TORNADO 1	4 S Florence, SC	* 3 INJ * MULTIPLE HOMES DAMAGED...3 TRAILERS OVERTURNED...3 MINOR INJURIES...2 LIVESTOCK KILLED. MAX EF-1 TORNADO WITH SPOTTY EF-0/EF-1 DAMAGE CONFIRMED BY NWS SURVEY TEAM. MAX WINDS WERE 105 MPH...WITH A MAXIMUM WIDTH OF 100 YARDS. THE PATH OF THE TORNAD
Mar 15, 6:25 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	4 S Florence, SC	MOBILE HOME FLIPPED NEAR HWY 301 AND MEADOW PRONG RD. ADDITIONAL DAMAGE...DETAILS UNKNOWN...HAS BEEN REPORTED ALONG HWY 301 BETWEEN HWY 52 AND HILL RD.
Mar 15, 6:25 PM EDT	TSTM WND GST 0	Timmonsville, SC	ESTIMATED WIND GUST OF 60 MPH IN TIMMONSVILLE NEAR TWIN CHURCH ROAD.
Mar 15, 6:25 PM EDT	TORNADO 1	4 S Florence, SC	* 3 INJ * MULTIPLE HOMES DAMAGED...3 TRAILERS OVERTURNED...3 MINOR INJURIES...2 LIVESTOCK KILLED. MAX EF-1 TORNADO WITH SPOTTY EF-0/EF-1 DAMAGE CONFIRMED BY NWS SURVEY TEAM. MAX WINDS WERE 105 MPH...WITH A MAXIMUM WIDTH OF 100 YARDS. THE PATH OF THE TORNAD
Mar 15, 6:35 PM EDT	FUNNEL CLOUD	5 Wsw Florence, SC	HIGHWAY PATROL REPORTED FUNNEL CLOUD NEAR I-95 NEAR EXIT 150
Mar 15, 7:00 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	6 Ne Gresham, SC	5 PINE TREES DOWN ACROSS HIGHWAY 41

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, 10.3 hours before the alert went out and 133 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 KILM 152221
TORILM
SCC041-067-152300-
/O.NEW.KILM.TO.W.0007.080315T2220Z-080315T2300Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC
620 PM EDT SAT MAR 15 2008

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WILMINGTON NC HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  CENTRAL MARION COUNTY IN NORTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA
  CENTRAL FLORENCE COUNTY IN NORTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA

* UNTIL 700 PM EDT

* AT 616 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO NEAR SARDIS...OR
  ABOUT 11 MILES SOUTHWEST OF FLORENCE...MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH.

* THE TORNADO IS EXPECTED TO BE NEAR...
   EFFINGHAM BY 630 PM...
   EVERGREEN BY 635 PM...
   CLAUSSEN BY 640 PM...
   HYMAN BY 645 PM...
   PAMPLICO BY 650 PM...
   RAINS BY 700 PM...

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

HEAVY RAINFALL MAY OBSCURE THIS TORNADO. TAKE COVER NOW IF YOU WAIT
TO SEE OR HEAR IT COMING...IT MAY BE TOO LATE TO GET TO A SAFE PLACE.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 AM EDT SUNDAY MORNING FOR
SOUTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA AND NORTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA.

LAT...LON 3415 7999 3417 7995 3417 7922 3407 7923
      3403 7930 3398 7934 3393 7931 3398 7991
      3401 7994 3403 8000
TIME...MOT...LOC 2220Z 272DEG 33KT 3407 7987

$$

MBB

1 follow-up statement

000 
WWUS52 KILM 152245
SVSILM

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC
642 PM EDT SAT MAR 15 2008

SCC041-067-152300-
/O.CON.KILM.TO.W.0007.000000T0000Z-080315T2300Z/
FLORENCE SC-MARION SC-
642 PM EDT SAT MAR 15 2008

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 700 PM EDT FOR CENTRAL
MARION AND CENTRAL FLORENCE COUNTIES...

AT 640 PM EDT...TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED A FUNNEL CLOUD 
WITH A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM MOVING ACROSS THE AREA AROUND 630 PM.
THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING THIS FUNNEL CLOUD AND 
LIKELY A TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR PAMPLICO...OR 13 MILES SOUTHWEST 
OF MARION...MOVING EAST AT 45 MPH.

THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
   RAINS BY 655 PM EDT...
   GAPWAY BY 700 PM EDT...

HEAVY RAINFALL MAY OBSCURE THIS TORNADO. TAKE COVER NOW IF YOU WAIT
TO SEE OR HEAR IT COMING...IT MAY BE TOO LATE TO GET TO A SAFE PLACE.

IF YOU OBSERVED SEVERE WEATHER OR WEATHER RELATED DAMAGE...REPORT IT
TO THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY AND ASK THEM TO RELAY THE
REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE IN WILMINGTON
NC.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 100 AM EDT SUNDAY MORNING FOR
SOUTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA AND NORTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA.

LAT...LON 3415 7999 3417 7995 3417 7922 3407 7923
      3403 7930 3398 7934 3393 7931 3398 7991
      3401 7994 3403 8000
TIME...MOT...LOC 2242Z 274DEG 41KT 3405 7954

$$

MBB/DCH

The office that day

Everything else NWS Wilmington, NC issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Mar 15, 4:48 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILM	Darlington	42 min
Mar 15, 5:05 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILM	Marlboro	40 min
Mar 15, 5:27 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILM	Dillon	48 min
Mar 15, 5:40 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	ILM	Dillon	35 min
Mar 15, 5:58 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILM	Darlington, Florence, Marion	47 min
Mar 15, 6:09 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	ILM	Horry	51 min
Mar 15, 6:25 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILM	Dillon, Marlboro	35 min
Mar 15, 7:01 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	ILM	Horry	44 min
Mar 15, 7:07 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILM	Georgetown, Williamsburg	38 min
Mar 15, 7:17 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	ILM	Georgetown, Williamsburg	43 min
Mar 15, 7:23 PM EDT	Special Marine Warning	ILM		97 min
Mar 15, 7:42 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILM	Horry	23 min
Mar 15, 7:59 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ILM	Georgetown, Horry	31 min

Nearby

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.