Alert archive / South Carolina / Tornado Warnings in 2009

Tornado Warning 2, NWS Charleston, SC

March 1, 2009Beaufort County, Jasper County, South Carolina; Chatham County, Effingham County, Georgia

NWS Charleston, SC issued this tornado warning at Mar 1, 2009, 3:10 AM EST for Beaufort County, Jasper County, South Carolina; Chatham County, Effingham County, Georgia. It was in force for 38 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 1, 2009, 3:10 AM EST (08:10 UTC)
Expired
Mar 1, 2009, 3:48 AM EST
In force
38 min
Issued by
NWS Charleston, SC
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Chatham County, GA, Effingham County, GA, Beaufort County, SC, Jasper County, SC

The radar

The Charleston,SC radar (KCLX), 58 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 08:12 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 1, 3:10 AM ESTHAIL 1.75Bloomingdale, GAFIREFIGHTERS REPORTED DIME TO GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL WITH THE STORM. NUMEROUS TREE LIMBS AND BRANCHES DOWN. SOME POWER LINES DOWN ON ASH STREET BUT THIS WAS LIKELY DUE TO A LIGHTNING STRIKE.
Mar 1, 3:18 AM ESTHAIL 0.5Pooler, GADIME SIZE HAIL AT I-95 AND POOLER PARKWAY
Mar 1, 3:20 AM ESTHAIL 0.88Pooler, GADIME TO NICKEL SIZE HAIL FELL FOR FIVE MINUTES. BRIEFLY COVERED THE GROUND BEFORE MELTING.
Mar 1, 3:47 AM ESTHAIL 0.5Bluffton, SCDIME SIZE HAIL REPORTED IN BLUFFTON.

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 1, 2:41 AM ESTTornado WatchSPC7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Charleston AFB, SC (KCHS), launched 00:00Z, 8.2 hours before the alert went out and 121 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 2009-03-01Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Charleston AFB, SC at 00:00Z on 2009-03-01The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 398 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
895 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
52 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
398 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
515 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 010810
TORCHS
GAC051-103-SCC013-053-010900-
/O.NEW.KCHS.TO.W.0002.090301T0810Z-090301T0900Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC
310 AM EST SUN MAR 1 2009

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHARLESTON HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  NORTHERN CHATHAM COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST GEORGIA...
  EXTREME SOUTH CENTRAL EFFINGHAM COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST GEORGIA...
  SOUTHWESTERN BEAUFORT COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA...
  SOUTH CENTRAL JASPER COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA...

* UNTIL 400 AM EST

* AT 309 AM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO NEAR
  BURROUGHS...OR ABOUT OVER RICHMOND HILL...MOVING EAST AT 50 MPH.

* SOME LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH OF THE STORM INCLUDE...
  BURROUGHS...POOLER...
  WHITE BLUFF...WINDSOR FOREST...
  SAVANNAH...SANDFLY...
  RIVERSIDE...THUNDERBOLT...
  BELLINGER HILL AREA...PRITCHARDVILLE...

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.

TAKE COVER NOW. IF YOU WAIT UNTIL YOU SEE OR HEAR THE TORNADO
COMING...IT MAY BE TOO LATE TO GET TO A SAFE PLACE.

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 3211 8140 3213 8140 3236 8077 3231 8073
      3228 8075 3228 8072 3223 8066 3220 8066
      3213 8074 3206 8089 3204 8088 3202 8083
      3199 8084 3194 8127
TIME...MOT...LOC 0809Z 257DEG 45KT 3202 8127

$$
2 follow-up statements
000 
WWUS52 KCHS 010833
SVSCHS

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC
333 AM EST SUN MAR 1 2009

GAC103-010843-
/O.CAN.KCHS.TO.W.0002.000000T0000Z-090301T0900Z/
EFFINGHAM GA-
333 AM EST SUN MAR 1 2009

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR EXTREME SOUTH CENTRAL EFFINGHAM COUNTY HAS
BEEN CANCELLED...

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 3210 8138 3216 8130 3236 8077 3231 8073
      3228 8075 3228 8072 3223 8066 3220 8066
      3213 8074 3206 8089 3204 8088 3202 8083
      3199 8084 3194 8127
TIME...MOT...LOC 0833Z 245DEG 49KT 3217 8095

$$

GAC051-SCC013-053-010900-
/O.CON.KCHS.TO.W.0002.000000T0000Z-090301T0900Z/
BEAUFORT SC-CHATHAM GA-JASPER SC-
333 AM EST SUN MAR 1 2009

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 400 AM EST FOR SOUTH
CENTRAL JASPER...NORTHERN CHATHAM AND SOUTHWESTERN BEAUFORT
COUNTIES...

AT 330 AM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR BELLINGER HILL
AREA...OR ABOUT OVER BELLINGER HILL AREA...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 55
MPH.

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 3210 8138 3216 8130 3236 8077 3231 8073
      3228 8075 3228 8072 3223 8066 3220 8066
      3213 8074 3206 8089 3204 8088 3202 8083
      3199 8084 3194 8127
TIME...MOT...LOC 0833Z 245DEG 49KT 3217 8095

$$
000 
WWUS52 KCHS 010848
SVSCHS

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC
348 AM EST SUN MAR 1 2009

GAC051-SCC013-053-010858-
/O.CAN.KCHS.TO.W.0002.000000T0000Z-090301T0900Z/
BEAUFORT SC-CHATHAM GA-JASPER SC-
348 AM EST SUN MAR 1 2009

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR SOUTH CENTRAL JASPER...NORTHERN CHATHAM
AND SOUTHWESTERN BEAUFORT COUNTIES HAS BEEN CANCELLED...

AT 348 AM EST...RADAR INDICATED THAT THE TORNADIC THUNDERSTORM WHICH
PROMPTED THE WARNING HAS WEAKENED...AND WAS NO LONGER CAPABLE OF
PRODUCING TORNADOES OR OTHER SEVERE WEATHER. THE TORNADO WARNING HAS
THEREFORE BEEN CANCELED.

ALTHOUGH THE TORNADO WARNING IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT...THUNDERSTORMS
ARE STILL CAPABLE OF PRODUCING GUSTY WINDS...SMALL HAIL...FREQUENT
LIGHTNING AND HEAVY RAINFALL. THE SAFEST COURSE OF ACTION IS TO
REMAIN INDOORS UNTIL THE STORMS HAVE PASSED.

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 3210 8138 3216 8130 3236 8077 3231 8073
      3228 8075 3228 8072 3223 8066 3220 8066
      3213 8074 3206 8089 3204 8088 3202 8083
      3199 8084 3194 8127
TIME...MOT...LOC 0848Z 245DEG 49KT 3224 8072

$$

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 1, 2:54 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCHSBeaufort, Jasper66 min
Mar 1, 4:21 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCHSBeaufort, Jasper39 min
Mar 1, 4:36 AM ESTLake Wind AdvisoryCHSBerkeley34 hr
Mar 1, 7:01 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCHSAllendale, Hampton29 min
Mar 1, 7:27 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCHSBeaufort, Jasper28 min
Mar 1, 7:30 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCHSAllendale33 min
Mar 1, 7:57 AM ESTAreal Flood AdvisoryCHSBerkeley, Charleston, Colleton, Dorchester2 hr
Mar 1, 8:03 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCHSBeaufort, Colleton42 min
Mar 1, 10:31 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCHSBerkeley, Charleston, Dorchester44 min
Mar 1, 10:49 AM ESTAreal Flood AdvisoryCHSBerkeley, Charleston, Dorchester116 min
Mar 1, 3:58 PM ESTWinter Weather AdvisoryCHSAllendale, Berkeley, Colleton, Dorchester, Hampton5 hr
Mar 1, 12:59 AM ESTSpecial Marine WarningCHS37 min
Mar 1, 1:51 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCHSBryan, Evans, Liberty, Long, Tattnall54 min
Mar 1, 2:28 AM ESTTornado WarningCHSBryan, Liberty47 min
Mar 1, 4:19 AM ESTGale WarningCHS30 hr
Mar 1, 4:19 AM ESTSmall Craft AdvisoryCHS35 hr
Mar 1, 4:50 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCHSBryan, Bulloch, Candler, Evans, Tattnall40 min
Mar 1, 5:12 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCHSJenkins, Screven48 min
Mar 1, 7:46 AM ESTSpecial Marine WarningCHS119 min
Mar 1, 11:53 AM ESTSpecial Marine WarningCHS59 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in South Carolina, 2009Tornado Warnings in Georgia, 2009Every tornado warning in 2009Tornadoes in 2009

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.