Alert archive / South Carolina / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2011

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 78, NWS Columbia, SC

May 13, 2011Lexington County, Richland County, South Carolina

NWS Columbia, SC issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 13, 2011, 7:46 PM EDT for Lexington County, Richland County, South Carolina. It was in force for 59 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 13, 2011, 7:46 PM EDT (23:46 UTC)
Expired
May 13, 2011, 8:45 PM EDT
In force
59 min
Issued by
NWS Columbia, SC
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Lexington County, SC, Richland County, SC

The radar

The Columbia radar (KCAE), 3 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:46 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.

The nearest sounding before it

Charleston AFB, SC (KCHS), launched 12:00Z, 11.8 hours before the alert went out and 155 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 2011-05-13Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1131 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 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 12:00Z on 2011-05-13The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 112 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
1131 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-57 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
703 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
24 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
112 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
113 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.4
Supercell composite
3.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Columbia, SC wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at May 13, 7:36 PM EDT, 10 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 13, 7:36 PM EDT, 10 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, May 13, 6:04 PM EDT, 1 hour 42 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA SC
604 PM EDT FRI MAY 13 2011

GAZ040-063>065-077-SCZ018-020>022-025>031-035>038-041-142215-
LINCOLN-MCDUFFIE-COLUMBIA-RICHMOND-BURKE-MCCORMICK-NEWBERRY-
FAIRFIELD-KERSHAW-EDGEFIELD-SALUDA-LEXINGTON-RICHLAND-LEE-AIKEN-
SUMTER-BARNWELL-ORANGEBURG-CALHOUN-CLARENDON-BAMBERG-
604 PM EDT FRI MAY 13 2011

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EAST CENTRAL GEORGIA AND
CENTRAL SOUTH CAROLINA.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT.

A STRONG UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM WILL APPROACH THE AREA TONIGHT. THIS
WILL CREATE THE POTENTIAL FOR A FEW STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS
ACROSS THE AREA WITH THE MAIN THREATS BEING DAMAGING WINDS AND
LARGE HAIL.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY.

THERE IS POTENTIAL FOR STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS AGAIN SATURDAY AS
THE UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM CROSSES THE REGION. HAIL AND DAMAGING WIND
GUSTS WILL BE THE MAIN THREAT.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

SCZ015-016-142215-
LANCASTER-CHESTERFIELD-
604 PM EDT FRI MAY 13 2011

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 299 IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM EDT THIS
EVENING...

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL SOUTH CAROLINA.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT.

PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE
INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS.

   SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH.

A STRONG UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM WILL APPROACH THE AREA TONIGHT. THIS
WILL CREATE THE POTENTIAL FOR A FEW STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS
ACROSS THE AREA WITH THE MAIN THREATS BEING DAMAGING WINDS AND
LARGE HAIL.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY.

THERE IS POTENTIAL FOR STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS AGAIN SATURDAY AS
THE UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM CROSSES THE REGION. HAIL AND DAMAGING WIND
GUSTS WILL BE THE MAIN THREAT.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 13, 6:52 PM EDT, 54 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA SC
652 PM EDT FRI MAY 13 2011

SCZ027-028-037-132345-
CALHOUN-LEXINGTON-RICHLAND-
652 PM EDT FRI MAY 13 2011

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS AFFECTING CALHOUN...RICHLAND AND SUMTER
COUNTIES...

AT 646 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 7 MILES SOUTHEAST OF GASTON...OR 14 MILES SOUTH
OF CAYCE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.

PEA SIZE HAIL...AND WINDS 30 TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.

REPORT LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS OR FLOODING TO YOUR COUNTY
SHERIFF...OR CALL THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOLL FREE AT 1...8 7
7...6 3 3...6 7 7 2.
Local storm report, May 13, 7:13 PM EDT, 33 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA SC
713 PM EDT FRI MAY 13 2011

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0641 PM     TSTM WND DMG     AIKEN                   33.54N 81.73W
05/13/2011                   AIKEN              SC   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            TREES DOWN IN ROADWAY AND ON POWERLINES NEAR THE
            INTERSECTION OF TROLLEY LINE ROAD AND VAUCLUSE ROAD IN
            AIKEN.

&&

MJP
Special weather statement, May 13, 7:29 PM EDT, 17 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA SC
729 PM EDT FRI MAY 13 2011

SCZ020-026-027-140030-
LEXINGTON-NEWBERRY-SALUDA-
729 PM EDT FRI MAY 13 2011

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL IMPACT PORTIONS OF LEXINGTON...
NEWBERRY...RICHLAND AND SALUDA COUNTIES THROUGH 830 PM EDT...

AT 727 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM...17 MILES SOUTH OF CHAPIN...MOVING NORTHEAST AT
20 MPH.

PREPARE NOW FOR THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS...
STRONG WINDS OF 45 TO 55 MPH...
PEA SIZE HAIL...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

THUNDERSTORMS POSE A VARIETY OF THREATS TO BOATERS ON LAKE MURRAY.
YOUR BEST COURSE OF ACTION DURING A THUNDERSTORM IS TO SEEK SAFE
HARBOR. IF YOU ARE CAUGHT IN THE OPEN LAKE WATERS...STAY BELOW
DECK...AND IF POSSIBLE...AWAY FROM UNGROUNDED METAL OBJECTS.

REPORT LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS OR FLOODING TO YOUR COUNTY
SHERIFF...OR CALL THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOLL FREE AT 1...8 7
7...6 3 3...6 7 7 2.

&&

LAT...LON 3416 8130 3414 8131 3409 8127 3410 8120
      3408 8113 3393 8129 3405 8163 3422 8152
TIME...MOT...LOC 2327Z 240DEG 18KT 3395 8139

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 13, 6:25 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCAEAiken, Edgefield, Saluda50 min
May 13, 7:14 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCAEAiken, Lexington61 min
May 13, 7:29 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCAELexington61 min
May 13, 7:51 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCAEBamberg39 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in South Carolina, 2011Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2011

Sources

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