Alert archive / South Carolina / Tornado Warnings in 2011

Tornado Warning 40, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

November 16, 2011Laurens County, Spartanburg County, Union County, South Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this tornado warning at Nov 16, 2011, 4:36 PM EST for Laurens County, Spartanburg County, Union County, South Carolina. It was in force for 39 min. 3 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: Nov 16, 2011, 4:36 PM EST (21:36 UTC)
Expired: Nov 16, 2011, 5:15 PM EST
In force: 39 min
Issued by: NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Laurens County, SC, Spartanburg County, SC, Union County, SC

The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 60 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:39 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
Nov 16, 5:02 PM EST	TORNADO	3 Ese Union, SC	COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS CALLED TO REPORT ADDITIONAL DAMAGE OBSERVED NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF NEAL SHOALS ROAD AND FAIRVIEW CHURCH CIRCLE. A ROOF BLOWN OFF A BARN...POWER LINES DOWN AND TREES DOWN.
Nov 16, 5:06 PM EST	TSTM WND DMG	8 E Union, SC	TREE REPORTED ON A VEHICLE ON RIVER RD NEAR OLD FERRY RD.ALSO...NEAL SHAOLS RD BLOCKED WITH DOWNED TREES AND POWER LINES.
Nov 16, 5:06 PM EST	TORNADO	4 E Monarch Mills, SC	SWIRLING DEBRIS WENT ACROSS SPOTTERS HOUSE AND BLEW SHINGLES OFF HIS ROOF AND KNOCKED A TREE DOWN ON THE ROAD. WINDS ESTIMATED 50 MPH PLUS.

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
Nov 16, 1:35 PM EST	Tornado Watch	SPC	7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC (KGSO), launched 12:00Z, 9.6 hours before the alert went out and 214 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: 116 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -5 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 472 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 58 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 98 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 129 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

721 
WFUS52 KGSP 162136
TORGSP
SCC059-083-087-162215-
/O.NEW.KGSP.TO.W.0040.111116T2136Z-111116T2215Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
436 PM EST WED NOV 16 2011

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  CENTRAL LAURENS COUNTY IN UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA...
  SOUTHEASTERN SPARTANBURG COUNTY IN UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA...
  UNION COUNTY IN UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF UNION...

* UNTIL 515 PM EST

* AT 431 PM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO 4 MILES
  SOUTHEAST OF ORA...OR 6 MILES NORTHEAST OF LAURENS...MOVING
  NORTHEAST AT 50 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  CROSS ANCHOR...
  CROSS KEYS AND SEDALIA...
  UNION AND BUFFALO...
  MONARCH MILLS...SANTUC AND JONESVILLE...
  ADAMSBURG...
  LOCKHART...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

MOBILE HOMES AND VEHICLES SHOULD BE ABANDONED FOR STURDIER SHELTER.
OTHERWISE...GO TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST LEVEL OF YOUR HOME
OR PLACE OF BUSINESS. MAKE SURE THERE ARE AS MANY WALLS AND FLOORS
BETWEEN YOU AND THE OUTSIDE AS POSSIBLE.

TO REPORT TORNADOES...DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL...OR FLOODING...
THROUGH OUR AUTOMATED REPORTING SYSTEM...CALL OUR TOLL FREE NUMBER...
1 8 7 7...6 3 3...6 7 7 2.

&&

LAT...LON 3460 8205 3488 8162 3489 8158 3487 8149
      3484 8146 3481 8148 3479 8146 3477 8145
      3474 8149 3473 8149 3472 8145 3467 8145
      3462 8142 3445 8194
TIME...MOT...LOC 2135Z 240DEG 42KT 3458 8189

$$
07

1 follow-up statement

082 
WWUS52 KGSP 162147
SVSGSP

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
447 PM EST WED NOV 16 2011

SCC059-083-162156-
/O.CAN.KGSP.TO.W.0040.000000T0000Z-111116T2215Z/
LAURENS SC-SPARTANBURG SC-
447 PM EST WED NOV 16 2011

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR SOUTHEASTERN SPARTANBURG AND CENTRAL
LAURENS COUNTIES IS CANCELLED...

THE TORNADO MOVED NORTHEAST AND OUT OF LAURENS AND SOUTHEAST 
SPARTANBURG COUNTIES.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM EST WEDNESDAY EVENING
FOR NORTHEAST GEORGIA AND CENTRAL SOUTH CAROLINA. A TORNADO WATCH
ALSO REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT EST THURSDAY MORNING FOR
CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA AND CENTRAL SOUTH CAROLINA.

LAT...LON 3458 8182 3476 8180 3488 8162 3489 8158
      3487 8154 3488 8153 3487 8149 3484 8146
      3481 8148 3478 8145 3473 8149 3472 8146
      3462 8142 3454 8166
TIME...MOT...LOC 2146Z 240DEG 42KT 3462 8176

$$

SCC087-162215-
/O.CON.KGSP.TO.W.0040.000000T0000Z-111116T2215Z/
UNION SC-
447 PM EST WED NOV 16 2011

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 515 PM EST FOR UNION
COUNTY IN UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA...

AT 443 PM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR CROSS KEYS...OR 13
MILES SOUTHWEST OF UNION...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 50 MPH.

OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO
SEDALIA...BUFFALO...JONESVILLE...SANTUC...MONARCH MILLS AND ADAMSBURG

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

MOBILE HOMES AND VEHICLES SHOULD BE ABANDONED FOR STURDIER SHELTER.
OTHERWISE...GO TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST LEVEL OF YOUR HOME
OR PLACE OF BUSINESS. MAKE SURE THERE ARE AS MANY WALLS AND FLOORS
BETWEEN YOU AND THE OUTSIDE AS POSSIBLE.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM EST WEDNESDAY EVENING
FOR NORTHEAST GEORGIA AND CENTRAL SOUTH CAROLINA. A TORNADO WATCH
ALSO REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT EST THURSDAY MORNING FOR
CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA AND CENTRAL SOUTH CAROLINA.

&&

LAT...LON 3458 8182 3476 8180 3488 8162 3489 8158
      3487 8154 3488 8153 3487 8149 3484 8146
      3481 8148 3478 8145 3473 8149 3472 8146
      3462 8142 3454 8166
TIME...MOT...LOC 2146Z 240DEG 42KT 3462 8176

$$

07

The office that day

Everything else NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Nov 16, 2:50 PM EST	Special Weather Statement	GSP	Oconee, Pickens	40 min
Nov 16, 3:07 PM EST	Special Weather Statement	GSP	Greenville, Spartanburg	38 min
Nov 16, 3:45 PM EST	Special Weather Statement	GSP	Laurens	45 min
Nov 16, 3:55 PM EST	Tornado Warning	GSP	Abbeville, Anderson, Greenville, Greenwood, Laurens	50 min
Nov 16, 5:05 PM EST	Tornado Warning	GSP	Chester, Union, York	40 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in South Carolina, 2011 Every tornado warning in 2011 Tornadoes 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; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.