Alert archive / South Carolina / Tornado Warnings in 2012

Tornado Warning 7, NWS Columbia, SC

May 14, 2012Calhoun County, Clarendon County, Orangeburg County, South Carolina

NWS Columbia, SC issued this tornado warning at May 14, 2012, 2:25 PM EDT for Calhoun County, Clarendon County, Orangeburg County, South Carolina. It was in force for 35 min. 2 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: May 14, 2012, 2:25 PM EDT (18:25 UTC)
Expired: May 14, 2012, 3:00 PM EDT
In force: 35 min
Issued by: NWS Columbia, SC
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Calhoun County, SC, Clarendon County, SC, Orangeburg County, SC

The radar

The Columbia radar (KCAE), 93 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 18:26 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
May 14, 2:28 PM EDT	HAIL 0.88	9 Ese Brookdale, SC	NICKEL SIZE HAIL REPORTED NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF HWY. 301 AND HOMESTEAD RD.
May 14, 2:31 PM EDT	HAIL 1	6 Ssw Elloree, SC	QUARTER SIZE HAIL 6 SSW OF ELLOREE. PUT DINGS IN HER CAR.

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

The nearest sounding before it

Charleston AFB, SC (KCHS), launched 12:00Z, 6.4 hours before the alert went out and 69 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: 518 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -5 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 722 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 27 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 96 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 143 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.1
Supercell composite: 1.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

186 
WFUS52 KCAE 141825
TORCAE
SCC017-027-075-141900-
/O.NEW.KCAE.TO.W.0007.120514T1825Z-120514T1900Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA SC
225 PM EDT MON MAY 14 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN COLUMBIA HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHEASTERN CALHOUN COUNTY IN CENTRAL SOUTH CAROLINA
  SOUTHWESTERN CLARENDON COUNTY IN CENTRAL SOUTH CAROLINA
  EASTERN ORANGEBURG COUNTY IN CENTRAL SOUTH CAROLINA

* UNTIL 300 PM EDT

* AT 225 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO 6 MILES
  SOUTHWEST OF ELLOREE...OR ABOUT 13 MILES EAST OF BROOKDALE...MOVING
  NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

* OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO
  ELLOREE AND SUMMERTON

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

WHEN A TORNADO WARNING IS ISSUED BASED ON DOPPLER RADAR...IT MEANS
THAT STRONG ROTATION HAS BEEN DETECTED IN THE STORM. A TORNADO MAY
ALREADY BE ON THE GROUND...OR IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP SHORTLY. IF YOU
ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS DANGEROUS STORM...MOVE INDOORS AND TO THE
LOWEST LEVEL OF THE BUILDING. STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. IF DRIVING...DO
NOT SEEK SHELTER UNDER A HIGHWAY OVERPASS.

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.

REPORT LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS OR FLOODING TO YOUR COUNTY
SHERIFF...OR CALL THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE...TOLL FREE 1 877 6 3
3...6 7 7 2.

&&

LAT...LON 3344 8016 3345 8017 3344 8019 3344 8021
      3343 8022 3340 8068 3351 8071 3372 8032
      3345 8015
TIME...MOT...LOC 1825Z 235DEG 25KT 3346 8060

$$

AWP

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 14, 2:12 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	CAE	Orangeburg	48 min
May 14, 3:33 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	CAE	Clarendon	27 min
May 14, 3:37 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	CAE	Aiken	53 min
May 14, 4:41 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CAE	Aiken, Barnwell	49 min
May 14, 4:46 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CAE	Calhoun, Orangeburg	44 min
May 14, 5:25 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	CAE	Lancaster	35 min
May 14, 5:26 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CAE	Bamberg, Barnwell, Orangeburg	34 min
May 14, 5:29 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CAE	Calhoun, Orangeburg	46 min
May 14, 5:50 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	CAE	Orangeburg	26 min
May 14, 6:01 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CAE	Bamberg, Orangeburg	59 min
May 14, 6:14 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CAE	Bamberg, Barnwell	46 min
May 14, 6:30 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	CAE	Chesterfield	45 min
May 14, 6:58 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CAE	Calhoun, Orangeburg	47 min
May 14, 7:03 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CAE	Bamberg, Barnwell, Orangeburg	42 min
May 14, 7:22 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CAE	Fairfield	23 min
May 14, 7:38 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CAE	Chesterfield, Lancaster	52 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in South Carolina, 2012 Every tornado warning in 2012 Tornadoes in 2012

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.