Alert archive / Georgia / Tornado Warnings in 2012

Tornado Warning 3, NWS Charleston, SC

March 3, 2012Effingham County, Georgia; Jasper County, South Carolina

NWS Charleston, SC issued this tornado warning at Mar 3, 2012, 11:03 AM EST for Effingham County, Georgia; Jasper County, South Carolina. It was in force for 27 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
Mar 3, 2012, 11:03 AM EST (16:03 UTC)
Expired
Mar 3, 2012, 11:30 AM EST
In force
27 min
Issued by
NWS Charleston, SC
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Effingham County, GA, Jasper County, SC

The radar

The Charleston,SC radar (KCLX), 30 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 16:04 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 3, 11:04 AM ESTTSTM WND DMG1 Ene Rincon, GATRAINED SPOTTER REPORTED ONE TREE DOWN AND SEVERAL BRANCHES DOWN IN YARD. TIME ESTIMATED BY RADAR.
Mar 3, 11:04 AM ESTTSTM WND DMGRincon, GALAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTED 1 TREE DOWN IN RINCON GEORGIA.

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, 4.1 hours before the alert went out and 118 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 2012-03-03Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 279 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Charleston AFB, SC at 12:00Z on 2012-03-03The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 205 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
279 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-77 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
685 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
67 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
205 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
181 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
1.4

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

086 
WFUS52 KCHS 031603
TORCHS
GAC103-SCC053-031630-
/O.NEW.KCHS.TO.W.0003.120303T1603Z-120303T1630Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC
1103 AM EST SAT MAR 3 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHARLESTON HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  EAST CENTRAL EFFINGHAM COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST GEORGIA...
  CENTRAL JASPER COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA...

* UNTIL 1130 AM EST

* AT 1103 AM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO...NEAR RINCON...
  MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH.

* SOME LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE...
  RINCON...STILLWELL...EBENEZER...SWITZERLAND...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

REPORT HAIL...DOWNED TREES...LIMBS...AND POWER LINES DIRECTLY TO THE
CHARLESTON NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AT 1-888-383-2024.

&&

LAT...LON 3251 8100 3236 8094 3226 8129 3234 8133
TIME...MOT...LOC 1603Z 247DEG 30KT 3232 8125

$$
3 follow-up statements
416 
WWUS52 KCHS 031613
SVSCHS

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC
1113 AM EST SAT MAR 3 2012

GAC103-SCC053-031630-
/O.CON.KCHS.TO.W.0003.000000T0000Z-120303T1630Z/
EFFINGHAM GA-JASPER SC-
1113 AM EST SAT MAR 3 2012

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1130 AM EST FOR CENTRAL
JASPER AND EXTREME EAST CENTRAL EFFINGHAM COUNTIES...

AT 1113 AM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED 6 MILES SOUTHWEST OF
DEERFIELD...OR ABOUT 8 MILES SOUTHEAST OF SPRINGFIELD...MOVING EAST
AT 35 MPH.

SOME LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE...
SWITZERLAND.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

THIS TORNADO MAY BE WRAPPED IN RAIN AND NOT EASILY SEEN. IF YOU WAIT
UNTIL YOU SEE OR HEAR IT COMING IT MAY BE TOO LATE. TAKE SHELTER NOW.

&&

LAT...LON 3234 8120 3245 8098 3236 8094 3229 8118
TIME...MOT...LOC 1613Z 261DEG 30KT 3233 8114

$$
947 
WWUS52 KCHS 031622
SVSCHS

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC
1122 AM EST SAT MAR 3 2012

GAC103-031632-
/O.CAN.KCHS.TO.W.0003.000000T0000Z-120303T1630Z/
EFFINGHAM GA-
1122 AM EST SAT MAR 3 2012

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

LAT...LON 3235 8110 3241 8096 3236 8094 3231 8110
TIME...MOT...LOC 1622Z 259DEG 42KT 3235 8102

$$

SCC053-031630-
/O.CON.KCHS.TO.W.0003.000000T0000Z-120303T1630Z/
JASPER SC-
1122 AM EST SAT MAR 3 2012

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1130 AM EST FOR CENTRAL
JASPER COUNTY...

AT 1122 AM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED 6 MILES WEST OF
OKATIE...OR ABOUT 11 MILES SOUTHWEST OF RIDGELAND...MOVING EAST AT 50
MPH.

SOME LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE....

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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 3235 8110 3241 8096 3236 8094 3231 8110
TIME...MOT...LOC 1622Z 259DEG 42KT 3235 8102

$$
016 
WWUS52 KCHS 031627
SVSCHS

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC
1127 AM EST SAT MAR 3 2012

SCC053-031637-
/O.EXP.KCHS.TO.W.0003.000000T0000Z-120303T1630Z/
JASPER SC-
1127 AM EST SAT MAR 3 2012

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR CENTRAL JASPER COUNTY WILL EXPIRE AT 1130
AM EST...

AT 1127 AM EST...RADAR INDICATED THAT TORNADIC THUNDERSTORM THAT
PROMPTED THE WARNING WEAKENED...AND WAS NO LONGER CAPABLE OF
PRODUCING TORNADOES OR OTHER SEVERE WEATHER. THE TORNADO WARNING HAS
THEREFORE BEEN ALLOWED TO EXPIRE.

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 3235 8110 3241 8096 3236 8094 3231 8110
TIME...MOT...LOC 1627Z 259DEG 42KT 3221 8092

$$

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 3, 3:34 AM ESTGale WatchCHS13 hr
Mar 3, 12:58 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCHSBryan, Liberty, Long, McIntosh47 min
Mar 3, 1:00 PM ESTSpecial Marine WarningCHS90 min
Mar 3, 1:41 PM ESTTornado WarningCHSLiberty, McIntosh49 min
Mar 3, 1:52 PM ESTTornado WarningCHSBryan, Chatham, Liberty38 min
Mar 3, 2:17 PM ESTSpecial Marine WarningCHS88 min
Mar 3, 2:30 PM ESTSpecial Marine WarningCHS2 hr
Mar 3, 2:50 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCHSMcIntosh40 min
Mar 3, 3:53 PM ESTSpecial Marine WarningCHS37 min
Mar 3, 4:28 PM ESTSpecial Marine WarningCHS62 min
Mar 3, 4:32 PM ESTGale WarningCHS27 hr
Mar 3, 4:32 PM ESTSmall Craft AdvisoryCHS41 hr
Mar 3, 8:48 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCHSAllendale27 min
Mar 3, 11:45 AM ESTSpecial Weather StatementCHSBeaufort30 min
Mar 3, 4:28 PM ESTLake Wind AdvisoryCHSBerkeley28 hr

Nearby

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