Alert archive / South Carolina / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2015

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 172, NWS Columbia, SC

September 10, 2015Aiken County, Barnwell County, South Carolina; Burke County, Georgia

NWS Columbia, SC issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Sep 10, 2015, 5:38 PM EDT for Aiken County, Barnwell County, South Carolina; Burke County, Georgia. It was in force for 22 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: Sep 10, 2015, 5:38 PM EDT (21:38 UTC)
Expired: Sep 10, 2015, 6:00 PM EDT
In force: 22 min
Issued by: NWS Columbia, SC
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Burke County, GA, Aiken County, SC, Barnwell County, SC

The radar

The Charleston,SC radar (KCLX), 81 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
Sep 10, 5:45 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	Sardis, GA	SHERIFF REPORTED TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN ON HIGHWAY 23 NEAR SARDIS.
Sep 10, 6:00 PM EDT	TSTM WND GST 59	11 Se Jackson, SC	SRS WIND TOWER AT K AREA MEASURED A 59 MPH WIND GUST. NOTE: TOWER IS 200 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND.
Sep 10, 6:00 PM EDT	TSTM WND GST 78	10 Se Jackson, SC	SRS WIND TOWER AT N AREA MEASURED A 78 MPH WIND GUST. NOTE: TOWER IS 200 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND.

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

Did it verify

Verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow matched 3 storm reports to this severe thunderstorm warning; the first came 7 minutes after it went out.

Cow counts a report within 15 km of the polygon while the warning was in force: a tornado for a tornado warning; hail of 1 inch or more, a gust of 58 mph or more or wind damage for a severe thunderstorm warning; a flash flood report for a flash flood warning.

The nearest sounding before it

Charleston AFB, SC (KCHS), launched 12:00Z, 9.6 hours before the alert went out and 159 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: 1090 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -51 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 972 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 34 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 45 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 65 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.2
Supercell composite: 1.8

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

818 
WUUS52 KCAE 102138
SVRCAE
GAC033-SCC003-011-102200-
/O.NEW.KCAE.SV.W.0172.150910T2138Z-150910T2200Z/

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA SC
538 PM EDT THU SEP 10 2015

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN COLUMBIA HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  NORTHEASTERN BURKE COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL GEORGIA...
  BARNWELL COUNTY IN CENTRAL SOUTH CAROLINA...
  SOUTH CENTRAL AIKEN COUNTY IN CENTRAL SOUTH CAROLINA...

* UNTIL 600 PM EDT

* AT 535 PM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
  CAPABLE OF PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS
  OF 60 MPH. THIS STORM WAS LOCATED 8 MILES SOUTHWEST OF SAVANNAH
  RIVER SITE...AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  BARNWELL...SAVANNAH RIVER SITE...WILLISTON...SARDIS...SNELLING...
  KLINE...ELKO AND GIRARD.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS...DESTRUCTIVE HAIL...
DEADLY LIGHTNING AND VERY HEAVY RAIN. FOR YOUR PROTECTION...MOVE TO
AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF YOUR HOME OR BUSINESS. HEAVY
RAINS FLOOD ROADS QUICKLY SO DO NOT DRIVE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER
COVERS THE ROAD.

REPORT LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS OR FLOODING TO YOUR COUNTY
SHERIFF...ALSO USE WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/NWSCOLUMBIA AND EMAIL
CAEWX@NOAA.GOV TO RELAY SEVERE WEATHER REPORTS.
&&

LAT...LON 3322 8200 3326 8190 3325 8184 3326 8185
      3326 8183 3328 8184 3346 8139 3314 8121
      3310 8131 3311 8136 3316 8154 3310 8162
      3304 8156 3305 8154 3302 8158 3294 8183
      3295 8186 3294 8191
TIME...MOT...LOC 2135Z 246DEG 35KT 3315 8175 

$$
AWP

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 Sep 10, 2:16 PM EDT, 3 hours 22 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Sep 10, 2:16 PM EDT, 3 hours 22 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA SC
216 PM EDT THU SEP 10 2015

.SYNOPSIS...
A TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE WILL LINGER ACROSS THE AREA THROUGH
FRIDAY. AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE AREA
SATURDAY NIGHT. HIGH PRESSURE WILL DOMINATE EARLY NEXT WEEK
BRINGING A DRY AND COOL AIRMASS.

&&

.NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/...
UPDATE: HAVE INCREASED POPS FOR LATE AFTERNOON INTO EARLY THIS
EVENING BASED ON SHORT WAVE ENERGY PROGGED TO CROSS GA INTO
SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL SC AFTER 20Z. AIRMASS BECOMING MODERATELY
UNSTABLE ACROSS MUCH OF THE MIDLANDS AND CSRA. COULD SEE A FEW
STRONG STORMS GIVEN STEEP LAPSE RATES AND DOWNDRAFT CAPES.

PREVIOUS DISCUSSION:
CONVERGENCE INTO THE SURFACE TROUGH AND UPPER- LEVEL LIFT AHEAD
OF THE UPPER TROUGH SUPPORTS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TODAY AND
TONIGHT. THE GREATEST COVERAGE SHOULD BE LATE THIS AFTERNOON INTO
THE EVENING AIDED BY A MID-LEVEL SHORTWAVE TROUGH AND HEATING. THE
HRRR DISPLAYED INCREASED COVERAGE MOVING INTO WEST PART OF THE
FORECAST AREA TOWARD 400 PM. THE NAM INDICATED SURFACE-BASED LI/S
-4 TO -5 WITH PRECIPITABLE WATER AROUND 2 INCHES. MODERATE
INSTABILITY COULD LEAD TO A FEW THUNDERSTORMS WITH STRONG WINDS.
THE HIGH MOISTURE INDICATES SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL HAVE
HEAVY DOWNPOURS. AFTERNOON HIGHS WILL WARM TO THE UPPER AND LOWER
90S. EXPECT OVERNIGHT LOWS IN THE UPPER 60S TO LOWER 70S.

&&

.SHORT TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT/...
MODELS HAVE TRENDED DRIER FOR FRIDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHT. MID-LEVEL
DRYING BEHIND A SHORTWAVE MAY LIMIT CONVECTIVE COVERAGE. WITH ONLY
SHALLOW MOISTURE PRESENT...PWAT VALUES WILL RANGE FROM 1.50 TO
1.75. HOWEVER CONVERGENCE INTO A SURFACE TROUGH MAY BE SUFFICIENT
TO TRIGGER STORMS FRIDAY AFTERNOON. REDUCED POPS BUT KEPT FORECAST
CONSISTENT BY USING THE HIGHER GUIDANCE POPS.

&&

.LONG TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/...
SATURDAY...THERE IS A CHANCE FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS AHEAD
OF THE APPROACHING COLD FRONT SATURDAY. CONVECTION MAY CONTINUE
THROUGH THE EVENING DEPENDING ON THE TIMING OF THE FRONTAL
PASSAGE.

SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY...HIGH PRESSURE BEHIND THE FRONT WILL
BRING A COOLER AND DRIER AIRMASS INTO THE FORECAST AREA THROUGH
MIDWEEK. MODEL GUIDANCE SUGGESTS TEMPERATURES NEAR OR BELOW
NORMAL.

&&

.AVIATION /18Z THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/...
DEEP WEST TO SOUTHWEST FLOW ACROSS THE REGION WITH SURFACE TROUGH
ACROSS THE CENTRAL CAROLINAS INTO GA. MOIST AND UNSTABLE
ATMOSPHERE COUPLED WITH WEAK UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE SHOULD
TRIGGER AFTERNOON AND EVENING CONVECTION. WILL INCLUDE TEMPO TSRA
IN ALL TAF 21Z-01Z. CONVECTION EXPECTED TO DIMINISH THIS EVENING
AS THE DISTURBANCE MOVES EAST AND LOSS OF HEATING. COULD SEE MVFR
OR LOWER CONDITIONS DEVELOP DURING THE EARLY MORNING FRIDAY...
ESPECIALLY AT AGS/DNL/OGB. VFR TO RETURN TO ALL TAF SITES BY MID-
MORNING.

.EXTENDED AVIATION OUTLOOK...
MAINLY DIURNAL CONVECTION EXPECTED THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT. A COLD
FRONT WILL CROSS THE AREA SATURDAY NIGHT WITH DRIER AIR FILTERING
IN ON SUNDAY.

&&

.CAE WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
SC...NONE.
GA...NONE.

&&

99

Hazardous weather outlook, Sep 10, 3:52 AM EDT, 13 hours 46 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA SC
352 AM EDT THU SEP 10 2015

GAZ040-063>065-077-SCZ015-016-018-020>022-025>031-035>038-041-110800-
LINCOLN-MCDUFFIE-COLUMBIA-RICHMOND-BURKE-LANCASTER-CHESTERFIELD-
MCCORMICK-NEWBERRY-FAIRFIELD-KERSHAW-EDGEFIELD-SALUDA-LEXINGTON-
RICHLAND-LEE-AIKEN-SUMTER-BARNWELL-ORANGEBURG-CALHOUN-CLARENDON-
BAMBERG-
352 AM EDT THU SEP 10 2015

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE MIDLANDS OF SOUTH CAROLINA
AND THE CENTRAL SAVANNAH RIVER AREA OF GEORGIA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Sep 10, 4:03 PM EDT, 1 hour 35 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA SC
403 PM EDT THU SEP 10 2015

GAZ040-063>065-077-SCZ018-025-030-102100-
MCDUFFIE-LINCOLN-BURKE-RICHMOND-COLUMBIA-MCCORMICK-EDGEFIELD-AIKEN-
403 PM EDT THU SEP 10 2015

...AN AREA OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT MCDUFFIE...COLUMBIA...
NORTHWESTERN BURKE...SOUTHEASTERN LINCOLN...RICHMOND...SOUTHWESTERN
EDGEFIELD...SOUTHEASTERN MCCORMICK AND SOUTHWESTERN AIKEN COUNTIES...

AT 359 PM EDT...AN AREA OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE MOVING EAST
NORTHEAST INTO THE CSRA OVER THE NEXT HOUR. THE STRONGEST STORM WAS
NEAR THOMSON... MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.

WIND GUSTS OF 35 TO 45 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
NORTH AUGUSTA...GROVETOWN...EVANS...THOMSON...AUGUSTA...FORT
GORDON...MARTINEZ...BELVEDERE...HEPHZIBAH...HARLEM...BLYTHE...
DEARING...KEYSVILLE...MODOC AND CLARKS HILL.

LAT...LON 3361 8264 3361 8263 3364 8261 3363 8258
      3365 8258 3364 8256 3366 8251 3365 8249
      3368 8250 3374 8203 3323 8182 3309 8228
      3323 8223 3331 8234 3331 8239 3334 8244
      3336 8255 3341 8255 3346 8259
TIME...MOT...LOC 1959Z 271DEG 25KT 3353 8244

CJR

Special weather statement, Sep 10, 5:23 PM EDT, 15 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA SC
523 PM EDT THU SEP 10 2015

SCZ022-028-029-031-102200-
LEE-RICHLAND-SUMTER-KERSHAW-
523 PM EDT THU SEP 10 2015

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT SOUTHERN KERSHAW...NORTHEASTERN
RICHLAND...NORTHWESTERN LEE AND NORTHWESTERN SUMTER COUNTIES...

AT 522 PM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS 8 MILES NORTHEAST OF FORT
JACKSON...OR 10 MILES EAST OF WOODFIELDS...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30
MPH.

WIND GUSTS OF 35 TO 45 MPH AND PEA SIZE HAIL ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS
STORM.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
COLUMBIA...FOREST ACRES...CAMDEN...DENTSVILLE...WOODFIELDS...ARCADIA
LAKES...WOODFIELD...FORT JACKSON...LUGOFF AND REMBERT.

LAT...LON 3417 8026 3394 8088 3407 8098 3441 8042
TIME...MOT...LOC 2122Z 240DEG 36KT 3410 8076

AWP

Special weather statement, Sep 10, 5:25 PM EDT, 13 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA SC
525 PM EDT THU SEP 10 2015

GAZ065-077-SCZ030-035-102200-
BURKE-RICHMOND-BARNWELL-AIKEN-
525 PM EDT THU SEP 10 2015

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT CENTRAL BURKE...SOUTHEASTERN
RICHMOND...BARNWELL AND SOUTH CENTRAL AIKEN COUNTIES...

AT 525 PM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS 11 MILES SOUTHWEST OF
SAVANNAH RIVER SITE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

WIND GUSTS OF 35 TO 45 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
WAYNESBORO...BARNWELL...SAVANNAH RIVER SITE...WILLISTON...SNELLING
AND GIRARD.

LAT...LON 3317 8207 3345 8147 3321 8131 3314 8146
      3316 8154 3310 8162 3307 8160 3295 8185
      3295 8188
TIME...MOT...LOC 2125Z 240DEG 36KT 3314 8181

AWP

Special weather statement, Sep 10, 5:26 PM EDT, 12 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA SC
526 PM EDT THU SEP 10 2015

SCZ015-016-102200-
CHESTERFIELD-LANCASTER-
526 PM EDT THU SEP 10 2015

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHEASTERN KERSHAW...CENTRAL
LANCASTER AND NORTHWESTERN CHESTERFIELD COUNTIES...

AT 525 PM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS OVER ELGIN...OR NEAR
LANCASTER...MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.

WIND GUSTS OF 45 TO 55 MPH AND PEA SIZE HAIL ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS
STORM.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
LANCASTER...PAGELAND...ELGIN...JEFFERSON AND LANCASTER MILL.

LAT...LON 3481 8046 3481 8034 3461 8033 3461 8041
      3462 8041 3461 8080 3479 8080 3482 8052
TIME...MOT...LOC 2125Z 269DEG 25KT 3470 8071

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Sep 10, 5:23 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	CAE	Richland	37 min
Sep 10, 5:25 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	CAE	Barnwell	35 min
Sep 10, 5:26 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	CAE	Lancaster	34 min
Sep 10, 7:14 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CAE	Clarendon, Sumter	46 min
Sep 10, 4:03 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	CAE	Columbia, McDuffie, Richmond	57 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in South Carolina, 2015 Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Georgia, 2015 Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2015

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.