Alert archive / Georgia / Tornado Warnings in 2017

Tornado Warning 24, NWS Charleston, SC

May 23, 2017Chatham County, Georgia

NWS Charleston, SC issued this tornado warning at May 23, 2017, 5:41 PM EDT for Chatham County, Georgia. It was in force for 34 min. 4 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 23, 2017, 5:41 PM EDT (21:41 UTC)
Expired
May 23, 2017, 6:15 PM EDT
In force
34 min
Issued by
NWS Charleston, SC
Area
Storm-based polygon
Tornado
Radar indicated
Hail
0.75 in

County Chatham County, GA

The radar

The Charleston,SC radar (KCLX), 73 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:44 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
May 23, 5:52 PM EDTTSTM WND DMG2 Ssw Wilmington Island, GATREE DOWN ON A HOUSE ON CROMWELL RD ON SOUTHERN END OF WILMINGTON ISLAND. POSSIBLE TORNADO.
May 23, 5:52 PM EDTTSTM WND DMG2 Ssw Wilmington Island, GATREE DOWN ON A VEHICLE ON WALTHOUR RD AT WILMINGTON ISLAND RD. POSSIBLE TORNADO.
May 23, 5:54 PM EDTTORNADO2 Ssw Wilmington Island, GAA TORNADO DEVELOPED ON THE SOUTHWEST END OF WILMINGTON ISLAND AND TRAVELED NORTHEAST ABOUT 7 MILES BEFORE MOVING OUT INTO THE OCEAN JUST BEYOND FORT PULASKI. THE MAXIMUM WIDTH WAS 500 YARDS AND THE TORNADO WAS PRELIMINARILY RATED AN EF1. EF1 DAMAGED OCCURRED O
May 23, 6:01 PM EDTTORNADO3 Wnw Tybee Island, GATORNADO NEAR FORT PULASKI. CONFIRMED BY PICTURES ON SOCIAL MEDIA.

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.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
May 23, 2:45 PM EDTTornado WatchSPC8 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Charleston AFB, SC (KCHS), launched 12:00Z, 9.7 hours before the alert went out and 136 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 2017-05-23Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 403 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 2017-05-23The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 31 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
403 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-35 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
774 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
17 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
31 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
35 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

763 
WFUS52 KCHS 232141
TORCHS
GAC051-232215-
/O.NEW.KCHS.TO.W.0024.170523T2141Z-170523T2215Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Charleston SC
541 PM EDT TUE MAY 23 2017

The National Weather Service in Charleston has issued a

* Tornado Warning for portions of...
  Chatham County in southeastern Georgia...

* Until 615 PM EDT
    
* At 539 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
  was located south of Savannah, moving east at 40 mph.

  HAZARD...Tornado. 

  SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation. 

  IMPACT...Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without 
           shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. 
           Damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur.  Tree 
           damage is likely. 

* Locations impacted include...
  Savannah, Wilmington Island, Montgomery, Thunderbolt, Vernonburg,
  Skidaway Island, Sandfly and White Bluff.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW! Move to a basement or an interior room on the lowest
floor of a sturdy building. Avoid windows. If you are outdoors or in
a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter and protect
yourself from flying debris.

&&

LAT...LON 3198 8120 3208 8098 3204 8093 3204 8092
      3206 8092 3205 8090 3204 8090 3194 8085
      3191 8088 3191 8116
TIME...MOT...LOC 2139Z 255DEG 33KT 3196 8113 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
HAIL...<.75IN

$$
3 follow-up statements
035 
WWUS52 KCHS 232154
SVSCHS

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Charleston SC
554 PM EDT TUE MAY 23 2017

GAC051-232215-
/O.CON.KCHS.TO.W.0024.000000T0000Z-170523T2215Z/
Chatham GA-
554 PM EDT TUE MAY 23 2017

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 615 PM EDT FOR CHATHAM
COUNTY...
    
At 554 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located over Wilmington Island, moving east at 40 mph.

HAZARD...Tornado. 

SOURCE...Radar indicated strong rotation. 

IMPACT...Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without 
         shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. Damage 
         to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur.  Tree damage is 
         likely. 

Locations impacted include...
Wilmington Island, Thunderbolt, Whitemarsh Island, Isle Of Hope and
Skidaway Island.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Heavy rainfall may hide this tornado. Do not wait to see or hear the
tornado. TAKE COVER NOW!

Report damage directly to the Charleston National Weather Service at
1-888-383-2024 when it is safe to do so.

&&

LAT...LON 3193 8102 3204 8107 3208 8098 3204 8093
      3206 8091 3205 8091 3204 8090 3204 8091
      3203 8090 3194 8085 3191 8088
TIME...MOT...LOC 2154Z 255DEG 33KT 3200 8097 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
HAIL...<.75IN

$$
925 
WWUS52 KCHS 232207
SVSCHS

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Charleston SC
607 PM EDT TUE MAY 23 2017

GAC051-232215-
/O.CON.KCHS.TO.W.0024.000000T0000Z-170523T2215Z/
Chatham GA-
607 PM EDT TUE MAY 23 2017

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 615 PM EDT FOR CHATHAM
COUNTY...
    
At 606 PM EDT, a confirmed tornado was located near Fort Pulaski
National Monument, moving east at 40 mph.

HAZARD...Damaging tornado and quarter size hail. 

SOURCE...Law enforcement confirmed tornado. 

IMPACT...Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without 
         shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. Damage 
         to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur.  Tree damage is 
         likely. 

This tornadic thunderstorm will remain over mainly rural areas of
Chatham County.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Heavy rainfall may hide this tornado. Do not wait to see or hear the
tornado. TAKE COVER NOW!

Report damage directly to the Charleston National Weather Service at
1-888-383-2024 when it is safe to do so.

&&

LAT...LON 3199 8088 3202 8093 3204 8093 3205 8091
      3204 8091 3204 8092 3203 8090
TIME...MOT...LOC 2206Z 255DEG 33KT 3203 8084 

TORNADO...OBSERVED
HAIL...1.00IN

$$
232 
WWUS52 KCHS 232212
SVSCHS

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Charleston SC
612 PM EDT TUE MAY 23 2017

GAC051-232221-
/O.EXP.KCHS.TO.W.0024.000000T0000Z-170523T2215Z/
Chatham GA-
612 PM EDT TUE MAY 23 2017

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR CHATHAM COUNTY WILL EXPIRE AT 615 PM
EDT...
        
The storm which prompted the warning has moved out of the area.
Therefore the warning will be allowed to expire.  However heavy rain
is still possible with additional thunderstorms.

LAT...LON 3199 8088 3202 8093 3204 8093 3205 8091
      3204 8091 3204 8092 3203 8090
TIME...MOT...LOC 2211Z 255DEG 33KT 3204 8080 

$$

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 22, 8:41 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCHSCandler34 min
May 22, 9:23 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCHSBryan37 min
May 23, 3:34 AM EDTFlash Flood WatchCHSBulloch, Candler, Effingham, Evans, Jenkins, Long and 2 more20 hr
May 23, 2:15 PM EDTTornado WarningCHSCandler, Evans, Tattnall30 min
May 23, 2:42 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCHSBulloch, Candler, Evans63 min
May 23, 4:01 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCHSEvans, Tattnall29 min
May 23, 4:29 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCHSLiberty, Long31 min
May 23, 4:47 PM EDTTornado WarningCHSLiberty, Long28 min
May 23, 4:52 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCHSBryan, Chatham53 min
May 23, 5:12 PM EDTTornado WarningCHSBryan, Chatham, Liberty33 min
May 23, 7:52 PM EDTTornado WarningCHSLiberty, Long, McIntosh53 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Georgia, 2017Every tornado warning in 2017Tornadoes in 2017

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.