Alert archive / South Carolina / Tornado Warnings in 2017

Tornado Warning 8, NWS Charleston, SC

February 15, 2017Berkeley County, South Carolina

NWS Charleston, SC issued this tornado warning at Feb 15, 2017, 12:21 PM EST for Berkeley County, South Carolina. It was in force for 24 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
Feb 15, 2017, 12:21 PM EST (17:21 UTC)
Expired
Feb 15, 2017, 12:45 PM EST
In force
24 min
Issued by
NWS Charleston, SC
Area
Storm-based polygon
Tornado
Radar indicated
Hail
0.75 in

County Berkeley County, SC

The radar

The Charleston,SC radar (KCLX), 141 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 17:24 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
Feb 15, 12:25 PM ESTHAIL 1.51 Se Bonneau Beach, SCLOCAL TV STATION RELAYED REPORT OF PING PONG BALL SIZE HAIL NEAR BONNEAU BEACH... AS WELL AS A VIDEO SHOWING QUARTER SIZE HAIL AT BONN GROCERY.
Feb 15, 12:29 PM ESTHAIL 1.755 Ese Bonneau, SCTRAINED SPOTTER REPORTED GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL

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, 5.4 hours before the alert went out and 49 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 2017-02-15Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 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 2017-02-15The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 180 square meters per square second.1939587897117Sfc1 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
1230 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
69 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
180 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
254 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

482 
WFUS52 KCHS 151721
TORCHS
SCC015-151745-
/O.NEW.KCHS.TO.W.0008.170215T1721Z-170215T1745Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Charleston SC
1221 PM EST WED FEB 15 2017

The National Weather Service in Charleston has issued a

* Tornado Warning for portions of...
  Berkeley County in southeastern South Carolina...

* Until 1245 PM EST
    
* At 1220 PM EST, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a
  tornado was located near Moncks Corner, moving east at 55 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...
  Moncks Corner, St. Stephen, Bonneau, Jamestown, Southern Lake
  Moultrie, Cross, Northern Lake Moultrie and Bonneau Beach.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

This cluster of thunderstorms is capable of producing tornadoes and
widespread significant wind damage. Do not wait to see or hear the
tornado. For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest
floor of a building.

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

&&

LAT...LON 3343 7988 3337 7980 3338 7979 3332 7974
      3332 7970 3327 7956 3324 7950 3325 7948
      3321 7945 3319 7949 3314 7952 3316 7956
      3313 7964 3310 7966 3315 8026 3338 8015
      3344 7987
TIME...MOT...LOC 1720Z 257DEG 49KT 3328 8002 

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

$$
2 follow-up statements
762 
WWUS52 KCHS 151731
SVSCHS

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Charleston SC
1231 PM EST WED FEB 15 2017

SCC015-151745-
/O.CON.KCHS.TO.W.0008.000000T0000Z-170215T1745Z/
Berkeley SC-
1231 PM EST WED FEB 15 2017

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1245 PM EST FOR BERKELEY
COUNTY...
    
At 1231 PM EST, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located 12 miles northeast of Moncks Corner, moving east at 55
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...
Moncks Corner, St. Stephen, Bonneau, Jamestown, Southern Lake
Moultrie, Bonneau Beach, Old Santee Canal State Park and Pinopolis.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

&&

LAT...LON 3342 7987 3337 7980 3338 7979 3332 7974
      3332 7970 3327 7956 3324 7950 3325 7948
      3321 7945 3319 7949 3314 7952 3316 7956
      3313 7964 3310 7966 3315 8026 3329 8005
      3344 7987
TIME...MOT...LOC 1731Z 247DEG 49KT 3330 7985 

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

$$
506 
WWUS52 KCHS 151742
SVSCHS

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Charleston SC
1242 PM EST WED FEB 15 2017

SCC015-151751-
/O.EXP.KCHS.TO.W.0008.000000T0000Z-170215T1745Z/
Berkeley SC-
1242 PM EST WED FEB 15 2017

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR BERKELEY COUNTY WILL EXPIRE AT 1245 PM
EST...
        
The storm which prompted the warning has moved out of the area.
Therefore the warning will be allowed to expire. However gusty 
thunderstorm winds in excess of 40 mph are still possible with this 
thunderstorm.

LAT...LON 3342 7987 3337 7980 3338 7979 3332 7974
      3332 7970 3327 7956 3324 7950 3325 7948
      3321 7945 3319 7949 3314 7952 3316 7956
      3313 7964 3310 7966 3315 8026 3329 8005
      3344 7987
TIME...MOT...LOC 1741Z 257DEG 49KT 3333 7971 

$$

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Feb 15, 10:54 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCHSBerkeley35 min
Feb 15, 11:18 AM ESTSpecial Weather StatementCHSHampton27 min
Feb 15, 11:45 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCHSBerkeley, Colleton, Dorchester45 min
Feb 15, 11:57 AM ESTTornado WarningCHSBerkeley, Dorchester33 min
Feb 15, 11:58 AM ESTSpecial Weather StatementCHSColleton32 min
Feb 15, 12:00 PM ESTSpecial Weather StatementCHSJasper30 min
Feb 15, 12:25 PM ESTSpecial Weather StatementCHSCharleston35 min
Feb 15, 12:27 PM ESTSpecial Marine WarningCHS2 hr
Feb 15, 12:47 PM ESTSpecial Weather StatementCHSCharleston28 min
Feb 15, 12:49 PM ESTSpecial Weather StatementCHSBeaufort26 min
Feb 15, 12:53 PM ESTSpecial Marine WarningCHS112 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in South Carolina, 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.