Alert archive / South Carolina / Tornado Warnings in 2017

Tornado Warning 20, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

October 8, 2017Laurens County, South Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this tornado warning at Oct 8, 2017, 4:08 PM EDT for Laurens County, South Carolina. It was in force for 37 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
Oct 8, 2017, 4:08 PM EDT (20:08 UTC)
Expired
Oct 8, 2017, 4:45 PM EDT
In force
37 min
Issued by
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area
Storm-based polygon
Tornado
Radar indicated
Hail
0.0 in

County Laurens County, SC

The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 62 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:07 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
Oct 8, 4:08 PM EDTTORNADO3 Wsw Cross Hill, SCNWS STORM SURVEY CONFIRMED AN EF2 TORNADO IN LAURENS COUNTY SC
Oct 8, 4:10 PM EDTTORNADO4 Wsw Cross Hill, SCPUBLIC RELAYED THROUGH 911. JUNCTION HWY 221 AND 72.
Oct 8, 4:10 PM EDTTORNADO4 Wsw Cross Hill, SCTORNADO DAMAGED A BUILDING AND DOWNED POWER LINES.
Oct 8, 4:15 PM EDTTORNADO3 Nne Waterloo, SCSEVERAL TREES UPROOTED AND TREES SNAPPED OFF ALONG HIGHWAY 39 NEAR BEAVERDAM CHURCH ROAD.

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, 8.1 hours before the alert went out and 247 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 2017-10-08Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 591 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 2017-10-08The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 71 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
591 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-8 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
656 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
22 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
71 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
53 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
1.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

678 
WFUS52 KGSP 082008
TORGSP
SCC059-082045-
/O.NEW.KGSP.TO.W.0020.171008T2008Z-171008T2045Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Greenville-Spartanburg SC
408 PM EDT SUN OCT 8 2017

The National Weather Service in Greenville-Spartanburg has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Central Laurens County in Upstate South Carolina...

* Until 445 PM EDT
    
* At 408 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
  was located 10 miles northeast of Greenwood, or near Cross Hill,
  moving north at 30 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. 

* This dangerous storm will be near...
  Cross Hill around 410 PM EDT. 
  Waterloo around 420 PM EDT. 
  Laurens and Clinton around 440 PM EDT. 

Other locations impacted by this dangerous thunderstorm include
Mountville.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A brief, weak tornado is likely. Mobile homes could be flipped.
Falling trees can cause death or serious injury, and major damage to
houses. Move to a basement or an interior room on the lowest floor of
a sturdy building.

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

Please report damaging winds, hail, or flooding to the National
Weather Service Greenville-Spartanburg by calling toll free, 1, 800,
2 6 7, 8 1 0 1, or by posting on our Facebook page, or Tweet it using
hashtag nwsgsp. Your message should describe the event and the
specific location where it occurred.

&&

LAT...LON 3427 8205 3430 8208 3430 8210 3458 8209
      3450 8180 3424 8200
TIME...MOT...LOC 2008Z 195DEG 24KT 3430 8204 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
HAIL...0.00IN

$$

08
1 follow-up statement
435 
WWUS52 KGSP 082019
SVSGSP

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Greenville-Spartanburg SC
419 PM EDT SUN OCT 8 2017

SCC059-082045-
/O.CON.KGSP.TO.W.0020.000000T0000Z-171008T2045Z/
Laurens SC-
419 PM EDT SUN OCT 8 2017

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 445 PM EDT FOR CENTRAL
LAURENS COUNTY...
        
At 419 PM EDT, a confirmed large and extremely dangerous tornado was
located 8 miles south of Laurens, or near Waterloo, moving north at
30 mph.

This is a PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. TAKE COVER NOW!

HAZARD...Damaging tornado. 

SOURCE...Radar confirmed tornado. 

IMPACT...You are in a life-threatening situation. Flying debris may 
         be deadly to those caught without shelter. Mobile homes 
         will be destroyed. Considerable damage to homes, 
         businesses, and vehicles is likely and complete destruction 
         is possible. 

The tornado will be near...
  Laurens and Clinton around 440 PM EDT. 

Other locations impacted by this dangerous storm include Mountville.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

To repeat, a large, extremely dangerous and potentially deadly
tornado is on the ground. To protect your life, 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, in a mobile home, or in
a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter and protect
yourself from flying debris.

A brief, weak tornado is likely. Mobile homes could be flipped.
Falling trees can cause death or serious injury, and major damage to
houses. Move to a basement or an interior room on the lowest floor of
a sturdy building.

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

Please report damaging winds, hail, or flooding to the National
Weather Service Greenville-Spartanburg by calling toll free, 1, 800,
2 6 7, 8 1 0 1, or by posting on our Facebook page, or Tweet it using
hashtag nwsgsp. Your message should describe the event and the
specific location where it occurred.

&&

LAT...LON 3432 8198 3435 8209 3458 8208 3451 8184
TIME...MOT...LOC 2019Z 195DEG 24KT 3437 8202 

TORNADO...OBSERVED
TORNADO DAMAGE THREAT...CONSIDERABLE
HAIL...<.75IN

$$

08

The office that day

Everything else NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Oct 8, 12:55 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementGSPGreenville65 min
Oct 8, 3:05 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementGSPSpartanburg40 min
Oct 8, 3:17 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementGSPPickens43 min
Oct 8, 3:39 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryGSPOconee2 hr
Oct 8, 3:46 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementGSPCherokee44 min
Oct 8, 4:01 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementGSPLaurens44 min
Oct 8, 4:15 PM EDTTornado WarningGSPGreenwood, Laurens30 min
Oct 8, 4:33 PM EDTTornado WarningGSPGreenville, Pickens42 min
Oct 8, 4:35 PM EDTTornado Warning Tornado observedGSPLaurens, Spartanburg40 min
Oct 8, 4:38 PM EDTTornado WarningGSPLaurens, Union37 min
Oct 8, 5:04 PM EDTTornado Warning Tornado observedGSPCherokee, Spartanburg, Union41 min
Oct 8, 5:14 PM EDTTornado Warning Tornado observedGSPSpartanburg, Union46 min
Oct 8, 6:00 PM EDTTornado WarningGSPCherokee, Union45 min
Oct 8, 6:12 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryGSPGreenville, Spartanburg2 hr
Oct 8, 6:24 PM EDTTornado WarningGSPCherokee36 min
Oct 8, 6:42 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementGSPCherokee, Union48 min
Oct 8, 6:53 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementGSPUnion37 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.