Alert archive / South Carolina / River Flood Warnings in 2020

River Flood Warning 47, NWS Columbia, SC

May 6, 2020Calhoun County, Richland County, South Carolina

NWS Columbia, SC issued this river flood warning at May 6, 2020, 10:12 AM EDT for Calhoun County, Richland County, South Carolina. It took effect at May 7, 2020, 3:30 AM EDT. It was in force for 27 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 6, 2020, 10:12 AM EDT (14:12 UTC)
In effect from
May 7, 2020, 3:30 AM EDT
Expired
May 8, 2020, 6:37 AM EDT
In force
27 hr
Issued by
NWS Columbia, SC
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
Minor

Counties Calhoun County, SC, Richland County, SC

The radar

The Columbia radar (KCAE), 28 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 14:12 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.

The river

Written for the forecast point Congaree River at Congaree National Park (GADS1). The gauge peaked at 15.93 ft at May 7, 2020, 4:00 PM EDT.

actionminormoderate1214161805/0605/0705/0805/09
Action stage
14 ft
Minor stage
15 ft
Moderate stage
18 ft
Major stage
20 ft

This gauge today: stage, forecast and historic crests

Stage from the USGS instantaneous record for site 02169625, one reading an hour, from a day before the product to a day after it ended. Flood stages are today's.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this river flood 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 river flood warning went out at May 5, 7:33 PM EDT, 14 hours 39 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 5, 7:33 PM EDT, 14 hours 39 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Columbia SC
733 PM EDT Tue May 5 2020

.SYNOPSIS...
Warm front near the NC/SC border and a low pressure system
approaching from the Upstate leading to a severe weather threat
this evening. The low pressure system will move off the coast
late tonight and cooler and drier air will spread into the area
through the mid week. Another chance of rain Friday as a cold
front moves through the area.

&&

.NEAR TERM /UNTIL 7 AM WEDNESDAY MORNING/...
Potential for organized severe weather this evening. Supercells
may be possible with directional shear so can't rule out
isolated tornado although main threat bowing segments and severe
hail.

Upper level trough over the Upper Midwest region will amplify
and move southeast into the Ohio Valley this evening. Frontal
boundary appears to be setting up near the NC/SC border and air
mass south of the front becoming moderately unstable. Stronger
instability appears to be setting up over north Ga where mid
level lapse rates steeper and higher theta-e air located. As
cold front moves east expect this more unstable air to spread
into SC in the warm sector as temperatures rise to near 90.
Expect SFC based CAPE around 2000 J/kg as cap over central SC
weakens. CAMS suggest a MCS possible this evening near a triple
point low over the Upstate moving east near the front where
convergence will be strongest. SPC has slight risk north
Midlands. The convection may propagate to the southeast in warm
sector as outflows develop which increases severe threat for at
least the Columbia area. Therefore, raised pops all areas to
account for this potential. The severe threat appears to focused
in the early evening. Convection will move east and diminish
overnight. Mixing ahead of cold front will keep temps up a
bit...(upper 50s) by morning mainly in the Piedmont and west
Midlands with mid 60s in the east.

&&

.SHORT TERM /7 AM WEDNESDAY MORNING THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT/...
Cold front will be pushing east of the forecast area early Wednesday
morning, with cooler and drier air filtering into the area through
the day.  The temperatures during the afternoon hours will be a good
10 to 15 degrees cooler than previous few days, with afternoon highs
across the Pee Dee in the lower 70s, while areas across the southern
CSRA reach the upper 70s.  Winds during the afternoon expected to
remain breezy, but below lake wind advisory criteria at this time.

The dry weather and below normal temperatures will remain through
Thursday night as high pressure settles across the area. As for t
Temperatures, Lows each night fall into the 40s.  Highs on Thursday
in the upper 60s to lower 70s.

&&

.LONG TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/...
Temperatures continue to be below normal through Monday.  The deep
eastern US trough will bring another shortwave and surface front
into and through the area Friday night.  Moisture continues to be
limited ahead of the front which will also limit instability. Kept
mention of chance pops in rain showers Friday night with the frontal
passage. High temperatures will generally be in the 70s with lows in
the 40s to lower 50s.

&&

.AVIATION /00Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/...
Guidance supports VFR Conditions through the period. However there
is a threat of organized convection this evening mainly north of the
terminals...but could affect CAE and CUB.

A frontal boundary has set up along the NC/SC border. Moderately to
strongly unstable airmass south of the front this evening.
Strong/severe convection near the front tracking east. Will
continue thunderstorms in the vicinity of CAE and CUB as a cold
front moves through later tonight. Southwest winds around 10
knots this evening becoming west 5 to 10 knots as cold front
moves through during the early morning hours. West to northwest
winds becoming strong and gusty by midday across the TAF sites
as the pressure gradient increases.

EXTENDED AVIATION OUTLOOK...A cold front will move into the
area Friday into Friday night with possible restrictions in
showers.

&&

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

&&

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 5, 8:00 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCAEChesterfield30 min
May 5, 8:22 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryCAELancaster82 min
May 5, 8:27 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCAEChesterfield, Fairfield, Kershaw, Lancaster48 min
May 5, 8:35 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCAEFairfield, Newberry55 min
May 5, 9:36 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCAEKershaw, Richland54 min
May 6, 2:20 AM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCAELee40 min
May 6, 2:39 AM EDTLake Wind AdvisoryCAEAiken, Bamberg, Barnwell, Calhoun, Chesterfield, Clarendon and 11 more27 hr
May 6, 10:12 AM EDTRiver Flood WarningCAECalhoun, Lexington, Richland35 hr
May 6, 5:33 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCAELancaster42 min
May 6, 6:32 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCAEFairfield, Kershaw, Newberry43 min

Nearby

River Flood Warnings in South Carolina, 2020Every river flood warning in 2020

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive; the gauge from the NWS water service and the USGS.