Alert archive / South Carolina / River Flood Warnings in 2020
River Flood Warning 57, NWS Columbia, SC
NWS Columbia, SC issued this river flood warning at May 22, 2020, 9:03 PM EDT for Lexington County, Richland County, South Carolina. It took effect at May 23, 2020, 4:54 AM EDT. It was in force for 35 hr.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- May 22, 2020, 9:03 PM EDT (01:03 UTC)
- In effect from
- May 23, 2020, 4:54 AM EDT
- Expired
- May 24, 2020, 4:00 PM EDT
- In force
- 35 hr
- Issued by
- NWS Columbia, SC
- Area
- Storm-based polygon
- Flood severity
- Minor
Counties Lexington County, SC, Richland County, SC
The radar
The Columbia radar (KCAE), 3 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:05 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 Columbia (COLS1). The gauge peaked at 19.96 ft at May 23, 2020, 6:00 AM EDT.
- Action stage
- 10 ft
- Minor stage
- 19 ft
- Moderate stage
- 24 ft
- Major stage
- 30 ft
This gauge today: stage, forecast and historic crests
Stage from the USGS instantaneous record for site 02169500, 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 22, 8:55 PM EDT, 8 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, May 22, 8:55 PM EDT, 8 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Columbia SC 855 PM EDT Fri May 22 2020 .SYNOPSIS... The air mass will remain moist and unstable through the weekend and scattered afternoon and evening showers and thunderstorms are expected. Temperatures will be above normal. Temperatures will be more seasonable early next week. && .NEAR TERM /TONIGHT/... Much of the forecast area has been worked over quite well from numerous convective clusters during the afternoon and evening hours. Currently, the forecast area is dry, but regional radars showing additional showers and thunderstorms moving towards the southern/western CSRA out of southern and central GA. Portions of the CSRA did not have convection earlier, so there may still be some lingering pockets of instability for the activity to tap into as it moves into the CSRA in the next hour or so. The hrrr does show scattered activity moving through the CSRA and then into the central Midlands towards Midnight before falling apart late tonight. Will increase pops once again later tonight to account for this scenario. Expect dry weather by morning. Other issue tonight may be some fog formation. There is a weak low- level jet being shown later tonight, so confidence in widespread fog is low. Have gone with some stratus late tonight, with patchy fog possible. Temperatures in the mid and upper 60s late tonight. && .SHORT TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT/... Saturday and Saturday night...Upper level ridge will build across the southeastern states over the weekend. The airmass will remain moist and moderately to strongly unstable with steep low to mid level lapse rates. With 850mb west flow/warm advection expect temps around 90 degrees in the afternoon. Weak surface trough across area. There may be a weak short wave trough trigger moving to the southeast in northwest flow aloft. CAM models support scattered convection/pulse severe mainly across the north Midlands and Pee Dee in the afternoon and evening. Min temps above normal near 70. Sunday and Sunday night...Surface ridge over the Northeastern States builds down the eastern seaboard and appears a back door front will be approaching from eastern North Carolina late in the day or in the evening. A sea breeze front is also possible as low level flow becomes east. The air mass remains at least moderately unstable with steep low to mid level lapse rates. Scattered convection...isolated pulse severe...mainly in the late afternoon and evening. The convection may continue overnight but diminish as more stable air/front moves into the area. Blended temperature guidance supports max temps near 90 again with min temps above normal. && .LONG TERM /MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... Front moving southwest through the area early monday and weak shallow isentropic lift may result in considerable clouds and showers mainly across the CSRA and south Midlands. The ridge will build in from the northeast with drier air for Monday night and Tuesday. Temperatures a little cooler/seasonable especially Monday. Surface ridge extending from offshore Mid Atlantic states through late week with building ridge aloft over the eastern CONUS as deep low moves into the southern Plains. Persistent east to southeast deep-layer flow for most of next week. Low chance convection through the period. Temperatures warm under ridge but with east flow should result in near normal values in the mid to upper 80s. && .AVIATION /01Z SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... Showers and storms now east of all terminals, however additional showers/storms moving up from south-central Ga will move into the CSRA in the next few hours. There remains a chance that this activity could hold together enough to reach the Midlands terminals by 06z. For now, vfr conditions prevail outside of those showers/storms. Can not rule out brief mvfr/ifr conditions if the storms impact any taf site the next several hours. Later on tonight, guidance shows ceilings/visibilities lowering down into mvfr towards morning. VFR conditions return by 13z Saturday. Additional showers/storms may be possible Saturday afternoon. EXTENDED AVIATION OUTLOOK...Restrictions possible in mainly diurnal showers and thunderstorms are possible through the weekend with improvement early next week. && .HYDROLOGY... Rainfall amounts over the past 48 hours have ranged from 3 to 8 inches across much of the upper and central portions of the river basins. This will lead to considerable river flooding on many of the area rivers through the holiday weekend. && .CAE WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... GA...None. SC...None. &&
Hazardous weather outlook, May 22, 9:00 AM EDT, 12 hours 3 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook...UPDATED National Weather Service Columbia SC 900 AM EDT Fri May 22 2020 GAZ040-063>065-077-SCZ016-018-020>022-025>031-035>038-041-115-116- 231300- Lincoln-McDuffie-Columbia-Richmond-Burke-Chesterfield-McCormick- Newberry-Fairfield-Kershaw-Edgefield-Saluda-Lexington-Richland-Lee- Aiken-Sumter-Barnwell-Orangeburg-Calhoun-Clarendon-Bamberg- Northern Lancaster-Southern Lancaster- 900 AM EDT Fri May 22 2020 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for the Midlands of South Carolina and the Central Savannah River area of Georgia. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight. Isolated severe thunderstorms this afternoon and evening. Damaging winds and large hail are the primary threats. Locally heavy rainfall is also possible. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday. No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected at this time.
In the hours before
Local storm report, May 22, 7:53 PM EDT, 1 hour 10 minutes before
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</html>Local storm report, May 22, 7:55 PM EDT, 1 hour 8 minutes before
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</html>Local storm report, May 22, 8:07 PM EDT, 56 minutes before
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</html>Local storm report, May 22, 8:19 PM EDT, 44 minutes before
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</html>Local storm report, May 22, 8:35 PM EDT, 28 minutes before
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</html>The office that day
Everything else NWS Columbia, SC issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 22, 11:33 PM EDT | Special Weather Statement | CAE | Saluda | 27 min |
| May 22, 11:35 PM EDT | Special Weather Statement | CAE | Bamberg | 25 min |
| May 22, 11:56 PM EDT | Special Weather Statement | CAE | Bamberg | 34 min |
| May 23, 12:03 AM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CAE | Aiken, Edgefield, Lexington | 42 min |
| May 23, 12:37 AM EDT | Special Weather Statement | CAE | Lexington | 38 min |
| May 23, 12:41 AM EDT | Special Weather Statement | CAE | Lexington | 49 min |
| May 23, 12:52 AM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CAE | Calhoun, Fairfield, Kershaw, Lexington, Newberry, Richland and 1 more | 53 min |
| May 23, 1:09 AM EDT | Areal Flood Advisory | CAE | Lexington, Richland | 2 hr |
| May 23, 1:40 AM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CAE | Kershaw, Lee, Richland, Sumter | 50 min |
| May 23, 1:46 AM EDT | Special Weather Statement | CAE | Chesterfield | 44 min |
| May 23, 11:44 AM EDT | River Flood Advisory | CAE | Lexington, Richland | 48 hr |
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.