Alert archive / South Carolina / Tornado Warnings in 2020

Tornado Warning 15, NWS Columbia, SC

May 5, 2020Kershaw County, Lancaster County, South Carolina

NWS Columbia, SC issued this tornado warning at May 5, 2020, 6:55 PM EDT for Kershaw County, Lancaster County, South Carolina. It was in force for 35 min. 5 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 5, 2020, 6:55 PM EDT (22:55 UTC)
Expired: May 5, 2020, 7:30 PM EDT
In force: 35 min
Issued by: NWS Columbia, SC
Area: Storm-based polygon
Tornado: Radar indicated
Hail: 1.25 in

Counties Kershaw County, SC, Lancaster County, SC

The radar

The Columbia radar (KCAE), 76 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:57 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

Time	Report	Where	Remark
May 5, 6:57 PM EDT	HAIL 1.5	5 Sw Irwin, SC	PUBLIC REPORTED PING PONG BALL SIZE HAIL IN THE EDGEWATER COMMUNITY IN LANCASTER COUNTY. REPORT VIA TWITTER WITH VIDEO.
May 5, 7:01 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	8 S Irwin, SC	TRAINED SPOTTER REPORTED A LARGE SWATH OF TREES DOWN ON GREEN RD. AT CEDAR CREEK RD. SURVEY TEAM WILL NEED TO INVESTIGATE TOMORROW.
May 5, 7:01 PM EDT	TORNADO	10 Ssw Irwin, SC	NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STORM SURVEY TEAMS FROM THE OFFICES IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG AND COLUMBIA HAVE CONFIRMED A TORNADO BEGAN IN SOUTHEASTERN CHESTER COUNTY AND DISSIPATED IN SOUTHWESTERN LANCASTER COUNTY. THE TORNADO PRODUCED WINDS UP TO 115 MPH, WHICH I
May 5, 7:17 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	2 Ese Heath Springs, SC	LARGE TREE DOWN ON KERSHAW CAMDEN HWY IN BETWEEN HEATH SPRINGS AND KERSHAW.
May 5, 7:25 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	Kershaw, SC	SPOTTER REPORTED A TREE FELL ON A HOUSE ALONG MATSON RD IN KERSHAW.

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.

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
May 5, 3:53 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC (KGSO), launched 12:00Z, 10.9 hours before the alert went out and 186 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 1899 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 44 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 88 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 444 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

739 
WFUS52 KCAE 052255
TORCAE
SCC055-057-052330-
/O.NEW.KCAE.TO.W.0015.200505T2255Z-200505T2330Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Columbia SC
655 PM EDT Tue May 5 2020

The National Weather Service in Columbia has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Southwestern Lancaster County in central South Carolina...
  Northwestern Kershaw County in central South Carolina...

* Until 730 PM EDT.
    
* At 655 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
  was located over Great Falls, or 12 miles southwest of Lancaster,
  moving east at 45 mph.

  HAZARD...Tornado and half dollar size hail.

  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...
  Heath Springs around 710 PM EDT.
  Kershaw around 720 PM EDT.
  Westville around 725 PM EDT.

Other locations impacted by this tornadic thunderstorm include Bell
Town Fire Station, Faith Christian School and Pleasant Hill.

LAT...LON 3459 8054 3442 8060 3452 8088 3454 8088
      3457 8087 3460 8089 3466 8089
TIME...MOT...LOC 2255Z 289DEG 37KT 3457 8091 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
HAIL...1.25IN

$$

fwa

3 follow-up statements

095 
WWUS52 KCAE 052304
SVSCAE

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Columbia SC
704 PM EDT Tue May 5 2020

SCC055-057-052330-
/O.CON.KCAE.TO.W.0015.000000T0000Z-200505T2330Z/
Lancaster SC-Kershaw SC-
704 PM EDT Tue May 5 2020

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 730 PM EDT FOR
SOUTHWESTERN LANCASTER AND NORTHWESTERN KERSHAW COUNTIES...
    
At 704 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located near Great Falls, or 12 miles south of Lancaster, moving
east at 40 mph.

HAZARD...Tornado and half dollar size hail.

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...
  Heath Springs around 715 PM EDT.
  Kershaw and Westville around 725 PM EDT.

Other locations impacted by this tornadic thunderstorm include Bell
Town Fire Station, Faith Christian School and Pleasant Hill.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Report tornadoes, large hail, damaging winds or flooding directly to
the Columbia National Weather Service at 803-234-
4115 when it is safe to do so. You can also send reports by Facebook
or Twitter to NWSColumbia or by e-mail at NWS.Columbia@noaa.gov.

&&

LAT...LON 3459 8054 3442 8060 3452 8088 3454 8088
      3457 8087 3460 8089 3466 8089
TIME...MOT...LOC 2304Z 288DEG 36KT 3455 8083 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
HAIL...1.25IN

$$

fwa

548 
WWUS52 KCAE 052315
SVSCAE

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Columbia SC
715 PM EDT Tue May 5 2020

SCC055-057-052330-
/O.CON.KCAE.TO.W.0015.000000T0000Z-200505T2330Z/
Lancaster SC-Kershaw SC-
715 PM EDT Tue May 5 2020

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 730 PM EDT FOR SOUTH
CENTRAL LANCASTER AND NORTHWESTERN KERSHAW COUNTIES...
    
At 715 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located near Heath Springs, or 12 miles north of Lake Wateree
Dam, moving east at 45 mph.

HAZARD...Tornado and ping pong ball size hail.

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...
  Kershaw and Westville around 725 PM EDT.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Report tornadoes, large hail, damaging winds or flooding directly to
the Columbia National Weather Service at 803-234-
4115 when it is safe to do so. You can also send reports by Facebook
or Twitter to NWSColumbia or by e-mail at NWS.Columbia@noaa.gov.

&&

LAT...LON 3459 8054 3442 8060 3449 8081 3463 8075
TIME...MOT...LOC 2315Z 289DEG 37KT 3451 8069 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
HAIL...1.50IN

$$

fwa

778 
WWUS52 KCAE 052332
SVSCAE

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Columbia SC
732 PM EDT Tue May 5 2020

SCC055-057-052340-
/O.EXP.KCAE.TO.W.0015.000000T0000Z-200505T2330Z/
Lancaster SC-Kershaw SC-
732 PM EDT Tue May 5 2020

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR SOUTH CENTRAL LANCASTER AND NORTHWESTERN
KERSHAW COUNTIES HAS EXPIRED...
    
The Tornado Warning has expired. However, large hail and damaging 
winds remain likely and a Severe Thunderstorm Warning remains in 
effect for the area.

A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 1100 PM EDT for
central South Carolina.

To report severe weather, contact your nearest law enforcement
agency. They will relay your report to the National Weather Service
Columbia.

Remember, a Severe Thunderstorm Warning still remains in effect for
portions of Lancaster and Kershaw counties.

LAT...LON 3459 8054 3442 8060 3449 8081 3463 8075
TIME...MOT...LOC 2330Z 289DEG 37KT 3446 8051 

$$

fwa

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 5, 12:29 AM EDT	Special Weather Statement	CAE	Chesterfield	31 min
May 5, 12:41 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CAE	Chesterfield, Kershaw, Lancaster	34 min
May 5, 1:17 AM EDT	Special Weather Statement	CAE	Chesterfield	28 min
May 5, 1:23 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CAE	Chesterfield	24 min
May 5, 3:31 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CAE	Fairfield, Newberry	44 min
May 5, 4:07 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CAE	Chesterfield, Fairfield, Kershaw, Lancaster, Newberry	38 min
May 5, 4:28 AM EDT	Special Weather Statement	CAE	Newberry	17 min
May 5, 4:47 AM EDT	Special Weather Statement	CAE	Chesterfield, Kershaw, Lancaster	58 min
May 5, 5:25 AM EDT	Special Weather Statement	CAE	Lee	35 min
May 5, 6:33 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CAE	Kershaw, Lancaster	42 min
May 5, 7:13 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CAE	Chesterfield, Kershaw, Lancaster	47 min
May 5, 7:21 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	CAE	Chesterfield	24 min
May 5, 7:52 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CAE	Lancaster	38 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in South Carolina, 2020 Every tornado warning in 2020 Tornadoes 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; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.