Alert archive / South Carolina / Tornado Warnings in 2020

Tornado Warning 27, NWS Columbia, SC

September 17, 2020Sumter County, South Carolina

NWS Columbia, SC issued this tornado warning at Sep 17, 2020, 1:11 PM EDT for Sumter County, South Carolina. It was in force for 49 min. 1 report 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: Sep 17, 2020, 1:11 PM EDT (17:11 UTC)
Expired: Sep 17, 2020, 2:00 PM EDT
In force: 49 min
Issued by: NWS Columbia, SC
Area: Storm-based polygon
Tornado: Radar indicated
Hail: 0.0 in

County Sumter County, SC

The radar

The Columbia radar (KCAE), 63 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 17:15 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
Sep 17, 1:19 PM EDT	TORNADO	3 Wnw Pinewood, SC	A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STORM SURVEY TEAM CONFIRMED AN EF- 0 TORNADO, WITH PEAK WIND SPEEDS OF 60 MPH, NORTH OF PINEWOOD IN SUMTER COUNTY, SC. THE TORNADO BEGAN NEAR HIGHWAY 261 SOUTH OF CAMP MAC BOYKIN RD, MOVED NORTHEAST ACROSS PASSAGEWAY RD, THEN DISSIPA

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
Sep 17, 10:20 AM EDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	8 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Charleston AFB, SC (KCHS), launched 12:00Z, 5.2 hours before the alert went out and 112 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: 1154 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -13 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 652 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 40 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 188 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 261 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 1.0
Supercell composite: 5.7

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

183 
WFUS52 KCAE 171711
TORCAE
SCC085-171800-
/O.NEW.KCAE.TO.W.0027.200917T1711Z-200917T1800Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Columbia SC
111 PM EDT Thu Sep 17 2020

The National Weather Service in Columbia has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Western Sumter County in central South Carolina...

* Until 200 PM EDT.
    
* At 111 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
  was located near Poinsett State Park, or 14 miles southwest of
  South Sumter, moving northeast at 25 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...
  Poinsett State Park around 120 PM EDT.
  Sumter, South Sumter, Shaw Air Base, Millwood and Oakland around 
  145 PM EDT.
  Mulberry around 150 PM EDT.
  Sumter County Airport around 155 PM EDT.

Other locations impacted by this tornadic thunderstorm include
Wedgewood, Cane Savannah, Oswego, Dalzell, East Sumter, Pinewood,
Cherryvale, Lakewood, Privateer and Stateburg.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW! If you are outdoors, in a mobile home, or in a
vehicle, move to an interior room or closet on the lowest floor of a
sturdy building immediately.

&&

LAT...LON 3370 8052 3375 8061 3410 8045 3394 8015
TIME...MOT...LOC 1711Z 217DEG 23KT 3375 8055 

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

$$

JAQ

2 follow-up statements

148 
WWUS52 KCAE 171731
SVSCAE

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Columbia SC
131 PM EDT Thu Sep 17 2020

SCC085-171800-
/O.CON.KCAE.TO.W.0027.000000T0000Z-200917T1800Z/
Sumter SC-
131 PM EDT Thu Sep 17 2020

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 200 PM EDT FOR CENTRAL
SUMTER COUNTY...
    
At 131 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located near South Sumter, moving northeast 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...
  Sumter, South Sumter and Millwood around 140 PM EDT.
  Mulberry and Sumter County Airport around 145 PM EDT.

Other locations impacted by this tornadic thunderstorm include Cane
Savannah, Oswego, East Sumter, Lakewood, Privateer, Dalzell and
Wedgewood.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW! If you are outdoors, in a mobile home, or in a
vehicle, move to an interior room or closet on the lowest floor of a
sturdy building immediately.

Being in a vehicle during a tornado is not safe. Drive to the closest
sturdy building and move to an interior room or closet on the lowest
floor. As a last resort, abandon your car and seek shelter in a ditch
or low lying area away from trees. Do not seek shelter under highway
overpasses.

&&

LAT...LON 3377 8041 3381 8051 3407 8039 3394 8015
TIME...MOT...LOC 1731Z 233DEG 27KT 3384 8040 

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

$$

JAQ

135 
WWUS52 KCAE 171757
SVSCAE

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Columbia SC
157 PM EDT Thu Sep 17 2020

SCC085-171807-
/O.EXP.KCAE.TO.W.0027.000000T0000Z-200917T1800Z/
Sumter SC-
157 PM EDT Thu Sep 17 2020

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR CENTRAL SUMTER COUNTY WILL EXPIRE AT 200
PM EDT...
                
The storm which prompted the warning has weakened below severe
limits, and no longer appears capable of producing a tornado.
Therefore, the warning will be allowed to expire.

A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 600 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.

LAT...LON 3377 8041 3381 8051 3407 8039 3394 8015
TIME...MOT...LOC 1757Z 217DEG 23KT 3397 8028 

$$

JAQ

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Sep 16, 11:22 PM EDT	River Flood Advisory	CAE	Lexington, Richland	46 hr
Sep 17, 7:56 AM EDT	Tornado Warning	CAE	Richland, Sumter	34 min
Sep 17, 8:09 AM EDT	Tornado Warning Tornado observed	CAE	Calhoun, Richland, Sumter	21 min
Sep 17, 8:30 AM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	CAE	Aiken, Edgefield, McCormick	3 hr
Sep 17, 9:22 AM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	CAE	Aiken, Barnwell, Edgefield, McCormick, Newberry, Saluda	3 hr
Sep 17, 9:33 AM EDT	Tornado Warning	CAE	Calhoun, Orangeburg	27 min
Sep 17, 9:46 AM EDT	River Flood Warning	CAE	Calhoun, Lexington, Richland	35 hr
Sep 17, 9:46 AM EDT	River Flood Warning	CAE	Calhoun, Richland	3 days
Sep 17, 9:46 AM EDT	River Flood Warning	CAE	Edgefield, McCormick	12 hr
Sep 17, 10:00 AM EDT	Tornado Warning	CAE	Calhoun, Clarendon, Orangeburg	45 min
Sep 17, 10:28 AM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	CAE	Bamberg, Calhoun, Clarendon, Orangeburg, Richland, Sumter	3 hr
Sep 17, 10:38 AM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	CAE	Aiken, Bamberg, Barnwell, Calhoun, Fairfield, Kershaw and 6 more	3 hr
Sep 17, 10:44 AM EDT	Tornado Warning	CAE	Clarendon, Sumter	46 min
Sep 17, 11:01 AM EDT	Tornado Warning	CAE	Clarendon, Sumter	29 min
Sep 17, 11:27 AM EDT	Tornado Warning	CAE	Lee, Sumter	48 min
Sep 17, 11:44 AM EDT	Tornado Warning	CAE	Calhoun, Clarendon, Orangeburg, Sumter	46 min
Sep 17, 12:06 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	CAE	Clarendon, Kershaw, Lee, Richland, Sumter	3 hr
Sep 17, 12:39 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	CAE	Clarendon, Sumter	33 min
Sep 17, 12:56 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	CAE	Calhoun, Clarendon, Orangeburg	36 min
Sep 17, 1:34 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	CAE	Calhoun, Clarendon, Orangeburg, Richland, Sumter	3 hr
Sep 17, 2:37 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CAE	Lee, Sumter	23 min
Sep 17, 2:52 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CAE	Clarendon	40 min
Sep 17, 3:02 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	CAE	Clarendon, Sumter	28 min
Sep 17, 3:19 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	CAE	Clarendon, Lee, Sumter	3 hr
Sep 17, 5:45 PM EDT	Areal Flood Advisory	CAE	Clarendon, Orangeburg, Sumter	60 min
Sep 17, 6:08 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	CAE	Clarendon	22 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.