Alert archive / South Carolina / Tornado Warnings in 2020

Tornado Warning 5, NWS Charleston, SC

April 13, 2020Colleton County, Hampton County, South Carolina

NWS Charleston, SC issued this tornado warning at Apr 13, 2020, 6:18 AM EDT for Colleton County, Hampton County, South Carolina. It was in force for 27 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: Apr 13, 2020, 6:18 AM EDT (10:18 UTC)
Expired: Apr 13, 2020, 6:45 AM EDT
In force: 27 min
Issued by: NWS Charleston, SC
Area: Storm-based polygon
Tornado: Observed
Hail: 1.0 in

Counties Colleton County, SC, Hampton County, SC

The radar

The Charleston,SC radar (KCLX), 15 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 10:17 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
Apr 13, 6:20 AM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	4 Ese Lena, SC	* 3 FATAL * HAMPTON COUNTY EMA REPORTED 3 FATALITIES DUE TO THUNDERSTORM WIND DAMAGE IN NIXVILLE. THIS DAMAGE AND RESULTING FATALITIES WERE LIKELY DUE TO A TORNADO.
Apr 13, 6:20 AM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	4 Ese Lena, SC	* 5 FATAL, 12 INJ * UPDATE: HAMPTON COUNTY EMA REPORTED 5 FATALITIES AND 12 INJURIES DUE TO THUNDERSTORM WIND DAMAGE IN NIXVILLE. THIS DAMAGE AND RESULTING FATALITIES WERE LIKELY DUE TO A TORNADO.
Apr 13, 6:36 AM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	Islandton, SC	A TRAINED SPOTTER REPORTED STRUCTURAL DAMAGE AND DEBRIS NEARBY THE INTERSECTION OF HWY 63 AND ASHTON RD. POSSIBLE TORNADO DAMAGE THAT WAS LOFTED AND THROWN FROM ORIGINAL LOCATION. TREES WERE ALSO REPORTED TO HAVE FALLEN ON POWER LINES AT THAT INTERSECTION. TIM
Apr 13, 6:39 AM EDT	TORNADO	7 Se Islandton, SC	A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STORM DAMAGE SURVEY TEAM CONFIRMED AN EF-1 TORNADO WHICH TOUCHED DOWN ALONG HIGHWAY 21. PLEASE SEE THE PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT (PNS) REGARDING THIS TORNADO FOR ADDITIONAL DETAILS.

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
Apr 13, 3:20 AM EDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	8 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Charleston AFB, SC (KCHS), launched 00:00Z, 10.3 hours before the alert went out and 96 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: 944 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 56 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 371 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 494 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

743 
WFUS52 KCHS 131018
TORCHS
SCC029-049-131045-
/O.NEW.KCHS.TO.W.0005.200413T1018Z-200413T1045Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Charleston SC
618 AM EDT Mon Apr 13 2020

The National Weather Service in Charleston has issued a

* Tornado Warning for portions of...
  Hampton County in southeastern South Carolina...
  Colleton County in southeastern South Carolina...

* Until 645 AM EDT.
    
* At 618 AM EDT, a tornado producing storm was located over Lena,
  moving northeast at 50 mph.

  HAZARD...Damaging tornado and quarter size hail.

  SOURCE...Radar confirmed tornado.

  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.

* Locations impacted include...
  Hampton, Lake Warren State Park, Varnville, Estill, Furman, Scotia,
  Luray, Crocketville, Lena, Miley, Ashton, Islandton, Cummings and
  Almeda Intersection.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

To repeat, a tornado is on the ground. TAKE COVER NOW! Move to 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.

&&

LAT...LON 3282 8079 3274 8101 3275 8102 3272 8105
      3265 8125 3278 8129 3304 8095
TIME...MOT...LOC 1018Z 238DEG 44KT 3274 8121 

TORNADO...OBSERVED
HAIL...1.00IN

$$

SPR

1 follow-up statement

295 
WWUS52 KCHS 131029
SVSCHS

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Charleston SC
629 AM EDT Mon Apr 13 2020

SCC029-049-131045-
/O.CON.KCHS.TO.W.0005.000000T0000Z-200413T1045Z/
Hampton SC-Colleton SC-
629 AM EDT Mon Apr 13 2020

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 645 AM EDT FOR HAMPTON
AND COLLETON COUNTIES...
        
At 629 AM EDT, a confirmed tornado was located over Almeda
Intersection, moving northeast at 55 mph.

HAZARD...Damaging tornado and quarter size hail.

SOURCE...Radar confirmed tornado.

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.

Locations impacted include...
Varnville, Islandton, Cummings and Almeda Intersection. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

To repeat, a tornado is on the ground. 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.

Report damage directly to the Charleston National Weather Service at
1-888-383-2024 when it is safe to do so.

&&

LAT...LON 3282 8079 3276 8096 3276 8108 3283 8111
      3297 8090
TIME...MOT...LOC 1029Z 242DEG 50KT 3281 8103 

TORNADO...OBSERVED
HAIL...1.00IN

$$

SPR

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Apr 12, 10:23 PM EDT	Coastal Flood Advisory	CHS		4 hr
Apr 13, 5:33 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CHS	Allendale, Hampton, Jasper	57 min
Apr 13, 5:54 AM EDT	Tornado Warning	CHS	Allendale, Hampton	36 min
Apr 13, 6:02 AM EDT	Tornado Warning	CHS	Allendale	14 min
Apr 13, 6:22 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CHS	Beaufort, Colleton, Dorchester, Hampton, Jasper	53 min
Apr 13, 6:38 AM EDT	Tornado Warning EmergencyTornado observed	CHS	Colleton, Hampton	37 min
Apr 13, 6:53 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CHS	Beaufort, Berkeley, Charleston, Colleton, Dorchester	52 min
Apr 13, 7:01 AM EDT	Tornado Warning Tornado observedConsiderable damage threat	CHS	Colleton, Dorchester	29 min
Apr 13, 7:08 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CHS	Beaufort, Jasper	67 min
Apr 13, 7:15 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CHS	Jasper	60 min
Apr 13, 7:26 AM EDT	Tornado Warning	CHS	Berkeley, Dorchester	34 min
Apr 13, 7:42 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CHS	Beaufort, Berkeley, Charleston, Colleton, Dorchester	63 min
Apr 13, 7:47 AM EDT	Special Marine Warning	CHS		88 min
Apr 13, 7:50 AM EDT	Special Marine Warning	CHS		115 min
Apr 13, 7:54 AM EDT	Tornado Warning Tornado observed	CHS	Berkeley	18 min
Apr 13, 8:00 AM EDT	Tornado Warning	CHS	Charleston, Colleton	30 min
Apr 13, 8:13 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CHS	Beaufort, Jasper	62 min
Apr 13, 8:26 AM EDT	Tornado Warning	CHS	Charleston	34 min
Apr 13, 8:42 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CHS	Berkeley, Charleston	33 min
Apr 13, 9:06 AM EDT	Special Marine Warning	CHS		54 min
Apr 13, 9:38 AM EDT	Special Marine Warning	CHS		86 min
Apr 13, 9:41 AM EDT	Special Marine Warning	CHS		82 min
Apr 13, 9:53 AM EDT	Small Craft Advisory	CHS		17 hr

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.