Alert archive / South Carolina / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2021

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 18, NWS Columbia, SC

May 3, 2021Lexington County, Richland County, South Carolina

NWS Columbia, SC issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 3, 2021, 3:59 PM EDT for Lexington County, Richland County, South Carolina. It was in force for 31 min. 16 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 3, 2021, 3:59 PM EDT (19:59 UTC)
Expired: May 3, 2021, 4:30 PM EDT
In force: 31 min
Issued by: NWS Columbia, SC
Area: Storm-based polygon
Hail: 1.0 in
Wind: 60.0 mph

Counties Lexington County, SC, Richland County, SC

The radar

The Columbia radar (KCAE), 13 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:03 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 3, 4:00 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	Lexington, SC	LEXINGTON COUNTY EM REPORTED A POWERLINE DOWN ON HARMON ST AND LAUREL RD. TIME ESTIMATED BASED ON RADAR.
May 3, 4:05 PM EDT	HAIL 1.75	2 Sse Red Bank, SC	PICTURE ON TWITTER OF GOLF BALL SIZED HAIL IN RED BANK AT THE INTERSECTION OF SC 6 AND SC 602.
May 3, 4:07 PM EDT	HAIL 1	4 Wsw Red Bank, SC	NWS EMPLOYEE MEASURED ONE INCH HAIL.
May 3, 4:08 PM EDT	HAIL 0.75	2 N Oak Grove, SC	REPORT OF DIME TO PENNY SIZED HAIL AT THE INTERSECTION OF I20 AND HWY 378.
May 3, 4:08 PM EDT	HAIL 1.75	2 Ssw Red Bank, SC
May 3, 4:09 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	2 Wsw Lexington, SC	REPORT OF A POWER LINE DOWN FROM LEXINGTON COUNTY EM AT THE INTERSECTION OF BARR RD AND WILDLIFE RD.
May 3, 4:09 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	Lexington, SC	REPORT OF A POWER LINE DOWN FROM LEXINGTON COUNTY EM.
May 3, 4:10 PM EDT	HAIL 0.7	3 Ssw Red Bank, SC	RECEIVED A REPORT BETWEEN CAROLINA SPRINGS ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL OF 16-17MM HAIL, WHICH IS AROUND 0.7 INCHES.
May 3, 4:10 PM EDT	HAIL 1.75	2 Sse Red Bank, SC	GOLF BALL SIZED HAIL ON SAVANNAH HILLS DRIVE BETWEEN 410 AND 420PM.
May 3, 4:10 PM EDT	HAIL 1.75	2 Ssw Red Bank, SC	VIDEO OF HAIL ESTIMATED UP TO GOLF BALL SIZED SENT IN ON TWITTER.
May 3, 4:15 PM EDT	HAIL 0.7	2 Ssw Oak Grove, SC	REPORT OF PEA TO DIME SIZED HAIL ON OLD BARNWELL RD NEAR THE AIRPORT.
May 3, 4:15 PM EDT	HAIL 1.75	3 N Lexington, SC	TRAINED SPOTTER AT THE DUNHILL NEIGHBORHOOD REPORTS MEASURED GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL.
May 3, 4:18 PM EDT	HAIL 0.25	2 Nnw South Congaree, SC	RETIRED NWS METEOROLOGIST REPORTS PEA SIZE HAIL. TIME ESTIMATED BY RADAR.
May 3, 4:19 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	1 Sw Oak Grove, SC	CORRECTS TIME FROM PREVIOUS TSTM WND DMG REPORT FROM 1 SW OAK GROVE. EM REPORTS POWER LINE ARCING AT ST DAVIDS CHURCH RD AND SUNBRIGHT LN.
May 3, 4:19 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	2 Ese Lexington, SC	REPORT OF TREE DOWN ON A VEHICLE WITH A PERSON TRAPPED INSIDE.
May 3, 4:28 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	1 E Columbia, SC	PHOTO ON SOCIAL MEDIA SHOWS MID-SIZED TREE FELL ON A PROPERTY NEAR FIVE POINTS IN COLUMBIA.

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 3, 1:25 PM EDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Charleston AFB, SC (KCHS), launched 12:00Z, 8.0 hours before the alert went out and 164 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: 1333 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -30 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 765 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 45 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 128 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 141 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.9
Supercell composite: 5.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

178 
WUUS52 KCAE 031959
SVRCAE
SCC063-079-032030-
/O.NEW.KCAE.SV.W.0018.210503T1959Z-210503T2030Z/

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
Severe Thunderstorm Warning
National Weather Service Columbia SC
359 PM EDT Mon May 3 2021

The National Weather Service in Columbia has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...
  Central Lexington County in central South Carolina...
  West central Richland County in central South Carolina...

* Until 430 PM EDT.

* At 359 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm was located over Red Bank,
  moving northeast at 30 mph.

  HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail.

  SOURCE...Radar indicated.

  IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage 
           to roofs, siding, and trees.

* Locations impacted include...
  Columbia, Lexington, West Columbia, Cayce, Irmo, Springdale, St.
  Andrews, Highway 6 at Lake Murray Dam, Red Bank, Oak Grove, South
  Congaree, Pine Ridge, Columbia International University, Harbison
  State Forest, Riverbanks Zoo, Columbia Metro Airport, SC State Fair
  Grounds, West Columbia Riverwalk, Five Points and Gilbert.

This includes the following highways...
 Interstate 126 between mile markers 0 and 3.
 Interstate 20 in South Carolina between mile markers 43 and 68.
 Interstate 26 between mile markers 101 and 115.
 Interstate 77 near mile marker 0.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 700 PM EDT for central South
Carolina.

For your protection seek shelter inside a sturdy building and stay
away from windows.

&&

LAT...LON 3380 8138 3393 8146 3415 8112 3397 8096
TIME...MOT...LOC 1959Z 236DEG 24KT 3395 8124 

HAIL...1.00IN
WIND...60MPH
 
$$

CRL

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 3, 2:35 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	CAE	McCormick	25 min
May 3, 3:05 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	CAE	Newberry	40 min
May 3, 3:24 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CAE	Newberry, Saluda	51 min
May 3, 3:28 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CAE	Lexington, Saluda	32 min
May 3, 3:32 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CAE	Newberry	43 min
May 3, 3:39 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	CAE	Lexington	21 min
May 3, 3:51 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CAE	McCormick	39 min
May 3, 4:03 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CAE	Kershaw, Richland, Sumter	27 min
May 3, 4:05 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CAE	Lexington, Newberry, Richland, Saluda	40 min
May 3, 4:19 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CAE	Kershaw, Lee, Sumter	26 min
May 3, 4:22 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CAE	Calhoun, Kershaw, Lexington, Richland	23 min
May 3, 4:30 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CAE	Lexington, Richland	15 min
May 3, 4:41 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CAE	Lee, Sumter	34 min
May 3, 4:44 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CAE	Kershaw, Lee, Richland, Sumter	31 min
May 3, 4:56 PM EDT	Areal Flood Advisory	CAE	Lexington, Richland	2 hr
May 3, 5:14 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CAE	Clarendon, Lee, Richland, Sumter	46 min
May 3, 5:50 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	CAE	Lee	25 min
May 3, 6:01 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CAE	Bamberg, Barnwell	44 min
May 3, 6:44 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CAE	Bamberg, Orangeburg	46 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in South Carolina, 2021 Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2021

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.