Alert archive / Georgia / Tornado Warnings in 2021

Tornado Warning 1, NWS Columbia, SC

January 1, 2021Columbia County, Lincoln County, McDuffie County, Georgia

NWS Columbia, SC issued this tornado warning at Jan 1, 2021, 4:59 PM EST for Columbia County, Lincoln County, McDuffie County, Georgia. It was in force for 31 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: Jan 1, 2021, 4:59 PM EST (21:59 UTC)
Expired: Jan 1, 2021, 5:30 PM EST
In force: 31 min
Issued by: NWS Columbia, SC
Area: Storm-based polygon
Tornado: Radar indicated
Hail: 0.75 in

Counties Columbia County, GA, Lincoln County, GA, McDuffie County, GA

The radar

The Columbia radar (KCAE), 129 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:02 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
Jan 1, 5:25 PM EST	FUNNEL CLOUD	12 Ne Thomson, GA	SKYWARN SPOTTER REPORTS ROTATING WALL CLOUD ON GA 150 AT STORY DRIVE.

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
Jan 1, 3:27 PM EST	Tornado Watch	SPC	5 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA (KFFC), launched 12:00Z, 10.0 hours before the alert went out and 191 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: 7 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -202 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 573 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 57 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 389 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 491 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

305 
WFUS52 KCAE 012159
TORCAE
GAC073-181-189-012230-
/O.NEW.KCAE.TO.W.0001.210101T2159Z-210101T2230Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Columbia SC
459 PM EST Fri Jan 1 2021

The National Weather Service in Columbia has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Northwestern McDuffie County in east central Georgia...
  Northwestern Columbia County in east central Georgia...
  Southeastern Lincoln County in east central Georgia...

* Until 530 PM EST.
    
* At 459 PM EST, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
  was located over Wrightsboro, or 9 miles northwest of Thomson,
  moving east at 40 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...
  Mistletoe State Park around 515 PM EST.

Other locations impacted by this tornadic thunderstorm include Loce,
Leah, Winfield, Clay Hill Campground, Knox Scout Reservation,
University Hospital McDuffie, Phinizy, Woodlawn, Double Branches and
Wildwood Park.

This includes Interstate 20 in Georgia between mile markers 167 and
175.
 
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.

This Tornado Warning includes portions of Lake Strom Thurmond.
Boaters, move to shore and take shelter on the lowest floor of the
closest sturdy building!

&&

LAT...LON 3361 8263 3364 8261 3363 8258 3365 8258
      3364 8256 3366 8251 3365 8249 3371 8253
      3381 8231 3378 8230 3376 8225 3363 8220
      3359 8214 3347 8259 3360 8265
TIME...MOT...LOC 2159Z 248DEG 33KT 3359 8257 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
HAIL...<.75IN

$$

HC

1 follow-up statement

542 
WWUS52 KCAE 012216
SVSCAE

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Columbia SC
516 PM EST Fri Jan 1 2021

GAC073-181-189-012230-
/O.CON.KCAE.TO.W.0001.000000T0000Z-210101T2230Z/
McDuffie GA-Columbia GA-Lincoln GA-
516 PM EST Fri Jan 1 2021

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 530 PM EST FOR NORTHERN
MCDUFFIE...NORTHWESTERN COLUMBIA AND SOUTHEASTERN LINCOLN COUNTIES...
    
At 515 PM EST, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located over Mistletoe State Park, or 14 miles northeast of
Thomson, moving northeast at 40 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 tornadic thunderstorm will remain over mainly rural areas of
northern McDuffie, northwestern Columbia and southeastern Lincoln
Counties, including the following locations... Double Branches,
Wildwood Park, Leah, Pollards Corner, Winfield, Lake Springs
Recreation Area, Clay Hill Campground, Bussey Point Campground, Knox
Scout Reservation and Cherokee Boat Ramp.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Report tornadoes, large hail, damaging winds or flooding directly to 
the Columbia National Weather Service by Facebook or Twitter to 
NWSColumbia or by e-mail at NWS.Columbia@noaa.gov.

This Tornado Warning includes portions of Lake Strom Thurmond.
Boaters, move to shore and take shelter on the lowest floor of the
closest sturdy building!

&&

LAT...LON 3365 8247 3369 8246 3378 8230 3376 8225
      3363 8220 3360 8243
TIME...MOT...LOC 2215Z 246DEG 33KT 3366 8241 

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

$$

HC

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Dec 31, 10:10 PM EST	Dense Fog Advisory	CAE	Burke, Columbia, Lincoln, McDuffie, Richmond	10 hr
Jan 1, 3:35 PM EST	Flash Flood Watch	CAE	Burke, Columbia, Lincoln, McDuffie, Richmond	34 hr
Jan 1, 4:50 PM EST	Special Weather Statement	CAE	Lincoln	40 min
Jan 1, 5:28 PM EST	Tornado Warning	CAE	Columbia, Lincoln	32 min
Jan 1, 6:45 PM EST	Special Weather Statement	CAE	Richmond	60 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Georgia, 2021 Every tornado warning in 2021 Tornadoes 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.