Alert archive / South Carolina / Tornado Warnings in 2021

Tornado Warning 14, NWS Columbia, SC

August 17, 2021Barnwell County, South Carolina

NWS Columbia, SC issued this tornado warning at Aug 17, 2021, 2:31 PM EDT for Barnwell County, South Carolina. It was in force for 44 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued: Aug 17, 2021, 2:31 PM EDT (18:31 UTC)
Expired: Aug 17, 2021, 3:15 PM EDT
In force: 44 min
Issued by: NWS Columbia, SC
Area: Storm-based polygon
Tornado: Radar indicated
Hail: 0.0 in

County Barnwell County, SC

The radar

The Columbia radar (KCAE), 74 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 18:29 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.

The watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
Aug 17, 10:42 AM EDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	8 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Charleston AFB, SC (KCHS), launched 12:00Z, 6.5 hours before the alert went out and 132 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: 1066 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -24 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 639 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 25 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 84 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 92 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 1.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

006 
WFUS52 KCAE 171831
TORCAE
SCC011-171915-
/O.NEW.KCAE.TO.W.0014.210817T1831Z-210817T1915Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Columbia SC
231 PM EDT Tue Aug 17 2021

The National Weather Service in Columbia has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Barnwell County in central South Carolina...

* Until 315 PM EDT.
    
* At 230 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a 
  tornado was located near Kline, moving towards Barnwell, moving 
  north at 20 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...
  Barnwell around 250 PM EDT.
  Barnwell State Park around 305 PM EDT.
  Williston and Blackville around 315 PM EDT.

Other locations impacted by this tornadic thunderstorm include Elko,
Kline, Snelling, Barnwell County Airport and Hilda.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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.

&&

LAT...LON 3314 8149 3342 8147 3349 8138 3348 8130
      3344 8125 3344 8122 3340 8121 3326 8122
      3311 8127 3311 8136
TIME...MOT...LOC 1830Z 188DEG 16KT 3317 8138 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN

$$

1 follow-up statement

034 
WWUS52 KCAE 171851
SVSCAE

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Columbia SC
251 PM EDT Tue Aug 17 2021

SCC011-171915-
/O.CON.KCAE.TO.W.0014.000000T0000Z-210817T1915Z/
Barnwell SC-
251 PM EDT Tue Aug 17 2021

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 315 PM EDT FOR
NORTHEASTERN BARNWELL COUNTY...
    
At 248 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado 
was located over Barnwell, moving north at 20 mph. A second 
circulation is west of Hilda. Both thunderstorms have weakened 
slightly but the threat for a tornado forming continues. 

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...
  Barnwell State Park around 310 PM EDT.
  Blackville around 320 PM EDT.
  Williston around 325 PM EDT.

Other locations impacted by this tornadic thunderstorm include Elko,
Barnwell County Airport and Hilda.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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.

&&

LAT...LON 3323 8143 3340 8145 3349 8138 3348 8130
      3344 8125 3341 8122 3337 8122 3328 8124
      3322 8129 3320 8137
TIME...MOT...LOC 1848Z 188DEG 16KT 3325 8137 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN

$$

LCV

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Aug 17, 12:31 PM EDT	Areal Flood Advisory	CAE	Aiken, Edgefield, McCormick, Saluda	59 min
Aug 17, 12:59 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	CAE	Edgefield	46 min
Aug 17, 1:34 PM EDT	Areal Flood Advisory	CAE	Aiken, Edgefield, Saluda	56 min
Aug 17, 1:44 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	CAE	Edgefield, McCormick, Saluda	17 min
Aug 17, 1:55 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	CAE	Aiken, Edgefield, Lexington, Saluda	50 min
Aug 17, 2:08 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	CAE	Aiken	37 min
Aug 17, 3:12 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	CAE	Lexington, Saluda	48 min
Aug 17, 3:17 PM EDT	Areal Flood Advisory	CAE	Aiken, Edgefield, Lexington, Newberry, Saluda	58 min
Aug 17, 3:48 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	CAE	Fairfield, Lexington, Newberry, Richland	42 min
Aug 17, 4:25 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CAE	Fairfield, Newberry	50 min
Aug 17, 4:31 PM EDT	Areal Flood Advisory	CAE	Fairfield, Lexington, Newberry, Richland, Saluda	59 min
Aug 17, 4:48 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	CAE	Bamberg, Orangeburg	42 min
Aug 17, 4:56 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	CAE	Orangeburg	34 min
Aug 17, 5:29 PM EDT	Areal Flood Advisory	CAE	Calhoun, Kershaw, Lexington, Richland	3 hr
Aug 17, 5:29 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	CAE	Calhoun, Orangeburg	46 min
Aug 17, 7:43 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	CAE	Aiken	32 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in South Carolina, 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.