Alert archive / South Carolina / Tornado Warnings in 2021

Tornado Warning 17, NWS Columbia, SC

August 17, 2021Orangeburg County, South Carolina

NWS Columbia, SC issued this tornado warning at Aug 17, 2021, 4:56 PM EDT for Orangeburg County, South Carolina. It was in force for 34 min. 3 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: Aug 17, 2021, 4:56 PM EDT (20:56 UTC)
Expired: Aug 17, 2021, 5:30 PM EDT
In force: 34 min
Issued by: NWS Columbia, SC
Area: Storm-based polygon
Tornado: Radar indicated
Hail: 0.0 in

County Orangeburg County, SC

The radar

The Columbia radar (KCAE), 54 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:55 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
Aug 17, 5:33 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	6 Nnw Brookdale, SC	PUBLIC REPORTED A FUNNEL CLOUD DROPPED DOWN NEAR CHURCH ALONG NEW HOPE AND COLUMBIA RD. EM FOUND 100 YD OF TREES FALLEN IN MULTIPLE DIRECTIONS. POSSIBLY TORNADO DAMAGE. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR.
Aug 17, 5:33 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	6 Nnw Brookdale, SC	SC HIGHWAY PATROL REPORTS TREE ON ROADWAY AT COLUMBIA ROAD AND NEW HOPE ROAD. TIME ESTIMATED BY RADAR.
Aug 17, 5:40 PM EDT	TORNADO	6 Nnw Brookdale, SC	THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STORM SURVEY TEAM CONFIRMED A LOW-END EF1 TORNADO JUST NORTH-NORTHWEST OF THE CITY OF ORANGEBURG. THE TORNADO HAD A PATH LENGTH JUST UNDER 1 MILE, A WIDTH THAT RANGED FROM 25 TO 50 YARDS, PEAK WINDS OF 88 MPH, AND WAS ON THE GROUND

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
Aug 17, 10:42 AM EDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	8 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Charleston AFB, SC (KCHS), launched 12:00Z, 8.9 hours before the alert went out and 108 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.

331 
WFUS52 KCAE 172056
TORCAE
SCC075-172130-
/O.NEW.KCAE.TO.W.0017.210817T2056Z-210817T2130Z/

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

The National Weather Service in Columbia has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Central Orangeburg County in central South Carolina...

* Until 530 PM EDT.
    
* At 455 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
  was located near Bamberg, moving north 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.

* Locations impacted include...
  Orangeburg, Brookdale, Orangeburg County Airport, Claflin College,
  Edisto Gardens, South Carolina State University, Rowesville,
  Cordova, Cope, Wilkinson Heights, Prince of Orange Mall and Edisto.

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 3331 8094 3333 8100 3334 8101 3365 8099
      3363 8097 3364 8094 3361 8094 3361 8091
      3362 8087 3360 8080 3353 8071 3327 8090
TIME...MOT...LOC 2055Z 196DEG 25KT 3332 8095 

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

$$

CJR

1 follow-up statement

318 
WWUS52 KCAE 172111
SVSCAE

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

SCC075-172130-
/O.CON.KCAE.TO.W.0017.000000T0000Z-210817T2130Z/
Orangeburg SC-
511 PM EDT Tue Aug 17 2021

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 530 PM EDT FOR CENTRAL
ORANGEBURG COUNTY...
    
At 510 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located near Orangeburg County Airport, or near Orangeburg,
moving north 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.

Locations impacted include...
Orangeburg, Brookdale, Orangeburg County Airport, Claflin College,
Edisto Gardens, South Carolina State University, Cordova, Wilkinson
Heights, Prince of Orange Mall and Edisto.

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 3335 8092 3337 8096 3341 8099 3364 8095
      3364 8094 3361 8094 3361 8091 3362 8087
      3360 8080 3353 8071 3337 8085
TIME...MOT...LOC 2110Z 199DEG 23KT 3342 8091 

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

$$

CJR

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, 2:31 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	CAE	Barnwell	44 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, 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; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.