Alert archive / South Carolina / Tornado Warnings in 2021

Tornado Warning 8, NWS Columbia, SC

May 3, 2021Lexington County, South Carolina

NWS Columbia, SC issued this tornado warning at May 3, 2021, 3:39 PM EDT for Lexington County, South Carolina. It was in force for 21 min. 7 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, 3:39 PM EDT (19:39 UTC)
Expired
May 3, 2021, 4:00 PM EDT
In force
21 min
Issued by
NWS Columbia, SC
Area
Storm-based polygon
Tornado
Radar indicated
Hail
1.0 in

County Lexington County, SC

The radar

The Columbia radar (KCAE), 26 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 19:41 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

TimeReportWhereRemark
May 3, 3:50 PM EDTTSTM WND DMG4 W Lexington, SCSCDPS REPORTS TREE ON ROADWAY ON PISGAH CHURCH RD AND US1. TIME ESTIMATED BY RADAR.
May 3, 3:54 PM EDTTSTM WND DMG2 Wnw Lexington, SCNWS EMPLOYEE REPORTED A TREE PARTIALLY SNAPPED ON CANTING WAY IN LEXINGTON.
May 3, 4:07 PM EDTHAIL 14 Wsw Red Bank, SCNWS EMPLOYEE MEASURED ONE INCH HAIL.
May 3, 4:08 PM EDTHAIL 1.752 Ssw Red Bank, SC
May 3, 4:09 PM EDTTSTM WND DMG2 Wsw Lexington, SCREPORT OF A POWER LINE DOWN FROM LEXINGTON COUNTY EM AT THE INTERSECTION OF BARR RD AND WILDLIFE RD.
May 3, 4:10 PM EDTHAIL 0.73 Ssw Red Bank, SCRECEIVED A REPORT BETWEEN CAROLINA SPRINGS ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL OF 16-17MM HAIL, WHICH IS AROUND 0.7 INCHES.
May 3, 4:10 PM EDTHAIL 1.752 Ssw Red Bank, SCVIDEO OF HAIL ESTIMATED UP TO GOLF BALL SIZED SENT IN ON TWITTER.

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.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
May 3, 1:25 PM EDTTornado WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Charleston AFB, SC (KCHS), launched 12:00Z, 7.7 hours before the alert went out and 173 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-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Charleston AFB, SC at 12:00Z on 2021-05-03Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1333 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Charleston AFB, SC at 12:00Z on 2021-05-03The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 128 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
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.

998 
WFUS52 KCAE 031939
TORCAE
SCC063-032015-
/O.NEW.KCAE.TO.W.0008.210503T1939Z-210503T2015Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Columbia SC
339 PM EDT Mon May 3 2021

The National Weather Service in Columbia has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  West central Lexington County in central South Carolina...

* Until 415 PM EDT.
    
* At 339 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
  was located near Batesburg-Leesville, moving east at 25 mph.

  HAZARD...Tornado and quarter size hail.

  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...
  Lexington and Red Bank around 415 PM EDT.

Other locations impacted by this tornadic thunderstorm include
Fredonia, Gilbert, Summit, Murray, Barr Lake, Red Bank Sports Complex
and Bundrick Island.

This includes Interstate 20 in South Carolina between mile markers 45
and 54.
 
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.

&&

LAT...LON 3388 8151 3399 8150 3405 8125 3387 8123
TIME...MOT...LOC 1939Z 259DEG 23KT 3392 8147 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
HAIL...1.00IN

$$

CRL
1 follow-up statement
829 
WWUS52 KCAE 032000
SVSCAE

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Columbia SC
400 PM EDT Mon May 3 2021

SCC063-032010-
/O.CAN.KCAE.TO.W.0008.000000T0000Z-210503T2015Z/
Lexington SC-
400 PM EDT Mon May 3 2021

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR WEST CENTRAL LEXINGTON COUNTY IS
CANCELLED...
    
The tornado threat has diminished and the Tornado Warning has been
cancelled. However, large hail and damaging winds remain likely and a
Severe Thunderstorm Warning remains in effect for the area.

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

LAT...LON 3388 8151 3399 8150 3405 8125 3387 8123
TIME...MOT...LOC 1958Z 259DEG 23KT 3395 8131 

$$

CRL

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 3, 2:35 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCAEMcCormick25 min
May 3, 3:05 PM EDTTornado WarningCAENewberry40 min
May 3, 3:24 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCAENewberry, Saluda51 min
May 3, 3:28 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCAELexington, Saluda32 min
May 3, 3:32 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCAENewberry43 min
May 3, 3:51 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCAEMcCormick39 min
May 3, 3:59 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCAELexington, Richland31 min
May 3, 4:03 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCAEKershaw, Richland, Sumter27 min
May 3, 4:05 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCAELexington, Newberry, Richland, Saluda40 min
May 3, 4:19 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCAEKershaw, Lee, Sumter26 min
May 3, 4:22 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCAECalhoun, Kershaw, Lexington, Richland23 min
May 3, 4:30 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCAELexington, Richland15 min
May 3, 4:41 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCAELee, Sumter34 min
May 3, 4:44 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCAEKershaw, Lee, Richland, Sumter31 min
May 3, 4:56 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryCAELexington, Richland2 hr
May 3, 5:14 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCAEClarendon, Lee, Richland, Sumter46 min
May 3, 5:50 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCAELee25 min
May 3, 6:01 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCAEBamberg, Barnwell44 min
May 3, 6:44 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCAEBamberg, Orangeburg46 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in South Carolina, 2021Every tornado warning in 2021Tornadoes 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.