Alert archive / Georgia / Tornado Warnings in 2021

Tornado Warning 2, NWS Charleston, SC

March 18, 2021Bryan County, Chatham County, Georgia; Jasper County, South Carolina

NWS Charleston, SC issued this tornado warning at Mar 18, 2021, 2:55 PM EDT for Bryan County, Chatham County, Georgia; Jasper County, South Carolina. It was in force for 21 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
Mar 18, 2021, 2:55 PM EDT (18:55 UTC)
Expired
Mar 18, 2021, 3:16 PM EDT
In force
21 min
Issued by
NWS Charleston, SC
Area
Storm-based polygon
Tornado
Radar indicated
Hail
0.0 in

Counties Bryan County, GA, Chatham County, GA, Jasper County, SC

The radar

The Charleston,SC radar (KCLX), 71 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 18:54 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.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Mar 18, 11:42 AM EDTTornado WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Charleston AFB, SC (KCHS), launched 12:00Z, 6.9 hours before the alert went out and 151 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 2021-03-18Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 219 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Charleston AFB, SC at 12:00Z on 2021-03-18The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 170 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
219 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-83 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
679 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
65 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
170 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
244 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.9

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

425 
WFUS52 KCHS 181855
TORCHS
GAC029-051-SCC053-181930-
/O.NEW.KCHS.TO.W.0002.210318T1855Z-210318T1930Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Charleston SC
255 PM EDT Thu Mar 18 2021

The National Weather Service in Charleston has issued a

* Tornado Warning for portions of...
  Bryan County in southeastern Georgia...
  Chatham County in southeastern Georgia...
  Jasper County in southeastern South Carolina...

* Until 330 PM EDT.
    
* At 255 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
  was located near Burroughs, moving northeast 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...
  Pooler, Richmond Hill, Windsor Forest, I-16/I-95 Interchange,
  Hunter Army Airfield, Downtown Savannah, Godley Station, Savannah
  International Airport, Midtown Savannah, Garden City, Port
  Wentworth, Bloomingdale, Thunderbolt, Savannah Historic District
  and Whitemarsh Island.

This warning includes...
 I-16 between mile markers 153 and 168.
 I-516 between mile markers 3 and 9.
 I-95 in Georgia between mile markers 91 and 111.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW! Move to 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 3192 8131 3206 8139 3223 8118 3204 8098
TIME...MOT...LOC 1855Z 237DEG 23KT 3202 8132 

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

$$

RFM
1 follow-up statement
999 
WWUS52 KCHS 181916
SVSCHS

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Charleston SC
316 PM EDT Thu Mar 18 2021

GAC029-051-SCC053-181926-
/O.CAN.KCHS.TO.W.0002.000000T0000Z-210318T1930Z/
Bryan GA-Chatham GA-Jasper SC-
316 PM EDT Thu Mar 18 2021

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR BRYAN...CHATHAM AND JASPER COUNTIES IS
CANCELLED...
                
The storm which prompted the warning has weakened below severe
limits, and no longer appears capable of producing a tornado.
Therefore the warning has been cancelled.  However gusty winds are
still possible with this thunderstorm.

LAT...LON 3192 8131 3206 8139 3223 8118 3204 8098
TIME...MOT...LOC 1913Z 237DEG 23KT 3209 8119 

$$

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 18, 1:47 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCHSBryan, Liberty, Long, Tattnall43 min
Mar 18, 6:11 AM EDTMarine Dense Fog AdvisoryCHS4 hr
Mar 18, 4:08 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryCHSCharleston52 min
Mar 18, 4:36 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningCHS54 min
Mar 18, 5:30 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningCHS60 min
Mar 18, 5:33 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningCHS24 min
Mar 18, 6:26 PM EDTSpecial Marine WarningCHS64 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Georgia, 2021Tornado 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.