Alert archive / South Carolina / Tornado Warnings in 2023

Tornado Warning 2, NWS Columbia, SC

January 4, 20234 counties in South Carolina

NWS Columbia, SC issued this tornado warning at Jan 4, 2023, 10:32 AM EST for 4 counties in South Carolina. It was in force for 28 min. 6 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
Jan 4, 2023, 10:32 AM EST (15:32 UTC)
Expired
Jan 4, 2023, 11:00 AM EST
In force
28 min
Issued by
NWS Columbia, SC
Area
Storm-based polygon
Tornado
Radar indicated
Hail
0.0 in

Counties Aiken County, SC, Calhoun County, SC, Lexington County, SC, Orangeburg County, SC

The radar

The Columbia radar (KCAE), 36 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 15:34 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
Jan 4, 10:33 AM ESTTSTM WND DMGSalley, SCBUILDING COLLAPSE AND POWER LINES DOWN IN SALLY ON DEPOT AVE NE.
Jan 4, 10:40 AM ESTTORNADO4 W Woodford, SCA NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SURVEY TEAM CONFIRMED AN EF-1 TORNADO WITH PEAK WINDS OF 90 MPH THAT TRACKED NORTH OF WOODFORD, IN LEXINGTON AND ORANGEBURG COUNTIES. THE TORNADO STARTED NEAR THE INTERSECTION TO CEDAR CREEK ROAD AND HIGHWAY 178. THE EF-1 DAMAGE BEGA
Jan 4, 10:43 AM ESTTSTM WND DMG4 W Woodford, SCMULTIPLE TREES DOWN NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF HIGHWAY 178 AND POOLS MILL ROAD. POSSIBLE TORNADO. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR.
Jan 4, 10:48 AM ESTTSTM WND DMG2 Nw Woodford, SCTREES DOWN AND DAMAGE TO A CARPORT IN THE 1400 BLOCK OF WOODFORD ROAD. POSSIBLE TORNADO DAMAGE.
Jan 4, 10:50 AM ESTTSTM WND DMG2 N Woodford, SCPOSSIBLE TORNADO.
Jan 4, 10:52 AM ESTTSTM WND DMG2 S Swansea, SC

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
Jan 4, 8:36 AM ESTTornado WatchSPC9 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Charleston AFB, SC (KCHS), launched 12:00Z, 3.5 hours before the alert went out and 139 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 2023-01-04Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 463 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 2023-01-04The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 131 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
463 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-44 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
555 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
43 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
131 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
181 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
2.9

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

199 
WFUS52 KCAE 041532
TORCAE
SCC003-017-063-075-041600-
/O.NEW.KCAE.TO.W.0002.230104T1532Z-230104T1600Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Columbia SC
1032 AM EST Wed Jan 4 2023

The National Weather Service in Columbia has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  West central Calhoun County in central South Carolina...
  Southeastern Lexington County in central South Carolina...
  East central Aiken County in central South Carolina...
  Northwestern Orangeburg County in central South Carolina...

* Until 1100 AM EST.
    
* At 1031 AM EST, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a
  tornado was located 10 miles northeast of Aiken State Park, or 21
  miles south of Red Bank, moving east at 45 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
  west central Calhoun, southeastern Lexington, east central Aiken
  and northwestern Orangeburg Counties, including the following
  locations... Perry Airport, Thor, Perry, Salley, North, Wagener,
  Woodford, Swansea and Livingston.

This includes Interstate 26 between mile markers 127 and 130.
 
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 cluster of thunderstorms is capable of producing tornadoes and
widespread significant wind damage. Do not wait to see or hear the
tornado. For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest
floor of a building.

&&

LAT...LON 3357 8140 3368 8142 3380 8096 3354 8088
TIME...MOT...LOC 1531Z 261DEG 39KT 3363 8134 

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

$$

gpl
1 follow-up statement
667 
WWUS52 KCAE 041542
SVSCAE

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Columbia SC
1042 AM EST Wed Jan 4 2023

SCC003-017-063-075-041600-
/O.CON.KCAE.TO.W.0002.000000T0000Z-230104T1600Z/
Calhoun SC-Lexington SC-Aiken SC-Orangeburg SC-
1042 AM EST Wed Jan 4 2023

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1100 AM EST FOR WEST
CENTRAL CALHOUN...SOUTHEASTERN LEXINGTON...NORTHEASTERN AIKEN AND
NORTHWESTERN ORANGEBURG COUNTIES...
    
At 1041 AM EST, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located 13 miles southwest of Gaston, or 19 miles south of Red
Bank, moving east at 45 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...
Swansea, North, Woodford and Thor. 

This includes Interstate 26 between mile markers 127 and 130.
 
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 cluster of thunderstorms is capable of producing tornadoes and
widespread significant wind damage. Do not wait to see or hear the
tornado. For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest
floor of a building.

&&

LAT...LON 3358 8129 3371 8130 3380 8096 3354 8088
TIME...MOT...LOC 1541Z 261DEG 39KT 3365 8120 

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

$$

gpl

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jan 4, 8:19 AM ESTSpecial Weather StatementCAENewberry41 min
Jan 4, 8:23 AM ESTSpecial Weather StatementCAEMcCormick52 min
Jan 4, 9:09 AM ESTSpecial Weather StatementCAEEdgefield51 min
Jan 4, 9:14 AM ESTSpecial Weather StatementCAELancaster46 min
Jan 4, 9:21 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCAEAiken, Edgefield54 min
Jan 4, 9:41 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCAEEdgefield, Saluda39 min
Jan 4, 9:56 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCAEAiken, Bamberg, Barnwell, Edgefield, Lexington, Orangeburg49 min
Jan 4, 10:00 AM ESTTornado WarningCAEAiken, Edgefield, Saluda30 min
Jan 4, 10:16 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCAEAiken, Calhoun, Fairfield, Lexington, Newberry, Richland and 1 more44 min
Jan 4, 10:35 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatCAEAiken, Bamberg, Barnwell, Calhoun, Lexington, Orangeburg and 2 more40 min
Jan 4, 10:38 AM ESTTornado WarningCAELexington22 min
Jan 4, 10:54 AM ESTTornado WarningCAECalhoun, Lexington, Orangeburg, Richland36 min
Jan 4, 10:55 AM ESTTornado WarningCAECalhoun, Lexington, Richland19 min
Jan 4, 11:13 AM ESTAreal Flood AdvisoryCAEFairfield, Kershaw, Lexington, Newberry, Richland, Saluda2 hr
Jan 4, 11:17 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCAECalhoun, Clarendon, Kershaw, Lee, Orangeburg, Richland and 1 more58 min
Jan 4, 5:02 PM ESTRiver Flood WarningCAEGreenwood, Newberry, Saluda3 days
Jan 4, 5:02 PM ESTRiver Flood WarningCAECalhoun, Lexington, Richland5 days
Jan 4, 5:02 PM ESTRiver Flood WarningCAECalhoun, Richland8 days
Jan 4, 5:02 PM ESTRiver Flood AdvisoryCAELexington, Richland4 hr

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in South Carolina, 2023Every tornado warning in 2023Tornadoes in 2023

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.