Alert archive / South Carolina / Tornado Warnings in 2023

Tornado Warning 9, NWS Columbia, SC

March 26, 2023Aiken County, Lexington County, Orangeburg County, South Carolina

NWS Columbia, SC issued this tornado warning at Mar 26, 2023, 10:44 PM EDT for Aiken County, Lexington County, Orangeburg County, South Carolina. It was in force for 31 min. 1 report 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
Mar 26, 2023, 10:44 PM EDT (02:44 UTC)
Expired
Mar 26, 2023, 11:15 PM EDT
In force
31 min
Issued by
NWS Columbia, SC
Area
Storm-based polygon
Tornado
Radar indicated
Hail
1.25 in

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

The radar

The Columbia radar (KCAE), 35 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 02:46 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
Mar 26, 10:44 PM EDTHAIL 0.31 Nw Pelion, SCCO-OP OBSERVER REPORTED HAIL AT HIS LOCATION TWICE. THE SECOND TIME WAS 11:02PM. OBSERVER ESTIMATES HAIL WAS 5/16 INCHES OR SLIGHTLY LARGER THAN PEA SIZE.

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

The nearest sounding before it

Charleston AFB, SC (KCHS), launched 00:00Z, 2.7 hours before the alert went out and 149 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 00:00Z on 2023-03-27Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 83 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 00:00Z on 2023-03-27The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 69 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
83 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-225 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1071 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
51 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
69 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
149 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

376 
WFUS52 KCAE 270244
TORCAE
SCC003-063-075-270315-
/O.NEW.KCAE.TO.W.0009.230327T0244Z-230327T0315Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Columbia SC
1044 PM EDT Sun Mar 26 2023

The National Weather Service in Columbia has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Southwestern Lexington County in central South Carolina...
  Northeastern Aiken County in central South Carolina...
  Northwestern Orangeburg County in central South Carolina...

* Until 1115 PM EDT.
    
* At 1044 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a
  tornado was located 11 miles northeast of Aiken State Park, or 18
  miles southwest of Red Bank, moving east at 30 mph.

  HAZARD...Tornado and half dollar 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.

* Locations impacted include...
  Gaston, Swansea, Wagener, North, Pelion, Neeses, Perry, Woodford,
  Livingston, Perry Airport, Lexington County Airport At Pelion,
  Peachtree Rock and Thor.

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 3361 8147 3377 8148 3386 8109 3353 8105
TIME...MOT...LOC 0244Z 262DEG 27KT 3368 8136 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...1.25 IN

$$

BC
1 follow-up statement
791 
WWUS52 KCAE 270257
SVSCAE

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Columbia SC
1057 PM EDT Sun Mar 26 2023

SCC003-063-075-270315-
/O.CON.KCAE.TO.W.0009.000000T0000Z-230327T0315Z/
Lexington SC-Aiken SC-Orangeburg SC-
1057 PM EDT Sun Mar 26 2023

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1115 PM EDT FOR SOUTH
CENTRAL LEXINGTON...EAST CENTRAL AIKEN AND NORTHWESTERN ORANGEBURG
COUNTIES...
    
At 1057 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located 12 miles southwest of Gaston, or 16 miles south of Red
Bank, moving east at 30 mph.

HAZARD...Tornado and half dollar 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.

Locations impacted include...
Gaston, Swansea, North, Pelion, Perry, Woodford, Perry Airport, Thor,
Lexington County Airport At Pelion and Peachtree Rock.

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 3361 8133 3380 8135 3386 8109 3355 8105
TIME...MOT...LOC 0257Z 262DEG 27KT 3369 8126 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...1.25 IN

$$

BC

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 26, 8:53 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCAEMcCormick22 min
Mar 26, 9:07 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCAENewberry23 min
Mar 26, 9:23 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCAEAiken, Edgefield, McCormick, Saluda37 min
Mar 26, 9:57 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCAEAiken, Edgefield, Lexington, Saluda33 min
Mar 26, 10:20 PM EDTTornado WarningCAEAiken, Lexington25 min
Mar 26, 11:13 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCAECalhoun, Lexington, Orangeburg, Richland32 min
Mar 26, 11:41 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCAECalhoun, Clarendon, Lexington, Richland, Sumter49 min
Mar 27, 12:01 AM EDTFlash Flood WarningCAELexington, Richland119 min
Mar 27, 12:35 AM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCAESumter25 min
Mar 27, 3:46 AM EDTRiver Flood WarningCAEEdgefield, McCormick62 hr
Mar 27, 9:57 AM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryCAEAiken, Bamberg, Barnwell, Orangeburg3 hr
Mar 27, 10:04 AM EDTRiver Flood WarningCAECalhoun, Richland4 days
Mar 27, 10:04 AM EDTRiver Flood WarningCAEOrangeburg6 days
Mar 27, 10:58 AM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryCAEClarendon, Richland, Sumter2 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.