Alert archive / South Carolina / Tornado Warnings in 2025

Tornado Warning 6, NWS Columbia, SC

March 16, 2025Bamberg County, Barnwell County, South Carolina

NWS Columbia, SC issued this tornado warning at Mar 16, 2025, 7:14 AM EDT for Bamberg County, Barnwell 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 16, 2025, 7:14 AM EDT (11:14 UTC)
Expired
Mar 16, 2025, 7:45 AM EDT
In force
31 min
Issued by
NWS Columbia, SC
Area
Storm-based polygon
Tornado
Radar indicated
Hail
0.75 in

Counties Bamberg County, SC, Barnwell County, SC

The radar

The Charleston,SC radar (KCLX), 69 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 11:16 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 16, 7:27 AM EDTTORNADO2 E Snelling, SCA National Weather Service storm survey determined that an EF-0 tornado touched down between Snelling and Barnwell, SC with peak winds of 80 mph. The short-lived tornado began in the Sweetwater Country Club, between Fairway Lane and Club House Lane, and moved

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
Mar 16, 6:12 AM EDTTornado WatchSPC8 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Charleston AFB, SC (KCHS), launched 00:00Z, 11.2 hours before the alert went out and 138 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 2025-03-16Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 5 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 2025-03-16The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 46 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
5 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-16 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1048 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
30 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
46 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
88 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

367 
WFUS52 KCAE 161114
TORCAE
SCC009-011-161145-
/O.NEW.KCAE.TO.W.0006.250316T1114Z-250316T1145Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Columbia SC
714 AM EDT Sun Mar 16 2025

The National Weather Service in Columbia has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Southeastern Barnwell County in central South Carolina...
  West central Bamberg County in central South Carolina...

* Until 745 AM EDT.

* At 714 AM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
  was located near Millett, or 11 miles southwest of Barnwell, moving
  northeast at 55 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 dangerous storm will be near...
  Barnwell around 720 AM EDT.
  Blackville and Barnwell State Park around 730 AM EDT.

Other locations impacted by this tornadic thunderstorm include Olar,
Kline, Snelling, Barnwell County Airport, Hilda, and Govan.

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 3316 8153 3316 8154 3311 8159 3317 8164
      3339 8127 3318 8109 3310 8135
TIME...MOT...LOC 1114Z 242DEG 46KT 3313 8151 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...<.75 IN

$$

MG
2 follow-up statements
367 
WWUS52 KCAE 161127
SVSCAE

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Columbia SC
727 AM EDT Sun Mar 16 2025

SCC009-011-161145-
/O.CON.KCAE.TO.W.0006.000000T0000Z-250316T1145Z/
Barnwell SC-Bamberg SC-
727 AM EDT Sun Mar 16 2025

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 745 AM EDT FOR
SOUTHEASTERN BARNWELL AND WEST CENTRAL BAMBERG COUNTIES...

At 727 AM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located near Barnwell, moving northeast at 55 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 dangerous storm will be near...
  Blackville, Barnwell, and Barnwell State Park around 730 AM EDT.

Other locations impacted by this tornadic thunderstorm include Olar,
Kline, Snelling, Barnwell County Airport, Hilda, and Govan.

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 3339 8127 3318 8109 3310 8135 3318 8151
      3324 8153
TIME...MOT...LOC 1127Z 242DEG 46KT 3320 8136 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...<.75 IN

$$

MG
446 
WWUS52 KCAE 161145
SVSCAE

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Columbia SC
745 AM EDT Sun Mar 16 2025

SCC009-011-161154-
/O.EXP.KCAE.TO.W.0006.000000T0000Z-250316T1145Z/
Barnwell SC-Bamberg SC-
745 AM EDT Sun Mar 16 2025

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR SOUTHEASTERN BARNWELL AND WEST CENTRAL
BAMBERG COUNTIES WILL EXPIRE AT 745 AM EDT...

The storm which prompted the warning has weakened below severe
limits, and has exited the warned area. Therefore, the warning will
be allowed to expire.

A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 200 PM EDT for central South
Carolina.

LAT...LON 3339 8127 3318 8109 3310 8135 3318 8151
      3324 8153
TIME...MOT...LOC 1144Z 242DEG 46KT 3329 8115 

$$

MG

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 16, 5:01 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCAEMcCormick59 min
Mar 16, 5:56 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCAEAiken, Edgefield49 min
Mar 16, 6:15 AM EDTTornado WarningCAEAiken30 min
Mar 16, 6:29 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCAEAiken, Barnwell46 min
Mar 16, 6:31 AM EDTTornado WarningCAEAiken, Edgefield29 min
Mar 16, 6:42 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCAEAiken, Edgefield, Lexington, Newberry, Saluda48 min
Mar 16, 6:55 AM EDTTornado WarningCAEBarnwell24 min
Mar 16, 7:12 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCAEAiken, Bamberg, Barnwell, Orangeburg48 min
Mar 16, 7:25 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCAEAiken, Calhoun, Lexington, Newberry, Orangeburg, Richland and 1 more65 min
Mar 16, 7:39 AM EDTTornado WarningCAEFairfield, Lexington, Newberry, Richland36 min
Mar 16, 7:58 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCAEBamberg, Calhoun, Orangeburg, Richland62 min
Mar 16, 8:39 AM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCAEChesterfield, Kershaw, Lancaster, Lee, Richland66 min
Mar 16, 8:45 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCAEKershaw, Lee, Richland, Sumter60 min
Mar 16, 8:51 AM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCAECalhoun, Clarendon, Sumter54 min
Mar 16, 9:46 AM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCAEBamberg, Calhoun, Clarendon, Orangeburg59 min
Mar 16, 5:59 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCAEChesterfield31 min
Mar 16, 6:22 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCAELexington, Richland38 min
Mar 16, 6:34 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCAELancaster41 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in South Carolina, 2025Every tornado warning in 2025Tornadoes in 2025

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.