Alert archive / South Carolina / Tornado Warnings in 2025

Tornado Warning 9, NWS Columbia, SC

May 30, 2025Chesterfield County, Lancaster County, South Carolina

NWS Columbia, SC issued this tornado warning at May 30, 2025, 3:45 PM EDT for Chesterfield County, Lancaster County, South Carolina. It was in force for 30 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
May 30, 2025, 3:45 PM EDT (19:45 UTC)
Expired
May 30, 2025, 4:15 PM EDT
In force
30 min
Issued by
NWS Columbia, SC
Area
Storm-based polygon
Tornado
Radar indicated
Hail
0.75 in

Counties Chesterfield County, SC, Lancaster County, SC

The radar

The Columbia radar (KCAE), 103 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 19:48 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
May 30, 12:54 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC (KGSO), launched 12:00Z, 7.8 hours before the alert went out and 158 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, Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC at 12:00Z on 2025-05-30Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 7 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, Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC at 12:00Z on 2025-05-30The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -6 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
7 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-53 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
633 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
39 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-6 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
67 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

159 
WFUS52 KCAE 301945
TORCAE
SCC025-057-302015-
/O.NEW.KCAE.TO.W.0009.250530T1945Z-250530T2015Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Columbia SC
345 PM EDT Fri May 30 2025

The National Weather Service in Columbia has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Central Lancaster County in central South Carolina...
  Northwestern Chesterfield County in central South Carolina...

* Until 415 PM EDT.

* At 344 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
  was located over Andrew Jackson State Park, or near Lancaster,
  moving east at 35 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...
  Buford around 350 PM EDT.

Other locations impacted by this tornadic thunderstorm include Camp
Creek Fire Station, Taxahaw, Unity Fire Station, Arrowood Estates,
Tradesville, and High Point Fire Station.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW! If you are outdoors, in a mobile home, or in a
sturdy building immediately.

&&

LAT...LON 3482 8079 3482 8047 3481 8042 3465 8044
      3477 8087 3487 8086 3488 8079
TIME...MOT...LOC 1944Z 277DEG 31KT 3481 8079

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

$$

BC
1 follow-up statement
364 
WWUS52 KCAE 301959
SVSCAE

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Columbia SC
359 PM EDT Fri May 30 2025

SCC025-057-302015-
/O.CON.KCAE.TO.W.0009.000000T0000Z-250530T2015Z/
Lancaster SC-Chesterfield SC-
359 PM EDT Fri May 30 2025

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 415 PM EDT FOR CENTRAL
LANCASTER AND NORTHWESTERN CHESTERFIELD COUNTIES...

At 359 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located near Buford, or 8 miles northeast of Lancaster, moving
east at 35 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...
  Buford around 405 PM EDT.

Other locations impacted by this tornadic thunderstorm include Camp
Creek Fire Station, Taxahaw, Unity Fire Station, Arrowood Estates,
Tradesville, and High Point Fire Station.

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 3482 8079 3482 8047 3481 8042 3465 8044
      3477 8087 3479 8086
TIME...MOT...LOC 1959Z 276DEG 30KT 3480 8065 

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

$$

HC

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 30, 2:12 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCAEMcCormick48 min
May 30, 2:53 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCAEEdgefield, McCormick, Saluda52 min
May 30, 3:18 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCAELancaster42 min
May 30, 3:27 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCAENewberry48 min
May 30, 3:34 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCAEAiken, Edgefield, Lexington, McCormick, Newberry, Richland and 1 more41 min
May 30, 4:10 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCAEAiken, Barnwell, Calhoun, Lexington, Orangeburg, Richland50 min
May 30, 4:24 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCAELancaster51 min
May 30, 4:28 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCAEChesterfield47 min
May 30, 4:33 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatCAECalhoun, Clarendon, Orangeburg, Richland, Sumter42 min
May 30, 4:34 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryCAEAiken, Edgefield88 min
May 30, 4:44 PM EDTTornado WarningCAECalhoun, Clarendon, Sumter31 min
May 30, 4:46 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCAEBamberg, Barnwell, Orangeburg44 min
May 30, 4:51 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCAEBarnwell39 min
May 30, 5:04 PM EDTTornado WarningCAEClarendon26 min
May 30, 5:14 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatCAECalhoun, Clarendon, Orangeburg, Sumter46 min
May 30, 5:40 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCAEBamberg, Orangeburg50 min
May 30, 6:23 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCAELancaster22 min
May 30, 6:48 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCAELancaster42 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.