Alert archive / South Carolina / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2025

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 26, NWS Wilmington, NC

May 20, 2025Florence County, Horry County, Marion County, South Carolina

NWS Wilmington, NC issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 20, 2025, 3:48 PM EDT for Florence County, Horry County, Marion County, South Carolina. It was in force for 42 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 20, 2025, 3:48 PM EDT (19:48 UTC)
Expired
May 20, 2025, 4:30 PM EDT
In force
42 min
Issued by
NWS Wilmington, NC
Area
Storm-based polygon
Hail
1.0 in
Wind
60.0 mph

Counties Florence County, SC, Horry County, SC, Marion County, SC

The radar

The Wilmington radar (KLTX), 85 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 19:52 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 nearest sounding before it

Newport, NC (KMHX), launched 12:00Z, 7.8 hours before the alert went out and 242 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, Newport, NC at 12:00Z on 2025-05-20Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Newport, NC at 12:00Z on 2025-05-20The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 42 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
1033 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
44 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
42 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
104 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Wilmington, NC wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at May 20, 3:23 PM EDT, 25 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 20, 3:23 PM EDT, 25 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, May 20, 2:50 PM EDT, 58 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Wilmington NC
250 PM EDT Tue May 20 2025

AMZ250-252-254-256-NCZ087-096-099-105>109-SCZ017-023-024-032-033-039-
055-056-058-059-211900-
Coastal waters from Surf City to Cape Fear NC out 20 nm-
Coastal waters from Cape Fear NC to Little River Inlet SC out 20 nm-
Coastal waters from Little River Inlet to Murrells Inlet SC out
20 nm-
Coastal waters from Murrells Inlet to South Santee River SC out
20 nm-Robeson-Bladen-Columbus-Inland Pender-Coastal Pender-
Inland New Hanover-Coastal New Hanover-Inland Brunswick-Marlboro-
Darlington-Dillon-Florence-Marion-Williamsburg-Inland Georgetown-
Coastal Georgetown-Central Horry-Northern Horry-
250 PM EDT Tue May 20 2025

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for the adjacent Coastal Waters,
southeast North Carolina and northeast South Carolina.

.DAY ONE...This afternoon and tonight.

No hazardous weather is expected at this time.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday.

No hazardous weather is expected at this time.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not expected at this time.

NCZ110-SCZ054-211900-
Coastal Brunswick-Coastal Horry-
250 PM EDT Tue May 20 2025

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for southeast North Carolina and
northeast South Carolina.

.DAY ONE...This afternoon and tonight.

Hazardous weather is not expected at this time.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday.

Moderate rip current risk forecasted for Wednesday.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not expected at this time.

21

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 20, 2:59 PM EDT, 49 minutes before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Wilmington NC
259 PM EDT Tue May 20 2025

SCZ039-055-201930-
Williamsburg SC-Inland Georgetown SC-
259 PM EDT Tue May 20 2025

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT CENTRAL GEORGETOWN AND EAST
CENTRAL WILLIAMSBURG COUNTIES THROUGH 330 PM EDT...

At 259 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near
Oatland, or 12 miles northwest of Georgetown, moving east at 15 mph.

HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 40 mph and half inch hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
         unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to vegetation is
         possible.

Locations impacted include...
Andrews, Rhems, Graves, Oatland, and Warsaw.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

&&

LAT...LON 3345 7961 3359 7956 3360 7925 3337 7937
TIME...MOT...LOC 1859Z 276DEG 12KT 3350 7943

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.50 IN
MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH

SCALORA
Special weather statement, May 20, 3:12 PM EDT, 36 minutes before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Wilmington NC
312 PM EDT Tue May 20 2025

SCZ032-039-202000-
Williamsburg SC-Florence SC-
312 PM EDT Tue May 20 2025

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT SOUTHWESTERN FLORENCE AND
NORTHWESTERN WILLIAMSBURG COUNTIES THROUGH 400 PM EDT...

At 312 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near
Hebron, or 11 miles west of Lake City, moving east at 15 mph.

HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 mph and half inch hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
         unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to vegetation is
         possible.

Locations impacted include...
Lake City, Kingstree, Hebron, Cades, Scranton, Olanta, and
Williamsburg Regional Hospital.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

&&

LAT...LON 3372 7998 3377 8000 3381 7994 3382 7991
      3388 7988 3389 7989 3389 7995 3395 7997
      3398 7991 3395 7970 3364 7979 3368 8000
TIME...MOT...LOC 1912Z 278DEG 12KT 3383 7995

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.50 IN
MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH

SCALORA
Special weather statement, May 20, 3:21 PM EDT, 27 minutes before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Wilmington NC
321 PM EDT Tue May 20 2025

SCZ032-033-202000-
Marion SC-Florence SC-
321 PM EDT Tue May 20 2025

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT SOUTHEASTERN FLORENCE AND WEST
CENTRAL MARION COUNTIES THROUGH 400 PM EDT...

At 321 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near
Pamplico, or 15 miles northeast of Lake City, moving east at 15 mph.

HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 40 mph and half inch hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
         unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to vegetation is
         possible.

Locations impacted include...
Pamplico, Friendfield, Brittons Neck, Gresham, Hyman, and Hannah.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

&&

LAT...LON 3402 7969 3412 7933 3400 7931 3400 7933
      3397 7934 3396 7933 3396 7932 3394 7931
      3393 7932 3393 7931 3392 7931 3391 7930
      3390 7930 3387 7965
TIME...MOT...LOC 1921Z 262DEG 13KT 3397 7952

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.50 IN
MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH

SCALORA

The office that day

Everything else NWS Wilmington, NC issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 20, 7:55 PM EDTBeach Hazards StatementILMNew Hanover, Pender24 hr
May 20, 2:59 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementILMGeorgetown31 min
May 20, 3:12 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementILMWilliamsburg48 min
May 20, 3:21 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementILMMarion39 min
May 20, 3:24 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILMFlorence, Williamsburg28 min
May 20, 3:51 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementILMGeorgetown39 min
May 20, 4:09 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementILMFlorence51 min
May 20, 4:25 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementILMHorry50 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in South Carolina, 2025Every severe thunderstorm warning 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.