1 lightning, as filed by the National Weather Service.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Columbia, SC wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 20, 1:24 PM EST, 36 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA SC 224 PM EDT FRI MAY 20 2005 .SHORT TERM (TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY)... COLD FRONT CURRENTLY STRETCHING FROM NORTH CAROLINA INTO TN WILL MOVE SOUTHWARD TO CROSS THE AREA LATE TONIGHT. CATEGORICAL POPS LOOK IN ORDER WITH GOOD LIFT AND UNSTABLE AIRMASS FOR THE REST OF THE AFTERNOON. LARGE HAIL AND WIND DAMAGE WITH SOME STORMS. LIKELY POPS EARLY TONIGHT THEN PRECIP ENDING FROM THE NORTH AFTER MIDNIGHT. FRONT SHOULD BE SOUTH OF THE AREA BY 09Z. SHOWERS SHOULD BE SOUTH OF THE AREA BY 12Z. RIDGE BUILDING IN FROM THE NORTH WITH NORTHEAST WINDS AND BELOW NORMAL TEMPS FOR SATURDAY. WILL SEE CLEARING FROM THE NORTH DURING THE DAY SATURDAY. LOWS IN THE LOW TO MID 50S FOR SATURDAY NIGHT WITH TEMPS A LITTLE BELOW NORMAL FOR SUNDAY. && .LONG TERM (SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY)... UPPER LOW HOLDS OVER THE NORTHEASTERN U.S. THROUGH THURSDAY WITH BROAD TROUGH OVER THE EAST. SURFACE FRONT MOVING THROUGH MONDAY BRINGING A CHANCE OF CONVECTION SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY. SURFACE RIDGE BUILDS IN FOR TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. NEXT FRONT APPROACHES FRIDAY BRINING ANOTHER CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. TEMPS AT OR A LITTLE BELOW TEMPERATURE. && .AVIATION... A COLD FRONT WILL DROP SOUTHWARD INTO THE AREA BY TONIGHT. A STRONG LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE ACROSS THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING PERIODS...UNTIL 00Z. MODERATE INSTABILITY AND SHEAR...SUGGEST POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ESPECIALLY ALONG SAVANNAH RIVER AREA...AGS/DNL. MVFR CEILINGS EXPECTED. FRONT MOVING SOUTH OF AREA AFTER 06Z...MODELS SUGGEST LOW CLOUDINESS BEHIND THE FRONT...WILL FORECAST POSSIBLE IFR CONDITIONS TOWARD 12Z. CEILINGS SLOWLY RISING AFTER TOWARD END OF TAF PERIOD. && .CAE WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... SC...NONE. GA...NONE. && PUBLIC: LM AVIATION: AWP
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA SC 421 AM EDT FRI MAY 20 2005 GAZ040-063>065-077-SCZ015-016-018-020>022-025>031-035>038-041- 210830- LINCOLN-MCDUFFIE-COLUMBIA-RICHMOND-BURKE-LANCASTER-CHESTERFIELD- MCCORMICK-NEWBERRY-FAIRFIELD-KERSHAW-EDGEFIELD-SALUDA-LEXINGTON- RICHLAND-LEE-AIKEN-SUMTER-BARNWELL-ORANGEBURG-CALHOUN-CLARENDON- BAMBERG- 421 AM EDT FRI MAY 20 2005 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE MIDLANDS OF SOUTH CAROLINA AND THE CENTRAL SAVANNAH RIVER AREA.. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH THE AREA FROM THE NORTH TODAY AND TONIGHT. SCATTERED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE. A FEW OF THE STORMS MAY REACH SEVERE LIMITS...WITH WIND GUSTS TO 60 MPH AND PENNY SIZE HAIL. PERIODS OF CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY ARE EXPECTED TODAY INTO TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED LATER TODAY.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA SC 1036 AM EDT FRI MAY 20 2005 SCZ015-016-018-020>022-025>031-035>038-041-GAZ040-063>065- 077-201736- AIKEN-BAMBERG-BARNWELL-BURKE-CALHOUN-CHESTERFIELD-CLARENDON -COLUMBIA-EDGEFIELD-FAIRFIELD-KERSHAW-LANCASTER-LEE-LEXINGTON -LINCOLN-MCCORMICK-MCDUFFIE-NEWBERRY-ORANGEBURG-RICHLAND-RICHMOND -SALUDA-SUMTER- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF AIKEN...AUGUSTA...BISHOPVILLE...COLUMBIA ...LEXINGTON...NEWBERRY...ORANGEBURG...SUMTER... 1036 AM EDT FRI MAY 20 2005 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR THE AUGUSTA AREA IN EFFECT UNTIL 500 PM... ...CLUSTER OF THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN MOVING ACROSS CENTRAL MIDLANDS MOVING EAST... THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE COLUMBIA AREA WILL MOVE EAST TOWARD SUMTER AND CLARENDON COUNTIES THROUGH NOON. EXPECT LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING. THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING IN NORTHWEST GEORGIA WILL MOVE SOUTHEAST AND APPROACH THE CENTRAL SAVANNAH RIVER AREA THIS AFTERNOON. THESE STORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE WITH DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER UPDATES FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. AWP
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA SC 1239 PM EDT FRI MAY 20 2005 SCZ015-016-018-020>022-025>031-035>038-041-GAZ040-063>065- 077-201830- AIKEN-BAMBERG-BARNWELL-BURKE-CALHOUN-CHESTERFIELD-CLARENDON -COLUMBIA-EDGEFIELD-FAIRFIELD-KERSHAW-LANCASTER-LEE-LEXINGTON -LINCOLN-MCCORMICK-MCDUFFIE-NEWBERRY-ORANGEBURG-RICHLAND-RICHMOND -SALUDA-SUMTER- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF AIKEN...AUGUSTA...BISHOPVILLE...COLUMBIA ...LEXINGTON...NEWBERRY...ORANGEBURG...SUMTER... 1239 PM EDT FRI MAY 20 2005 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 300 IN EFFECT FOR THE AUGUSTA AREA UNTIL 500 PM... ...STRONG LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS IN CENTRAL GEORGIA APPROACHING THE CENTRAL SAVANNAH RIVER AREA... NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATES A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IN NORTH CENTRAL GEORGIA MOVING EAST-SOUTHEAST TOWARD THE AUGUSTA AREA...AND PIEDMONT OF SOUTH CAROLINA. THE AIRMASS IS BECOMING MODERATELY UNSTABLE IN THE CENTRAL SAVANNAH RIVER AREA AND SOUTH MIDLANDS. THIS LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS IS EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO THE AUGUSTA METRO AREA BETWEEN 100 PM AND 200 PM. STRONG GUSTY WINDS...POSSIBLY DAMAGING IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH...LARGE HAIL...FREQUENT LIGHTNING...AND BRIEF HEAVY RAIN ARE POSSIBLE. OTHER NUMEROUS STORMS IN THE CENTRAL MIDLANDS WILL MOVE EAST TOWARD THE PEE DEE AND COAST DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS. THESE STORMS WILL PRODUCE BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOURS AND OCCASIONAL LIGHTNING...MAINLY EAST OF COLUMBIA. HOWEVER...THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER MAY DEVELOP IN THE MIDLANDS...AS FAR NORTH AS COLUMBIA AND SUMTER LATE THIS AFTERNOON. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR THE LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. AWP
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA SC
209 PM EDT FRI MAY 20 2005
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0155 PM HAIL 21 W AUGUSTA 33.46N 82.36W
05/20/2005 0.88 INCH COLUMBIA GA EMERGENCY MNGR
COLUMBIA COUNTY REPORTED NICKEL SIZE HAIL
&&
AWPPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA SC
243 PM EDT FRI MAY 20 2005
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0235 PM HAIL AUGUSTA 33.46N 82.00W
05/20/2005 0.88 INCH RICHMOND GA BROADCAST MEDIA
NICKEL SIZE HAIL AND TREES DOWN ON GORDON HWY AND HWY 1,
AS WELL AS DEENS RD, PEACH ORCHARD RD.
0230 PM HAIL AUGUSTA 33.46N 82.00W
05/20/2005 0.88 INCH RICHMOND GA EMERGENCY MNGR
DOWNTOWN AUGUSTA.
&&
DSThe Charleston,SC radar (KCLX), 77 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:58 UTC.
1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
A lightning strike knocked out the airports nondirectional beacon and its weather communications equipment.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in South Carolina in 2005Every state in 2005This day in weather historyWarnings in South Carolina, May 2005
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5450914.