The presence of an area of surface low pressure southwest of the area, an approaching frontal boundary from the northwest, and abundant weak upper level disturbances in a deep tropically moist environment, resulted in heavy rainfall and flash flooding across the area.
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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 episode as NWS CHS wrote it up.
The presence of an area of surface low pressure southwest of the area, an approaching frontal boundary from the northwest, and abundant weak upper level disturbances in a deep tropically moist environment, resulted in heavy rainfall and flash flooding across the area.
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 Charleston, SC wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Sep 1, 9:42 AM EST, 1 hour 17 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC 1042 AM EDT SAT SEP 1 2007 .SYNOPSIS... TODAY INTO TONIGHT...A SURFACE TROUGH WILL PERSIST ACROSS THE REGION...CONNECTING WEAK LOW PRESSURES OVER THE NORTHEAST GULF OF MEXICO AND OVER COASTAL SOUTHEAST GEORGIA. THEN...A COOL FRONT WILL SLIP S AND INTO THE AREA TONIGHT...AND WILL STALL OVER OF JUST S OF THE REGION FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEKEND. THIS STALLED FRONT AND SURFACE LOW PRESSURE CENTERED SOUTHWEST OF THE REGION WILL COMBINE TO PRODUCE UNSETTLED CONDITIONS THROUGH THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND. HIGH PRESSURE WILL THEN BUILD INTO THE REGION FROM THE NORTH BY THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... WEAK LOW PRESSURE OVER SE GA...AN ASSOCIATED SURFACE TROUGH EXTENDING NE FROM THIS FEATURE AND A SHORTWAVE ADVANCING NORTHEAST INTO SE GEORGIA WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT NUMEROUS TO WIDESPREAD SHOWERS/THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH AT LEAST THIS AFTERNOON. RAISED POPS ACCORDINGLY. PWATS 2.1 TO 2.3 INCHES WILL SUPPORT LOCALLY EXCESSIVE RAINFALL. CLOUD COVER WILL HOLD TEMPS IN THE UPPER 70S TO LOWER 80S AT MOST LOCATIONS...LIMITING INSTABILITY AND THE ASSOCIATED THREAT FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR EXTREME SOUTHERN COUNTIES...AS CLOUD COVER COULD THIN HERE...ALLOWING GREATER HEATING/DESTABILIZATION...SETTING UP A DIFFERENTIAL HEATING BOUNDARY AND PERHAPS SUPPORTING BRIEF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH DAMAGING DOWNBURSTS. SURFACE BOUNDARY TO THE N HAD NOT MADE ANY PROGRESS THIS SATURDAY MORNING...THIS FEATURE SHOULD ADVANCE SOUTH INTO THE REGION TONIGHT. WILL CONTINUE ONGOING CHANCE POPS FOR NOW...BUT WILL ASSESS 12Z GUIDANCE...AS CONCERN IS THAT AFTER A BRIEF/DIURNAL LULL IN PRECIP COVERAGE THIS EVENING...THE INTERACTION OF THE ADVANCING COOL FRONT WITH THE TROUGH ALREADY IN PLACE...WEAK SURFACE LOW PRESSURE MAY EVEN STILL REMAIN OVER OR CLOSE TO SE GA...MAY SUPPORT ANOTHER SURGE OF SHOWERS/THUNDERSTORMS OVERNIGHT. && .SHORT TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT/... SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE TO THE NORTH WILL BEGIN TO PUSH AN INLAND WEDGE THROUGH VIRGINIA AND THE CAROLINAS ON SUNDAY. THE SURFACE LOW OVER THE NORTHEASTERN GOMEX WILL BEGIN TO WEAKEN...WHILE THE AXIS OF DEEP MOISTURE MAKES A SLIGHT SHIFT NORTH. SHORTWAVE ENERGY WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE THROUGH THE AREA INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. COMBINED WITH THE PERSISTENT MOISTURE AND FORCING FROM THE LINGERING LOW PRESSURE AND FRONTAL BOUNDARY...EXPECT TO SEE A GOOD CHANCE OF RAIN AND CLOUDS TO CONTINUE SUNDAY AND MONDAY...ESPECIALLY SOUTH OF THE SAVANNAH RIVER. AT THIS POINT HAVE MAINTAINED HIGHEST POPS ON SUNDAY...AS DRIER AIR BEGINS TO PUSH INTO THE AREA FROM THE NORTH MONDAY AFTERNOON. LOCALIZED FLOODING WILL AGAIN BE THE MAIN THREAT WITH DEVELOPING CONVECTION. A FLOOD WATCH MAY STILL BE DEEMED NECESSARY BY SUBSEQUENT SHIFTS...BUT AT THIS TIME CONFIDENCE IN THE TIMING AND LOCATION OF PERSISTENT HEAVY RAIN IS NOT HIGH ENOUGH FOR ISSUANCE. AS A RESULT OF HEAVY RAINFALL AND THICK CLOUD COVER...HIGH TEMPERATURES ON SUNDAY WILL BE SUPPRESSED INTO THE LOWER TO MID 80S. AS CLOUDS AND RAIN CHANCES DECREASE A BIT ON MONDAY...AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES WILL REACH THE UPPER 80S AWAY FROM THE COAST. && .LONG TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... MEDIUM RANGE GUIDANCE IS IN FAIRLY GOOD AGREEMENT THROUGH THE EXTENDED PERIOD THIS AFTERNOON. STALLED OUT FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL REMAIN THE DOMINANT WEATHER FEATURE THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK...BEFORE HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS FROM THE NORTH FOR THE MIDDLE AND LATTER PART OF THE UPCOMING WORK WEEK. EXPECT A RETURN TO MORE TYPICAL DIURNALLY DRIVEN CONVECTION TUE THROUGH FRI...AND WILL KEEP SLGT CHC/LOW CHC POPS GOING THROUGH THE PERIOD. TEMPERATURES THROUGH THE EXTENDED ARE EXPECTED TO RUN NEAR TO SLIGHTLY BELOW CLIMO. && .AVIATION /14Z SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... MORE UNSETTLED WX THIS FCST PERIOD...WITH POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY RAINS AND GUSTY WINDS IN THE STRONGER SHRA AND TSRA...ESP AT KSAV WHERE MOISTURE IS A LITTLE HIGHER AND THEY ARE IN CLOSER PROXIMITY TO LOW PRES. LINGERING PRECIP AND MVFR CONDITIONS AT KCHS WILL EXIT THE AREA BY LATE MORNING. COULD CERTAINLY EXPERIENCE MORE WET WX THIS AFTN INTO TONIGHT...BUT TIMING IF DIFFICULT. THUS WENT WITH CB CLOUDS AND VCSH FROM 15-19Z...FIGURING THAT CONVECTION NOW S OF KNBC OR OTHER CONVECTION THAT FORMS WOULD BE IN THE AREA DURING THAT TIME. THERE IS EVEN LOWER CONFIDENCE AFTER 19Z ON THE TIMING OF PRECIP...THUS WE HAVE CARRIED CB CLOUDS BUT NO MENTION OF PRECIP. LATER TAF ISSUANCES WILL MOST CERTAINLY NEED TO ADD PRECIP...AS WELL AS GO WITH LOWER VSBYS AND/OR CIGS WHEN IT BECOMES MORE APPARENT ON THE TIMING OF SHRA/TSRA. BAND OF MODERATE TO HEAVY SHRA AND ISOLATED TSRA WILL MOVE INTO KSAV EARLY IN THE FCST PERIOD FROM THE S...WITH CONDITIONS LOWERING TO IFR AS IT MOVES THRU. ADDITIONAL BANDS OF CONVECTION WILL DEVELOP AND/OR ADVECT IN THROUGHOUT THE DAY AND INTO TONIGHT...SO HAVE CARRIED 6SM IN -SHRA THE REMAINDER OF THE FCST PERIOD /ALONG WITH CB CLOUDS MUCH OF THE TIME/...FIGURING THAT AMENDMENTS CAN BE USED TO WORK OUT THE UNCERTAINTY ON TIMING OF THE LOWER CONDITIONS. EXTENDED AVIATION OUTLOOK...COULD BE LOOKING AT PROLONGED PERIODS OF MVFR OR IFR CONDITIONS THE REST OF THIS WEEKEND...WITH PWATS 2 TO 2.5 INCHES...STRONG MOISTURE CONVERGENCE AND GOOD LIFT EXPECTED. IMPROVING CONDITIONS EXPECTED BY TUE AND WED. && .MARINE... WEAK LOW PRESSURE NEAR THE SE GA COAST HAD ALTERED WIND FIELDS... WITH THE STRONGEST E/NE WINDS FOCUSED ACROSS N WATERS...AND A WEAKER SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENT ACROSS SOUTHERN WATERS. THUS INTRODUCED A SCSEC HEADLINE INTO THE CHS HARBOR FORECAST...AND HELD OTHER AREAS BELOW HEADLINE CRITERIA THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. AS THE SURFACE COOL FRONT ADVANCES SOUTH TOWARD THE WATERS LATER TODAY...THE SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENT SHOULD TIGHTEN ACROSS SOUTHERN WATERS...SUPPORTING STRONGER WINDS AND BUILDING SEAS. WILL ASSESS 12Z GUIDANCE REGARDING POTENTIAL HEADLINES FOR TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY. LOW OVER THE FL PANHANDLE WILL MOVE LITTLE THRU SUN AS A COOL FRONT TRIES TO WORK ITS WAY INTO AT LEAST THE SC WATERS DURING THIS TIME. EVEN IF THE FRONT IS NOT ABLE TO PROGRESS THAT FAR S...THE HIGH TO THE N WILL CONTINUE TO BRIDGE THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY AND MAINTAIN AN ELY FLOW INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. BETTER PINCHING OF THE PRES GRADIENT LOOKS TO OCCUR OVER THE CENTRAL AND NRN WATERS TONIGHT AND SUN...THUS WE HAVE SLIGHTLY HIGHER WINDS OVER THE THESE WATERS. BY MON OR TUE THE HIGH TO THE N WILL TRY TO SHIFT S TOWARD THE AREA AND THE PRES GRADIENT WILL RELAX. HEAVY RAINS TO CAUSE REDUCED VSBYS TO LESS THAN 1 NM AT TIMES TODAY AND WILL INCLUDE IN THE FCST. RIP CURRENTS...PER STRONGER ONSHORE WINDS...AVERAGING 20-25 MPH ACROSS SC COASTAL WATERS...RAISED THE RIP CURRENT RISK TO MODERATE ACROSS SC TODAY. ONSHORE WINDS DO NOT SUPPORT THE ONGOING MODERATE RISK FOR GA WATERS...BUT THE SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENT SHOULD TIGHTEN AS THE COOL FRONT TO THE NORTH PRESSES TOWARD THE REGION...SO WILL ERR ON THE SIDE OF CAUTION AND WILL MAINTAIN THE MODERATE RISK FOR GA WATERS. ALTHOUGH THE LOCAL RIP CURRENT ANALYSIS IS INDICATING A LOW RISK TODAY WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT CONDITIONS ALONG THE GA BEACHES...WHICH SEEMS TO HAVE THE BEST CHANCE OF EXPERIENCING A PINCHING OF THE PRES GRADIENT. ALTHOUGH THERE WILL BE LITTLE IF ANY SWELL...BASED ON A FCST FROM THE LOCAL WORKSHEET IN THE UPPER END RANGE OF THE LOW RISK FOR SE GA BEACHES...TIDES ARE RUNNING ABOVE PREDICTED LEVELS AND THE WINDS WILL BE MUCH HIGHER THAN RECENT DAYS /APPROACHING 20 MPH/. BASED ON THESE CONDITIONS AND GIVEN THAT IT IS A HOLIDAY WEEKEND /DESPITE THE POOR WX/...WOULD FEEL BETTER GOING WITH A MODERATE RISK FROM TYBEE ISLAND SOUTH TO SAPELO. WILL MAINTAIN LOW RISK ELSEWHERE...AND CLOSELY MONITOR FOR STRONGER WINDS FURTHER N WHICH MAY ENHANCE THE RISK OVER THE SC BEACHES LATER TODAY. AN ENHANCED RISK IS POSSIBLE AGAIN ON SUN...ESP IF WE CAN GET ANY SMALL SWELLS TO DEVELOP. && .TIDES/COASTAL FLOODING... TIDES WERE RUNNING ABOUT 3/10 OF A FOOT ABOVE PREDICTED LEVELS ON CHS HARBOR...AND ABOUT 4/10 OF A FOOT HIGH AT FT PULSASKI. CURRENT TRENDS SUGGEST THAT PEAK TIDE LEVELS BETWEEN 1130 AM AND NOON WILL REMAIN BELOW SHALLOW COASTAL FLOODING CRITERIA. THE NEXT HIGH TIDE AROUND MIDNIGHT WILL ALSO REMAIN BELOW CRITICAL THRESHHOLDS. THUS...THE MAIN CONCERN WILL REMAIN HEAVY RAIN FALLING AROUND THE TIME OF HIGH TIDE TODAY AND TONIGHT...ENHANCING THE LOCAL FLOOD THREAT IN COASTAL AREAS...ESPECIALLY WITHIN CHARLESTON AND SAVANNAH. WITH STRONGER ONSHORE WINDS...SHALLOW COASTAL FLOODING MAY OCCUR AROUND HIGH TIDE EARLY SUN AFTERNOON. THESE CONDITIONS WILL ALSO LEAD TO MINOR BEACH EROSION AROUND THE TIMES OF HIGH TIDE TODAY THRU AT LEAST SUN. WILL MAINTAIN MENTION IN THE HWO. && .CHS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... GA...NONE. SC...NONE. MARINE...NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC 1056 AM EDT SAT SEP 1 2007 GAZ087-088-099>101-114>116-118-137-138-140-SCZ040-042>045-047-021000- JENKINS-SCREVEN-CANDLER-BULLOCH-EFFINGHAM-TATTNALL-EVANS- INLAND BRYAN-INLAND CHATHAM-LONG-INLAND LIBERTY-INLAND MCINTOSH- ALLENDALE-HAMPTON-INLAND COLLETON-DORCHESTER-BERKELEY-INLAND JASPER- 1056 AM EDT SAT SEP 1 2007 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST GEORGIA AND SOUTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. HEAVY RAIN...THUNDERSTORMS MAY PRODUCE LOCALLY EXCESSIVE RAINFALL TODAY. REMAIN ALERT FOR FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS AND FLOOD ADVISORIES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. HEAVY RAIN...THUNDERSTORMS MAY PRODUCE LOCALLY EXCESSIVE RAINFALL SUNDAY. FLOOD WATCHES...FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS OR FLOOD ADVISORIES MAY BE NEEDED. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. GAZ117-119-139-141-SCZ048>051-021000- COASTAL BRYAN-COASTAL CHATHAM-COASTAL LIBERTY-COASTAL MCINTOSH- BEAUFORT-COASTAL COLLETON-CHARLESTON-COASTAL JASPER- 1056 AM EDT SAT SEP 1 2007 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST GEORGIA AND SOUTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA. ...MODERATE RISK OF RIP CURRENTS TODAY... .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. HEAVY RAIN...THUNDERSTORMS MAY PRODUCE LOCALLY EXCESSIVE RAINFALL TODAY. REMAIN ALERT FOR FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS AND FLOOD ADVISORIES. RIP CURRENTS...THERE IS A MODERATE RISK OF RIP CURRENTS ON AREA BEACHES TODAY. REFER TO THE SURF ZONE FORECAST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. COASTAL FLOODING AND BEACH EROSION...THE COMBINATION OF INCREASING ONSHORE WINDS...BUILDING SURF AND PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN MAY PRODUCE LOCALIZED FLOODING IN COASTAL COMMUNITIES...ALONG WITH MINOR BEACH EROSION...ESPECIALLY THROUGH EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. HEAVY RAIN...THUNDERSTORMS MAY PRODUCE LOCALLY EXCESSIVE RAINFALL SUNDAY. FLOOD WATCHES...FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS OR FLOOD ADVISORIES MAY BE NEEDED. RIP CURRENTS...THERE MAY BE AN ENHANCED RISK OF RIP CURRENTS ON AREA BEACHES SUNDAY THROUGH LABOR DAY...DUE TO PERSISTENT ONSHORE WINDS AND SMALL SWELL. COASTAL FLOODING AND BEACH EROSION...THE COMBINATION OF INCREASING ONSHORE WINDS...BUILDING SURF AND PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN MAY PRODUCE SHALLOW COASTAL FLOODING AND MINOR BEACH EROSION THROUGH LABOR DAY...ESPECIALLY AROUND THE TIMES OF HIGH TIDE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. AMZ330-350-352-354-370-374-021000- CHARLESTON HARBOR- WATERS FROM SOUTH SANTEE RIVER TO EDISTO BEACH SC OUT 20 NM- WATERS FROM EDISTO BEACH SC TO SAVANNAH GA OUT 20 NM- WATERS FROM SAVANNAH GA TO ALTAMAHA SOUND GA OUT 20 NM...INCLUDING GRAYS REEF NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY- WATERS FROM SOUTH SANTEE RIVER SC TO SAVANNAH GA EXTENDING FROM 20 NM TO 40 NM- WATERS FROM SAVANNAH GA TO ALTAMAHA SOUND GA EXTENDING FROM 20 TO 60 NM- 1056 AM EDT SAT SEP 1 2007 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR ATLANTIC COASTAL WATERS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. HEAVY RAIN...THUNDERSTORMS MAY PRODUCE VERY HEAVY RAIN TODAY... OCCASIONALLY REDUCING VISIBILITY TO BELOW 1 NM. STRONGER THUNDERSTORMS MAY ALSO PRODUCE WIND GUSTS EXCEEDING 25 KNOTS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. HEAVY RAIN...THUNDERSTORMS MAY PRODUCE VERY HEAVY RAIN SUNDAY... OCCASIONALLY REDUCING VISIBILITY TO BELOW 1 NM. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC
947 AM EDT SAT SEP 01 2007
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0925 AM FLOOD WILMINGTON ISLAND 32.01N 80.98W
09/01/2007 CHATHAM GA EMERGENCY MNGR
HIGH WATER ON PROPERTY ON OMELER LOOP.
&&The Charleston,SC radar (KCLX), 43 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 16:01 UTC.
1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
The Beaufort County Emergency Operations Center reported most of downtown Beaufort was flooded. Additionally, 2 feet of standing water was reported on Highway 21 on St. Helena Island. Sea Island Parkway and Seaside Road were both reported to be closed due to high water.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in South Carolina in 2007Every state in 2007This day in weather historyWarnings in South Carolina, September 2007
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: 59369.