A weak cold front in combination with the sea breeze, resulted in numerous strong to severe thunderstorms across southern South Carolina and southeast Georgia.
Every event with a place to put it. 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 episode as NWS CHS wrote it up.
A weak cold front in combination with the sea breeze, resulted in numerous strong to severe thunderstorms across southern South Carolina and southeast Georgia.
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 Jul 27, 2:44 PM EST, 2 hours 36 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC 344 PM EDT SUN JUL 27 2008 .SYNOPSIS... ATLANTIC HIGH PRESSURE WILL REMAIN WELL OFFSHORE. A WEAK SURFACE TROUGH WILL LINGER ACROSS INLAND AREAS THROUGH MUCH OF NEXT WEEK. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM MONDAY MORNING/... THERE HAS BEEN A SLOW START TO CONVECTION THIS AFTERNOON DUE TO SIGNIFICANT MID-LEVEL WARMING TO OVERCOME. A VIGOROUS SHORTWAVE CONTINUES TO DROP INTO NC/SC BUT HAS INITIATED SURPRISINGLY LITTLE CONVECTION THUS FAR. THE SEABREEZE SHOULD BE THE MAIN DRIVER FOR CONVECTION THROUGH THE EARLY EVENING WITH PERHAPS A BIT MORE ACTIVITY INLAND DUE TO THE APPROACHING SHORTWAVE. WILL DROP EVENING POPS INTO THE 30-40 PCNT RANGE. ACTIVITY SHOULD TAPER OFF LATE THIS EVENING WITH ONLY AN ISOLATED SHOWER OR STORM LATE. MID AND UPPER LEVELS CONTINUE TO DRY OUT THUS THE TOTAL SKY COVER SHOULD DECREASE THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS WITH MAINLY CU AND STRATOCU SLOWLY THINNING. INLAND LOWS SHOULD DROP TOWARD 70 DEGREES WITH INCREASING VALUES TOWARD THE COAST. && .SHORT TERM /6 AM MONDAY MORNING THROUGH 6 PM MONDAY/... 700 MB RIDGE AXIS WILL NUDGE EAST ON MONDAY WITH LOW-LEVEL THICKNESS VALUES INCREASING BY ABOUT 20 METERS. A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN MID AND UPPER LEVEL MOISTURE SHOULD RESULT IN A LARGE DECREASE IN CLOUD COVER TO START THE DAY. MAINLY SCATTERED TO BROKEN CUMULUS EXPECTED WHICH WILL HAVE LESS OF A NEGATING EFFECT ON HIGH TEMPS. HIGHS SHOULD TOP OUT IN THE MID TO UPPER 90S. SOME OF THE DRIER AIR MOVING IN JUST ABOVE THE SURFACE WILL MIX DOWN DURING THE AFTERNOON...BRINGING SURFACE DEWPOINTS OVER INLAND AREAS CLOSER TO 70. THE AFTERNOON SEABREEZE SHOULD BE THE MAIN DRIVER OF CONVECTION SINCE THERE WILL BE LITTLE IN THE WAY OF UPPER ENERGY TO WORK WITH. WILL MAINTAIN HIGHEST CHANCES OVER SOUTHEAST GA WHERE THETA-E VALUES WILL BE HIGHER. DO NOT ANTICIPATE HEAT ADVISORY CONCERNS ALTHOUGH HEAT INDICES COULD APPROACH 105 IN A FEW SPOTS DURING THE AFTERNOON. && .LONG TERM /MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY/... MEDIUM RANGE GUIDANCE IS IN GENERALLY GOOD AGREEMENT THROUGHOUT THE EXTENDED PERIOD THIS AFTERNOON...WITH SOME DIFFERENCES NOTED WITH REGARDS TO AMPLITUDE OF UPPER TROUGH NEXT WEEKEND. ATLANTIC HIGH PRESSURE WILL REMAIN THE DOMINANT WEATHER FEATURE MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT...AND THIS SHOULD LIMIT COVERAGE OF ANY SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY. WILL CARRY SLIGHT CHANCE OR LOW CHANCE POPS FOR AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING SEA BREEZE CONVECTION WITH DRY CONDITIONS ANTICIPATED AT NIGHT. A COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH THE REGION FROM THE NORTHWEST THURSDAY...THEN STALL OUT NORTH OF THE REGION THROUGH THE UPCOMING WEEKEND. WILL GENERALLY CARRY CHANCE POPS DURING THE AFTERNOON/EVENING HOURS THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY...WITH SLIGHT CHANCE POPS OVERNIGHT. TEMPERATURES WILL RUN NEAR TO SLIGHTLY ABOVE CLIMO THROUGH THE EXTENDED PERIOD. HEAT INDICES WILL FLIRT WITH 105 DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY...AND WILL CONTINUE TO MENTION THIS IN THE HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK. && .AVIATION /20Z SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... MAIN CONCERN WITH THIS ISSUANCE IS TIMING THE EXPECTED CONVECTION THIS AFTERNOON. ACTIVITY EXPECTED TO INCREASE IN COVERAGE FROM 18Z ON SO MAINTAINED TEMPO AT BOTH SITES FOR TSRA DURING THE LATTER HALF OF THE AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING. ACTIVITY SHOULD BE TAPERING OFF DURING THE MID EVENING HOURS WITH PARTIAL CLEARING OVERNIGHT. PRECIP CHANCES FOR MON LOOK LOWER THAN TODAY WITH SOME DRIER AIR MOVING IN. HOWEVER ISOLATED STORMS ARE POSSIBLE IN THE LATTER HALF OF THE DAY. EXTENDED AVIATION OUTLOOK...MORE OF THE SAME WITH CONVECTION BEING THE MAIN CULPRIT FOR ANY IFR CONDITIONS THAT OCCUR. AS USUAL...THERE COULD BE SHORT PERIODS OF MVFR VSBYS EACH MORNING WHEN THE WINDS DIE DOWN...ESPECIALLY IF RAIN HAS FALLEN THE NIGHT BEFORE. && .MARINE... ATLANTIC HIGH PRESSURE WILL HOLD STRONG OVER THE WATERS THROUGH FRIDAY...RESULTING IN A GENERALLY SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST FLOW OVER THE WATERS. TYPICAL SEA BREEZE ENHANCEMENT AND NOCTURNAL SURGING EFFECTS CAN BE EXPECTED EACH DAY/NIGHT RESPECTIVELY...BUT WINDS AND SEAS SHOULD REMAIN BELOW HEADLINE THRESHOLDS. && .CHS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... GA...NONE. SC...NONE. MARINE...NONE. && JRL/JRJ
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
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC 412 PM EDT SUN JUL 27 2008 GAZ099>101-114>116-272100- BULLOCH-CANDLER-EFFINGHAM-EVANS-INLAND BRYAN-TATTNALL- 412 PM EDT SUN JUL 27 2008 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL IMPACT NORTHWESTERN BRYAN...SOUTHERN BULLOCH...CENTRAL EFFINGHAM...SOUTHEASTERN CANDLER...NORTHEASTERN TATTNALL AND EVANS COUNTIES THROUGH 500 PM EDT... AT 409 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING GUSTY WINDS OF 35 TO 45 MPH. THESE STORMS WERE LOCATED ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 11 MILES NORTH OF PEMBROKE TO 8 MILES NORTHWEST OF CLAXTON...MOVING EAST AT 12 MPH. AREAS IN AND AROUND BELLVILLE...BLITCHTON...BROOKLET...CLAXTON... DAISY...DENMARK...EGYPT...GEORGIA SOUTHERN...GROVELAND...GUYTON... HAGAN...LEEFIELD...MANASSAS...MARLOW...NEVILS...PEMBROKE...PINEORA... REGISTER...RINCON...SHAWNEE...SPRINGFIELD AND STILSON WILL BE IMPACTED THROUGH 500 PM EDT. THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN...WHICH MAY FLOOD DITCHES AND LOW-LYING AREAS. AVOID FLOOD PRONE AREAS AND DO NOT DRIVE INTO PLACES WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD. PLEASE CONTACT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHARLESTON TOLL FREE AT 1-888-383-2024 IF YOU OBSERVE SEVERE WEATHER SUCH AS HAIL...DOWNED TREES...LIMBS AND POWER LINES.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC 431 PM EDT SUN JUL 27 2008 SCZ045-050-272115- BERKELEY-CHARLESTON- 431 PM EDT SUN JUL 27 2008 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL IMPACT NORTHEASTERN CHARLESTON AND EAST CENTRAL BERKELEY COUNTIES THROUGH 515 PM EDT... AT 429 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING GUSTY WINDS OF 35 TO 45 MPH. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED NEAR BUCK HALL...OR ABOUT 7 MILES WEST OF MCCLELLANVILLE...MOVING EAST AT 10 MPH. AREAS IN AND AROUND AWENDAW...MCCLELLANVILLE...CENTENARY AND HONEY HILL WILL BE IMPACTED THROUGH 515 PM EDT. THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN...WHICH MAY FLOOD DITCHES AND LOW-LYING AREAS. AVOID FLOOD PRONE AREAS AND DO NOT DRIVE INTO PLACES WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD. PLEASE CONTACT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHARLESTON TOLL FREE AT 1-888-383-2024 IF YOU OBSERVE SEVERE WEATHER SUCH AS HAIL...DOWNED TREES...LIMBS AND POWER LINES.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC 435 PM EDT SUN JUL 27 2008 SCZ048-051-272115- BEAUFORT-COASTAL JASPER- 435 PM EDT SUN JUL 27 2008 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL IMPACT CENTRAL JASPER AND SOUTHWESTERN BEAUFORT COUNTIES THROUGH 515 PM EDT... AT 434 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING GUSTY WINDS OF 35 TO 45 MPH. THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR BLUFFTON...OR ABOUT 8 MILES WEST OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND...MOVING EAST AT 9 MPH. AREAS IN AND AROUND BLUFFTON...FOLLY FIELD...HILTON HEAD ISLAND... PARRIS ISLAND...PORT ROYAL AND HILTON HEAD AIRPORT WILL BE IMPACTED THROUGH 515 PM EDT. THIS THUNDERSTORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN...WHICH MAY FLOOD DITCHES AND LOW-LYING AREAS. AVOID FLOOD PRONE AREAS AND DO NOT DRIVE INTO PLACES WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD. PLEASE CONTACT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHARLESTON TOLL FREE AT 1-888-383-2024 IF YOU OBSERVE SEVERE WEATHER SUCH AS HAIL...DOWNED TREES...LIMBS AND POWER LINES.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC 501 PM EDT SUN JUL 27 2008 GAZ100-101-272145- BULLOCH-EFFINGHAM- 501 PM EDT SUN JUL 27 2008 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL IMPACT EAST CENTRAL BULLOCH AND EFFINGHAM COUNTIES THROUGH 545 PM EDT... AT 458 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING 1/2 INCH HAIL...AND GUSTY WINDS OF 35 TO 45 MPH. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED NEAR TUSCULUM...OR ABOUT OVER SPRINGFIELD...MOVING EAST AT 6 MPH. AREAS IN AND AROUND EGYPT...GUYTON...LEEFIELD...MARLOW...PINEORA... SPRINGFIELD...STILLWELL AND STILSON WILL BE IMPACTED THROUGH 545 PM EDT. THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN...WHICH MAY FLOOD DITCHES AND LOW-LYING AREAS. AVOID FLOOD PRONE AREAS AND DO NOT DRIVE INTO PLACES WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD. PLEASE CONTACT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHARLESTON TOLL FREE AT 1-888-383-2024 IF YOU OBSERVE SEVERE WEATHER SUCH AS HAIL...DOWNED TREES...LIMBS AND POWER LINES.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC 550 PM EDT SUN JUL 27 2008 GAZ118-SCZ047-048-051-272230- BEAUFORT-COASTAL JASPER-INLAND CHATHAM-INLAND JASPER- 550 PM EDT SUN JUL 27 2008 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL IMPACT SOUTHERN JASPER...NORTH CENTRAL CHATHAM AND SOUTHWESTERN BEAUFORT COUNTIES THROUGH 630 PM EDT... AT 548 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING 1/2 INCH HAIL...AND STRONG WINDS OF 45 TO 55 MPH. THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR LEVY...OR ABOUT 11 MILES NORTH OF SAVANNAH. THIS STORM WAS NEARLY STATIONARY. AREAS IN AND AROUND BLUFFTON...HARDEEVILLE...PRITCHARDVILLE... PURYSBURGH...MONTEITH AND PORT WENTWORTH WILL BE IMPACTED THROUGH 630 PM EDT. FREQUENT LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS THUNDERSTORM. IF OUTDOORS...STAY AWAY FROM ISOLATED HIGH OBJECTS. IF INDOORS...STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS AND DOORS. AVOID USING TELEPHONES UNLESS IT IS AN EMERGENCY. THIS THUNDERSTORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN...WHICH MAY FLOOD DITCHES AND LOW-LYING AREAS. AVOID FLOOD PRONE AREAS AND DO NOT DRIVE INTO PLACES WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD. PLEASE CONTACT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHARLESTON TOLL FREE AT 1-888-383-2024 IF YOU OBSERVE SEVERE WEATHER SUCH AS HAIL...DOWNED TREES...LIMBS AND POWER LINES.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC
603 PM EDT SUN JUL 27 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0510 PM TSTM WND DMG 3 W BLUFFTON 32.24N 80.91W
07/27/2008 BEAUFORT SC NEWSPAPER
ONE TREE DOWN. POSSIBLE CAUSE OF A PROPANE GAS LEAK.
&&
JRLThe Charleston,SC radar (KCLX), 67 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:22 UTC.
3 thunderstorm wind, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Law enforcement reported a tree down near the intersection of York Street and Abercorn Street in downtown Savannah, Georgia.
Several power lines were reported down in Savannah, Georgia.
A tree was reported down near the intersection of Martin Road and Highway 17, 8 miles east-southeast of Hinesville, Georgia.
Law enforcement reported flooding at the intersections of 65th Street and Abercorn Street, Victory Street and Bull Street, and Louisville Road and Lathrop Avenue in Savannah, Georgia.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Georgia in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Georgia, July 2008
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: 123930, 123931, 123932, 123929.