A weak trough of low pressure in a rich tropical environment resulted in numerous showers and thunderstorms and localized flooding over southern South Carolina.
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 trough of low pressure in a rich tropical environment resulted in numerous showers and thunderstorms and localized flooding over southern South Carolina.
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 7, 6:37 AM EST, 2 hours 1 minute earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC 737 AM EDT MON JUL 7 2008 .SYNOPSIS... HIGH PRESSURE WILL EXTEND ACROSS THE REGION THROUGH WEDNESDAY. A WEAK COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND BECOME STATIONARY NEAR OR JUST NORTH OF THE REGION THURSDAY. THE FRONT WILL LINGER THROUGH THE WEEKEND. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 PM THIS EVENING/... CUT OFF LOW REMAINS OVER THE OH VALLEY/CNTRL-NRN APPALACHIANS. SOLID SW FLOW AROUND THE BASE OF THIS FEATURE CONTINUES TO PUMP DEEP MOISTURE INTO THE SE STATES AS EVIDENCE BY THE 1.9 PWAT VALUE FROM THE 00Z/07 CHS SOUNDING. LATEST RADAR IMAGERY INDICATES SHOWER/TSTM ACTIVITY IS CONFINED TO THE COASTAL WATERS THIS MORNING. THE PERSISTENT UPPER LOW WILL CONTINUE TO SLOWLY PUSH EWD TODAY TOWARD THE MID-ATLANTIC REGION AND WEAKEN. MEANWHILE...UPPER RIDGING WILL BUILD TO OUR W. SHORTWAVE ENERGY STRETCHING FROM NC INTO GA ON THE E SIDE OF THE LOW WILL LIKELY BE A BIG PLAYER IN TODAY/S WEATHER. THE GFS KEEPS THIS ENERGY OVER THE AREA TODAY AND YIELDS WIDESPREAD PRECIP MUCH OF THE DAY. ON THE OTHER HAND...THE WRF SHIFTS THIS ENERGY TO OUR E DURING THE DAY ALONG WITH THE DEEPEST MOISTURE AND ACTUALLY SHOWS MOST OF THE PRECIP EARLY WITH A RATHER DRY AFTN. THE LOCAL WRF INDICATES COASTAL ACTIVITY IN THE MORNING...THEN SEA BREEZE ACTIVITY INLAND DURING THE AFTN. ALL MODELS INDICATE LOWERING PWATS DURING THE DAY...MORE SO THE WRF. WITH THE LATEST SREF INDICATING HIGH POPS...PREFER TO MAINTAIN CONTINUITY WITH THIS FORECAST...WHICH MEANS LIKELY POPS /60S/. CONSIDERING THE RATHER HIGH PWAT VALUES...THERE COULD BE A TORRENTIAL RAIN AND LOCALIZED FLOODING THREAT FROM SLOW-MOVING STORMS. ANY STRONGER STORMS THAT DEVELOP COULD ALSO PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL. WILL CONTINUE TO HIGHLIGHT THESE HAZARDS IN THE HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK. HIGHS SHOULD PUSH INTO THE UPPER 80S MOST LOCALES AWAY FROM THE COAST...ALTHOUGH MUCH DEPENDS ON THE AMOUNT OF CLOUD COVER/PRECIP. && .SHORT TERM /6 PM THIS EVENING THROUGH 6 PM TUESDAY/... TONIGHT...ANY SHOWER/TSTMS THIS EVE SHOULD DISSIPATE OVERNIGHT...ESPECIALLY WELL INLAND. IT WILL BE ANOTHER WARM AND MUGGY NIGHT WITH LOWS IN THE LOWER/MID 70S. TUESDAY...THE GFS CONTINUES TO BE THE WETTER SOLUTION OVERALL ON TUE MAINLY DUE TO THE FACT THAT IT LEAVES DEEPER MOISTURE OVER OUR FORECAST AREA. THE WRF INDICATES A RATHER DRY START TO THE DAY BEFORE A CLUSTER OF STORMS TO OUR NW DRIFTS SE TOWARD THE AREA LATE IN THE DAY...DRIVEN BY SHORTWAVE ENERGY PUSHING TOWARD THE COAST. KEPT POPS IN THE 30S/40S FOR NOW UNTIL WE SEE MORE DEFINED TRENDS. WITH TEMPS AROUND 90 DEGREES AND DEWPOINTS IN THE MID 70S...THERE WILL BE A CONTINUED RISK FOR PULSE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH DAMAGING WINDS...PENNY SIZE HAIL AND FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. A RISK FOR HEAVY RAIN AND FLASH FLOODING WILL ALSO REMAIN WITH MEAN STORM MOTIONS EXPECTED TO BE LESS THAN 10 KNOTS AND WIND FIELDS FAVORABLE FOR TRAINING/BACK BUILDING UPDRAFTS. WILL MAKE MENTION OF THESE HAZARDS IN THE HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK. && .LONG TERM /TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY/... MODEST UPPER LEVEL TROUGH OVER THE MID ATLC STATES WILL PUSH FURTHER E TUE NIGHT INTO WED WHILE AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE CENTERED IN THE ERN GOMEX DEVELOPS. DURING THIS TRANSITION...A WEAK SFC TROUGH WILL LINGER OVER THE INLAND CAROLINAS THAT WILL WORK WITH THE SEABREEZE TO PRODUCE SCATTERED CONVECTION FOR WED. GIVEN THE LACK OF FORCING SEEN IN PREVIOUS DAYS...HAVE NUDGED POPS BACK DOWN TO THE LOW CHC AREA WITH SUBTROPICAL RIDGING BEGINNING TO TAKE HOLD THAT WILL LIMIT COVERAGE. LIKE PREVIOUS DAYS...PWATS WILL BE IN THE 1.5-2.0 INCH RANGE AND INSTABILITY WILL RUN HIGH...ALTHOUGH SOME MIDLVL DRYING IS POSSIBLE UNDER THE RIDGING SO ISOLD SEVERE TSTMS ARE STILL POSSIBLE ALONG WITH ISOLD MINOR FLOODING DUE TO POOR STEERING CURRENTS. A WEAK UPPER SHORTWAVE WILL PUSH THROUGH THE GREAT LAKES WED INTO WED NIGHT...HELPING BRING A COLD FRONT THROUGH THE OHIO VALLEY TOWARD THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS BUT THIS FRONT WILL STALL OUT AND REMAIN N OF THE AREA THU THROUGH THE WEEKEND. FROM THU THROUGH SUN...THE CENTER OF THE SUBTROPICAL RIDGE WILL SHIFT FROM THE ERN GOMEX TO THE WRN GOMEX...ALLOWING FOR SUBTLE UPPER TROFFING OVER THE E COAST BY THE WEEKEND. WITH INCREASING SFC CONVERGENCE INVOF THE FRONT...A POSSIBLE SFC TROUGH AND THE SEABREEZE ACTING AS CONVECTIVE TRIGGERS FOLLOWED BY ANY RESIDUAL BOUNDARY INTERACTIONS...SCT CONVECTION IS EXPECTED EACH DAY THU THROUGH SUN...MAINLY EACH AFTN AND EVE. COVERAGE IS AGAIN QUESTIONABLE SO WILL KEEP POPS IN THE MID CHC RANGE. MAX TEMPS WILL GENERALLY RUN IN THE LOWER 90S AWAY FROM THE IMMEDIATE COAST WITH MIN TEMPS ARND 70...WHILE MAX TEMPS WILL REACH THE UPPER 80S AND MINS DROP TO THE MID 70S ALONG THE SHORES. GIVEN DEWPOINTS CONTINUING TO RUN IN THE UPPER 60S TO LOWER 70S...HEAT INDEX VALUES BETWEEN 98-103 DEGREES CAN BE EXPECTED AWAY FROM THE COAST THU-SUN. && .AVIATION /12Z MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... THE WIND SENSOR AT THE KCHS ASOS REMAINS OUT OF SERVICE. AMENDMENTS FOR WINDS WILL NOT BE ISSUED FOR THE KCHS TAF UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. KCHS TAFS WILL INCLUDE THE REMARK AMD LTD TO CLD AND VIS UNTIL THE SENSOR IS REPAIRED. WILL INITIALIZE THE 07/12Z TAF SET WITH VFR CONDS ALTHOUGH SEVERAL CLOUD LAYERS ARE VISIBLE AROUND KCHS AND VARIOUS LEVELS ARE BEING REPORTED AT SITES NEAR KSAV. HOWEVER...WITH CONVECTIVE TEMPS IN THE LOW-MID 80S...TCU/CB CLOUDS FOLLOWED BY SHWRS AND TSTMS CAN BE EXPECTED BY 18Z. SIMILAR TO THE PREVIOUS FEW DAYS...PINNING DOWN TIMING/LOCATION OF CONVECTION IS HIGHLY PROBLEMATIC. THUS... HAVE BROUGHT CONDS DOWN TO MINIMAL VFR BY MIDDAY TDA AND KEPT THEM THERE THROUGH EARLY EVE BUT AM HIGHLIGHTING CB MENTION ATTM. LATER TAF ISSUANCES AND AMENDMENTS WILL ADDRESS RADAR TRENDS. BY LATE THIS EVE...CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY SHOULD CEASE AND VFR CONDS WILL PREVAIL OVERNIGHT. EXTENDED AVIATION OUTLOOK...MVFR OR LOWER CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN SHRA/TSRA...MAINLY EACH AFTERNOON/EVENING. OTHERWISE VFR WEATHER WILL PREVAIL. && .MARINE... TODAY THROUGH TUESDAY...LITTLE CHANGE TO THE ONGOING MARINE FORECAST DURING THE SHORT TERM PERIOD. THE COASTAL WATERS WILL REMAIN ON THE WESTERN PERIPHERY OF ATLANTIC HIGH PRESSURE THROUGH TUESDAY. EXPECT A LATE AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING SOUTHERLY WIND SURGE OF 15 TO 20 KT ACROSS THE MARINE ZONES TODAY AND TUE. SEAS WILL RANGE FROM 2 TO 4 FT. TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY...GENERALLY SW-S FLOW WILL PREVAIL OVER THE WATERS FROM THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK THROUGH THE WEEKEND AS ATLC HIGH PRESSURE REMAINS CENTERED OFFSHORE. ASIDE FROM TYPICAL DIURNAL SURGES...ESP WITH THE SEABREEZE... CONDITIONS WILL REMAIN BELOW SCA LEVELS WITH WIND SPEEDS CAPPED AT 15 KNOTS AND SEAS CAPPED AT 4 FT. A WEAK FRONTAL BOUNDARY MAY DRIFT INTO THE WATERS OVER THE WEEKEND...BUT NO SIGNIFICANT EFFECTS ARE EXPECTED. && .CHS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... GA...NONE. SC...NONE. MARINE...NONE. && JPC
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC 414 AM EDT MON JUL 7 2008 AMZ330-350-352-354-374-GAZ087-088-099>101-114>119-137>141-SCZ040- 042>045-047>051-081000- 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 SAVANNAH GA TO ALTAMAHA SOUND GA EXTENDING FROM 20 TO 60 NM-JENKINS-SCREVEN-CANDLER-BULLOCH-EFFINGHAM-TATTNALL-EVANS- INLAND BRYAN-COASTAL BRYAN-INLAND CHATHAM-COASTAL CHATHAM-LONG- INLAND LIBERTY-COASTAL LIBERTY-INLAND MCINTOSH-COASTAL MCINTOSH- ALLENDALE-HAMPTON-INLAND COLLETON-DORCHESTER-BERKELEY-INLAND JASPER- BEAUFORT-COASTAL COLLETON-CHARLESTON-COASTAL JASPER- 414 AM EDT MON JUL 7 2008 ...ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR ATLANTIC COASTAL WATERS...SOUTHEAST GEORGIA AND SOUTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS...THE SEA BREEZE WILL COMBINE WITH UPPER LEVEL ENERGY AND PLENTY OF INSTABILITY TO SUPPORT MORE STRONG THUNDERSTORMS TODAY... ESPECIALLY DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. A FEW STRONGER THUNDERSTORMS MAY PRODUCE GUSTY WINDS...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING AND VERY HEAVY RAIN. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS MAY EVEN BECOME SEVERE...BRIEFLY PRODUCING DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AND LARGE HAIL. FLASH FLOODING...SLOW MOVING THUNDERSTORMS TODAY COULD PRODUCE LOCALIZED RAINFALL AMOUNTS IN EXCESS OF 3 INCHES...POSSIBLY LEADING TO FLASH FLOODING. PEOPLE ACROSS SOUTHERN SOUTH CAROLINA AND SOUTHEAST GEORGIA SHOULD MONITOR WEATHER CONDITIONS THROUGHOUT THE DAY. THIS CAN BE DONE THROUGH NOAA WEATHER RADIO ALL HAZARDS...TV...OR YOUR LOCAL NEWS SOURCE. INFORMATION IS ALSO AVAILABLE ON THE INTERNET AT WEATHER.GOV/CHS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS...THE SEA BREEZE MAY COMBINE WITH UPPER LEVEL ENERGY AND PLENTY OF INSTABILITY TO SUPPORT MORE STRONG THUNDERSTORMS TUESDAY... ESPECIALLY DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. A FEW STRONGER THUNDERSTORMS MAY PRODUCE GUSTY WINDS...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING AND VERY HEAVY RAIN. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS MAY EVEN BECOME SEVERE...BRIEFLY PRODUCING DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AND LARGE HAIL. FLASH FLOODING...SLOW MOVING THUNDERSTORMS TUESDAY COULD PRODUCE LOCALIZED RAINFALL AMOUNTS IN EXCESS OF 3 INCHES...POSSIBLY LEADING TO FLASH FLOODING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED...ESPECIALLY THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. RJB
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC 755 AM EDT MON JUL 7 2008 SCZ049-050-071230- CHARLESTON-COASTAL COLLETON- 755 AM EDT MON JUL 7 2008 ...HEAVY RAIN DEVELOPING ALONG THE CHARLESTON AND COLLETON COUNTY COASTS... AT 755 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN. THESE STORMS WERE LOCATED ALONG A LINE FROM HUNTING ISLAND TO JAMES ISLAND...DRIFTING NORTHEAST AT 5 MPH. RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES CAN BE EXPECTED...WHICH MAY PRODUCE MINOR FLOODING OF LOW LYING AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS. THE RISK FOR FLOODING MAY BECOME ENHANCED IN THE DOWNTOWN CHARLESTON AREA. AREAS IN AND AROUND CHARLESTON...EDISTO ISLAND...FOLLY BEACH...JAMES ISLAND...KIAWAH ISLAND...MOUNT PLEASANT...ROCKVILLE...SEABROOK ISLAND...SULLIVANS ISLAND AND EDISTO BEACH WILL BE IMPACTED THROUGH 815 AM EDT. BE ALERT FOR RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS AS STORMS APPROACH. BE READY TO TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION SHOULD FLOODING BE OBSERVED. 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.
The Charleston,SC radar (KCLX), 65 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 13:36 UTC.
1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Extensive flooding was reported at the Fripp Island Golf Course. Water was also reported to be approaching several homes on Porpoise Drive.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in South Carolina in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in South Carolina, 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: 122642.