The sea breeze in combination with a stalled out cold front in a moist tropical air mass, resulted in showers and thunderstorms which produced heavy rainfall and localized flooding in 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.
The sea breeze in combination with a stalled out cold front in a moist tropical air mass, resulted in showers and thunderstorms which produced heavy rainfall and localized flooding in 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 Aug 3, 2:50 PM EST, 2 hours 5 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC 350 PM EDT MON AUG 3 2009 .SYNOPSIS... A STATIONARY FRONT WEST OF THE AREA WILL DISSIPATE BY MID WEEK...WHILE THE REGION REMAINS BETWEEN THE INLAND SURFACE TROUGH AND ATLANTIC RIDGING. HIGH PRESSURE AT THE SURFACE AND ALOFT WILL THEN STRENGTHEN OVER THE AREA BY THE WEEKEND. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM TUESDAY MORNING/... TO START...DIURNAL SHOWERS/THUNDERSTORMS WILL REMAIN COMMON ACROSS COASTAL SOUTH CAROLINA COUNTIES AND ADJACENT MARINE ZONES...DUE TO THE COMBINATION OF A DIFFERENTIAL HEATING BOUNDARY ADVANCING E/SE...THE SEA BREEZE ATTEMPTING TO PUSH INLAND AGAINST A DEEP LAYER OFFSHORE FLOW AND NEW CONVECTIVE OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES. ACROSS SE GA COUNTIES ALONG/S OF INTERSTATE 16...INCLUDING COASTAL ISLANDS AND ADJACENT MARINE ZONES...SLIGHTLY DEEPER MOISTURE ALONG THE TAIL END OF THE DIFFERENTIAL HEATING BOUNDARY...A DEVELOPING SEA BREEZE AND NEW CONVECTIVE OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES WILL SUPPORT NUMEROUS SHOWERS/THUNDERSTORMS TO START. PWATS 1.8 TO 1.9 INCHES WILL SUPPORT A LOCAL HEAVY RAIN THREAT...ESPECIALLY IN LOCATIONS THAT RECEIVE MULTIPLE SHOWERS/THUNDERSTORMS. MEANWHILE...DUE MAINLY TO MIXED LAYER CAPES ONLY IN THE 1000-2000 J/KG RANGE...THE POTENTIAL FOR PULSE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS REMAINS QUITE LOW THROUGH EARLY EVENING. HOWEVER...IF/WHERE MESOSCALE BOUNDARIES ENHANCED UPDRAFTS DOWNDRAFT CAPES AROUND 1000 J/KG SUGGEST THAT BRIEF/ISOLATED DAMAGING MICROBURSTS CANNOT BE COMPLETELY RULED OUT. ACROSS FAR INLAND COUNTIES...IN THE WAKE OF THE DIFFERENTIAL HEATING BOUNDARY...THE LACK OF A CUMULUS FIELD STRONGLY SUGGESTS THAT DIURNAL SHOWERS/THUNDERSTORMS WILL ONLY OCCUR IF UPSTREAM CONVECTION SURVIVES INTO THE REGION...OR IF THE SEA BREEZE AND/OR OUTFLOW FROM S/E CONVECTION CAN SURGE INLAND THIS EVENING. THUS... LIMITED POPS TO SLIGHT CHANCE WELL INLAND THROUGH EARLY EVENING. ANY DIURNAL CONVECTION SHOULD QUICKLY DISSIPATE THIS EVENING...LEAVING MOSTLY CLEAR/PARTLY CLOUDY SKIES WITH POPS LIMITED TO COASTAL WATERS OVERNIGHT. && .SHORT TERM /6 AM TUESDAY MORNING THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT/... TUESDAY...A WEAKER OFFSHORE FLOW WILL ALLOW THE SEA BREEZE TO DEVELOP AND READILY PUSH INLAND...ESPECIALLY THROUGH SC COUNTIES...DURING THE AFTERNOON. SEA BREEZE CONVERGENCE WILL SUPPORT ISOLATED TO SCATTERED DIURNAL THUNDERSTORMS...WHICH WILL DISSIPATE QUICKLY EARLY TUESDAY EVENING. DUE TO REDUCED CLOUD COVER/PRECIPITATION COVERAGE AS COMPARED TO RECENT DAYS AND SLIGHTLY WARMER 850 MB TEMPS...CREEPING INTO THE 19-20C RANGE...EXPECT HIGH TEMPERATURES IN THE LOWER TO MID 90S AWAY FROM THE IMMEDIATE COAST TUESDAY. && .LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY/... THE SURFACE PATTERN WILL CONTINUE TO BE CHARACTERIZED BY AN INLAND TROUGH AND ATLANTIC HIGH PRESSURE WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY...WHILE ANOTHER WEAK FRONT STALLS ACROSS THE LEE OF THE APPALACHIANS. A DECENT SHORTWAVE WILL TRACK ALONG THE BASE OF THE UPPER TROUGH ON WEDNESDAY AND MOVE DIRECTLY OVER THE FORECAST AREA BY THURSDAY. HAVE INDICATED A CHANCE FOR MAINLY DIURNAL THUNDERSTORMS BOTH DAYS. CONFIDENCE IN THE COVERAGE OF AFTERNOON THUNDERSTORMS IS HIGHEST ON THURSDAY...WHEN PWAT VALUES WILL ONCE AGAIN INCREASE TO AROUND 2 INCHES WITH SUPPORT FROM THE UPPER LEVEL ENERGY. RIDGING ALOFT WILL THEN BUILD STRONGLY FROM THE SOUTH FRIDAY THROUGH THE WEEKEND...WITH THE ATLANTIC SURFACE HIGH ALSO STRENGTHENING WESTWARD. THIS PATTERN SHIFT SHOULD PRODUCE ENOUGH SUBSIDENCE TO LIMIT CONVECTIVE DEVELOPMENT DURING THE WEEKEND. HOWEVER...MEDIUM RANGE MODELS MAINTAIN SOME DEEP MOISTURE OVER THE SOUTHEAST STATES WITHIN A MORE SOUTH TO SOUTHEAST FLOW AND PERSISTENT SHORTWAVE ACTIVITY. GUIDANCE VALUES DO INDICATE A DECREASING POP TREND THROUGH THE LONG TERM PERIOD...AND WOULD THEREFORE PREFER TO MAINTAIN JUST A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY. HAVE INDICATED TEMPERATURES GENERALLY A FEW DEGREES ABOVE SEASONAL NORMALS...ESPECIALLY DURING THE WEEKEND WITH SUCH STRONG RIDGING OVER THE AREA. GUIDANCE VALUES FOR HIGH TEMPERATURES STILL APPEAR TOO COOL CONSIDERING THE PATTERN...AND HAVE DECIDED TO GO ABOVE GUIDANCE IN THE EXTENDED FORECAST. HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL REACH THE MID TO UPPER 90S FAR INLAND SATURDAY AND SUNDAY...WITH LOCALLY COOLER CONDITIONS ALONG THE COAST. && .AVIATION /20Z MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/... EXPECT THUNDERSTORMS IN THE VICINITY OF KSAV AND KCHS INTO EARLY EVENING. THEN...CONDITIONS SHOULD QUICKLY DRY OUT BY 00Z TONIGHT AS A DRYER AIRMASS SHIFTS OVER THE SOUTHEAST. SOUTHWEST WINDS AROUND 10 KNOTS WILL BECOME LIGHT SOUTH WINDS AFTER 00Z TUESDAY. SCT CLOUDS WILL LIKELY REMAIN OVER THE REGION DUE TO THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY SEEN EARLIER IN THE DAY. SOUTHWEST WINDS AROUND 10 KNOTS WILL DEVELOP BY 15Z TUESDAY. CONDITIONS WILL BE DRYER THAN THE PAST FEW DAYS. EXTENDED AVIATION OUTLOOK...RAIN CHANCES WILL BE LOWER THAN PREVIOUS DAYS DURING THE EXTENDED PERIOD...WITH MAINLY VFR CONDITIONS OUTSIDE OF ANY DIURNAL CONVECTION. && .MARINE... WITHIN THIS PERSISTENT PATTERN EXPECT ADDITIONAL NOCTURNAL SURGES OF S/SW WINDS TONIGHT AND AGAIN TUESDAY NIGHT. DURING EACH NIGHT...WINDS WILL REMAIN AT OR BELOW 20 KNOTS...AND SEAS WILL REMAIN 2-3 FT...PERHAPS AS HIGH AS 4-5 FT BEYOND 20 NM. TUESDAY...A WEAKER OFFSHORE FLOW WILL ALLOW A VIGOROUS SEA BREEZE CIRCULATION TO DEVELOP BY EARLY AFTERNOON. THE SUBTROPICAL RIDGE WILL CONTINUE TO EXTEND WEST ACROSS FLORIDA MID WEEK...WHILE THE WEAK INLAND TROUGH REMAINS OVER THE SOUTHEAST STATES. SMALL NOCTURNAL SURGES WILL AGAIN DEVELOP EACH NIGHT...AS LAND BREEZE CIRCULATIONS VEER WINDS AROUND TO THE SOUTHWEST OR EVEN WEST BY EACH MORNING. WIND SPEEDS WILL BE CAPPED AT 15 KT...WITH SEAS UP TO 3 OR 4 FT. RIDGING ACROSS THE ATLANTIC WILL REBUILD WESTWARD FRIDAY INTO THE WEEKEND. TYPICAL SEA BREEZE/LAND BREEZE CIRCULATIONS AND SMALL NOCTURNAL SURGES WILL CONTINUE...WITH PERHAPS A SLIGHT PREFERENCE TOWARD SOUTH-SOUTHEAST WIND DIRECTIONS DURING THE AFTERNOONS. WINDS AND SEAS WILL REMAIN BELOW ANY SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY CONDITIONS. && .CHS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... GA...NONE. SC...NONE. MARINE...NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC 356 AM EDT MON AUG 3 2009 AMZ330-350-352-354-374-GAZ087-088-099>101-114>119-137>141-SCZ040- 042>045-047>051-040900- 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- 356 AM EDT MON AUG 3 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR ATLANTIC COASTAL WATERS...SOUTHEAST GEORGIA AND SOUTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC 244 PM EDT MON AUG 3 2009 SCZ045-031915- BERKELEY- 244 PM EDT MON AUG 3 2009 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL IMPACT EAST CENTRAL BERKELEY COUNTY THROUGH 315 PM EDT... AT 242 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING 1/2 INCH HAIL...AND STRONG WINDS OF 40 TO 50 MPH. THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR BETHERA...OR ABOUT 11 MILES EAST OF MONCKS CORNER...MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH. AREAS IN AND AROUND LIMERICK...CORDESVILLE...BETHERA...HUGER... FAREWELL CORNER...THOMAS CORNER...SHULERVILLE...HALFWAY CREEK...WILL BE IMPACTED THROUGH 315 PM EDT. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... BE ALERT FOR RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS AS STORMS APPROACH. BE READY TO TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION IN CASE A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING IS ISSUED FOR YOUR LOCATION. 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. && JAQ
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC 353 PM EDT MON AUG 3 2009 SCZ050-032015- CHARLESTON- 353 PM EDT MON AUG 3 2009 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL IMPACT NORTHEASTERN CHARLESTON COUNTY THROUGH 415 PM EDT... AT 349 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING PEA SIZE HAIL...AND GUSTY WINDS OF 35 TO 45 MPH. THESE STORMS WERE LOCATED ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM SOUTH SANTEE TO NORTH CHARLESTON...OR ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM MCCLELLANVILLE TO CHARLESTON...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 15 MPH. AREAS IN AND AROUND AWENDAW...SOUTH SANTEE...BUCK HALL...SNOWDEN... REMLEYS POINT...MCCLELLANVILLE...WHITEHALL TERRACE...MOUNT PLEASANT...WILL BE IMPACTED THROUGH 415 PM EDT. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... LIGHTNING CAN STRIKE 15 MILES FROM A THUNDERSTORM WITH LITTLE OR NO WARNING. BEACHES ARE ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS DURING THUNDERSTORMS BECAUSE LIGHTNING WILL USUALLY STRIKE THE TALLEST OBJECT IN THE VICINITY. MOVE OFF BEACHES AND GET IN A STURDY STRUCTURE OR AUTOMOBILE IMMEDIATELY. MANY PEOPLE HAVE BEEN KILLED BY LIGHTNING ON BEACHES IN THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES. BE ALERT FOR RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS AS STORMS APPROACH. BE READY TO TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION IN CASE A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING IS ISSUED FOR YOUR LOCATION. && AJK/JAQ
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC 533 PM EDT MON AUG 3 2009 GAZ118-119-SCZ047-051-032200- COASTAL CHATHAM-COASTAL JASPER-INLAND CHATHAM-INLAND JASPER- 533 PM EDT MON AUG 3 2009 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL IMPACT SOUTH CENTRAL JASPER AND NORTHERN CHATHAM COUNTIES THROUGH 600 PM EDT... AT 533 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING 1/2 INCH HAIL...AND STRONG WINDS OF 40 TO 50 MPH. THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR HAMER...OR ABOUT 7 MILES WEST OF SAVANNAH...MOVING EAST AT 10 MPH. AREAS IN AND AROUND HAMER...SILK HOPE...GARDEN CITY...PORT WENTWORTH...CENTRAL JUNCTION...CHATHAM CITY...ALABAMA JUNCTION... LIBERTY CITY...CLEARVIEW...UNION JUNCTION...WILL BE IMPACTED THROUGH 600 PM EDT. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... THIS THUNDERSTORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN...WHICH MAY FLOOD DITCHES AND LOW-LYING AREAS. REDUCE VEHICLE SPEED TO LOWER THE RISK OF HYDROPLANING. DO NOT DRIVE INTO PLACES WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD. SEEK AN ALTERNATE ROUTE. HAVE AN ACTION PLAN READY IN THE EVENT THIS STORM STRENGTHENS OR A WARNING IS ISSUED. CONTINUE TO MONITOR NOAA WEATHER RADIO ALL HAZARDS FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION. && JAQ
The Charleston,SC radar (KCLX), 64 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:54 UTC.
3 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Law Enforcement reported flooding with cars stalled out in high water at the intersection of East Lathrop Avenue and Augusta Avenue in Savannah, Georgia.
The Chatham County Emergency Manager reported significant and widespread flooding of streets occurring, with some rescues of people from vehicles necessary in Savannah, Georgia. Just east of the Savannah near the intersection of Truman Parkway and Anderson Street, vehicles were floating in flood waters.
The Chatham County Emergency Management Agency reported flooding of the following roadways or intersections in Savannah, Georgia, East Broad and Gwinnett, the 500 Block of River, 37th Street and Burroughs, Gwinnett and West Boundary, Legrand and 33rd Street, Drayton and 35th-36th Streets, Abercorn and Duffy, East Broad and Anderson, the 700 Block of East Henry, Bay and East Broad, Randolph and General McIntosh, President and General McIntosh, Martin Luther King Jr. and Hall, the 800 Block of Anderson, and East Broad and Henry.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Georgia in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in Georgia, August 2009
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: 190550, 190551, 190552.