Severe convection developed along a lee side trough across the Midlands of South Carolina and central Georgia, then shifted east into the forecast area during the afternoon and evening as a potent upper level disturbance crossed the area. This convection interacted with the sea breeze (which happened to be pinched rather close to the coast) allowing for additional intensification closer to the…
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
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The episode as NWS CHS wrote it up.
Severe convection developed along a lee side trough across the Midlands of South Carolina and central Georgia, then shifted east into the forecast area during the afternoon and evening as a potent upper level disturbance crossed the area. This convection interacted with the sea breeze (which happened to be pinched rather close to the coast) allowing for additional intensification closer to the coast.
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 Jun 11, 2:58 PM EST, 2 hours 22 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC 358 PM EDT THU JUN 11 2009 .SYNOPSIS... A SURFACE TROUGH WILL LINGER OVER THE INLAND CAROLINAS...WHILE DEEP RIDGING FROM THE GULF OF MEXICO PERSISTS THROUGH TONIGHT. THE UPPER RIDGE WILL RETROGRADE SOUTHWEST FRIDAY INTO MONDAY...ALLOWING A SERIES OF UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES TO BRUSH THE REGION DURING THIS TIME FRAME. HIGH PRESSURE ALOFT MAY RESTRENGTHEN BY THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM FRIDAY MORNING/... SFC ANALYSIS PUTS A WEAK LEE SIDE TROUGH JUST W OF THE CHS CWFA WHILE HIGH PRES CENTERED SW OF THE AREA SHIFTS FURTHER AWAY. ALOFT...A SMALL BUBBLE RIDGE IS SHIFTING OFFSHORE WHILE A POTENT UPPER LEVEL SHORTWAVE DISTURBANCE PUSHES E THROUGH THE NRN GULF COAST STATES AROUND THE MAIN RIDGE OVER THE GOMEX. THIS SHORTWAVE WILL BE A KEY PLAYER FOR SHWR/TSTM POTENTIAL THIS EVENING. SEVERAL SHORT- RANGE MODELS /WRF...NAM AND RUC/ ALL DEPICT THIS SHORTWAVE CONTINUING TO PROGRESS E INTO SRN NC AND NRN SC. THIS DISTURBANCE IS HELPING USHER A DEVELOPING LINE OF RAIN/TSTMS OVER THE LOWER APPALACHIANS...AND THIS LINE SHOULD SURVIVE WITHIN THE PLENTIFUL SFC INSTABILITY AND MOISTURE TO LAST INTO THE EVENING HOURS IN THE CAROLINAS. RUN TO RUN PERSISTENCE OF THE RAPID-REFRESH RUC MODEL INDICATES THAT THIS LINE WILL MOVE INTO THE NRN TIER OF COUNTIES AROUND SUNSET OR SHORTLY THEREAFTER. BECAUSE THE LOSS OF DAYTIME HEATING MAY WEAKEN THIS LINE...TIMING IS DIFFICULT TO PIN DOWN BUT CONFIDENCE IS ENOUGH TO MAINTAIN 30/40 POPS FOR THE NRN TIER OF COUNTIES FOR THIS EVE...TRENDING DOWN TO A DRY FCST GOING S. SOME OF THESE STORMS MAY BE STRONG TO SEVERE AND THERE ARE SEVERE TSTM WATCHES AND WARNINGS UPSTREAM ASSOCIATED WITH THIS ACTIVITY. A DRY FCST IS IN PLACE FOR ALL AREAS THROUGH THE EARLY MORNING HOURS WITH LOWS AGAIN IN THE UPR 60S/LWR 70S AWAY FROM THE COAST AND MID 70S NEAR THE SHORES. ANY AREAS THAT RECEIVE RAINFALL MAY BE SUBJECT TO FOG DEVELOPMENT DURING THE PREDAWN HOURS UNDER THE INVERSION. SINCE CONFIDENCE IS LOW REGARDING PRECIP PLACEMENT THIS EVENING...WILL OMIT FOG MENTION AND LET NEXT SHIFT AND RADAR TRENDS DETERMINE IF NEEDED. && .SHORT TERM /6 AM FRIDAY MORNING THROUGH 6 PM FRIDAY/... BY EARLY FRIDAY...THE SFC TROUGH WILL BE SHOVED OFFSHORE WHILE A WAVY SFC FRONT EXTENDING FROM SRN NY THROUGH WRN VA INTO ERN TN. ALOFT...THE MAIN SHORTWAVE WILL BE OFFSHORE WHILE THE FLOW BECOMES PREDOMINANTLY ZONAL AS THE MAIN RIDGE OVER THE GOMEX RETROGRADES FURTHER S. LOW PRES DEVELOPING ALONG THE SFC FRONT WILL HELP NUDGE THE WAVY FRONT FURTHER S AND E INTO THE CAROLINAS BY LATE DAY. WITH SEVERAL MID AND UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES EXPECTED TO RIDE E WITHIN THE PROGRESSIVE FLOW...ANOTHER DAY OF SCT AFTN CONVECTION CAN BE EXPECTED. THE WARM/HUMID AIRMASS WILL REMAIN IN PLACE AND CONVECTIVE PARAMETERS WILL VARY LITTLE FROM WHAT HAS BEEN EXPERIENCED OVER THE PAST FEW DAYS. ONE POSSIBLE LIMITING FACTOR MAY BE THE LACK OF GOOD INLAND PENETRATION OF THE SEABREEZE... WHICH LOOKS TO BE PINNED CLOSER TO THE COAST WITHIN THE WLY FLOW. THAT BEING SAID...BANDS OF DEEPER MOISTURE WITHIN POCKETS OF PVA ASSOCIATED WITH THE UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES SHOULD HELP SPARK SHWRS/TSTMS. WILL AGAIN ADVERTISE LOW CHC POPS DUE TO HIGHLY UNCERTAIN COVERAGE AND FOCUS MAINLY ON THE AFTN HOURS AS THE CAP SHOULD HOLD IN PLACE THROUGH THEN. THERE IS A SMALL CHC OF ISOLD STRONG TO SEVERE TSTMS TOMORROW. SPC HIGHLIGHTS THE AREA IN ITS DAY 2 OUTLOOK AND THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR AN UPGRADE TO A SLGT RISK FOR TMRW. TEMPS WILL AGAIN RUN ABOVE NORMAL...WITH HIGHS IN THE LOW-MID 90S EXPECTED AWAY FROM THE COAST AND MID 80S NEAR THE SHORES. THIS WILL AGAIN PUSH HEAT INDEX VALUES NEAR THE 100-DEGREE MARK. && .LONG TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY/... CONVECTION MAY WELL IN ONGOING FRI EVE INTO FRI NIGHT AS THE SFC FRONT MOVES CLOSER TO THE AREA AND A MODEST LONGWAVE TROUGH FORMS OVER THE AREA. THIS WILL ALLOW FOR SHWRS/TSTMS TO STREAM IN FROM THE W AND BECOME ENHANCED WITHIN DEEPER MOISTURE AND BETTER CONVERGENCE IN THE EVENING. ACTIVITY MAY ALSO CONTINUE INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS...BUT CONFIDENCE IS NOT HIGH ENOUGH TO STRAY FROM THE IDEA THAT THE LOSS OF DAYTIME HEATING AND THE INVERSION HELPING SQUELCH ACTIVITY BEYOND MIDNIGHT. MIN TEMPS WILL AGAIN RUN WARM...IN THE UPR 60S/LWR 70S INLAND TO THE MID 70S NEAR THE COAST. THE AFOREMENTIONED FRONT WILL SLOWLY MEANDER S TWD THE CHS CWFA OVER THE WEEKEND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK...BUT ITS PROGRESS WILL BE MITIGATED BY A PREDOMINANTLY ZONAL FLOW WHICH WILL HAVE NUMEROUS SHORTWAVE DISTURBANCES RIDING ALONG IT. THESE DISTURBANCES COMBINED WITH THE SEABREEZE...DEEP MOISTURE AND CONTINUED HIGH INSTABILITY WILL MAKE FOR A WARM/HUMID AIRMASS WITH PERIODS OF SHWRS/TSTMS. COVERAGE AGAIN LOOKS TO BE LIMITED EACH DAY...SO HAVE KEPT POPS NO HIGHER THAN 30 PERCENT. HOWEVER...THERE REMAINS THE POSSIBILITY OF ISOLD HEAVY RAIN AND/OR STRONG TSTMS EACH DAY SAT THROUGH MON. THE FRONT MAY TRY TO PROGRESS THROUGH THE AREA TUE...BUT THE RESIDUAL RIDGE TO THE S LOOKS TO BLOCK ITS FORECAST AND CONTINUE A SIMILAR FORECAST FOR THE MIDDLE PORTION OF NEXT WEEK. THE INCREASED CLOUD COVER AND PERIODIC SHWR/TSTM COMPLICATIONS ALONG WITH SLIGHTLY LOWER THICKNESSES WILL MAKE FOR TEMPERATURES CLOSE TO NORMAL ALONG WITH POPS NO HIGHER THAN 30 PERCENT. && .AVIATION /19Z THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED AT BOTH CHS AND SAV TERMINALS THROUGH THE FIRST 24 HOURS. A SEABREEZE WILL PUSH THROUGH BOTH TERMINALS THIS AFTERNOON. WEST WINDS WILL BECOME SOUTHERLY AS THIS OCCURS. WILL MAINTAIN CB AT BOTH TERMINALS THIS AFTERNOON AS CONDITIONS REMAIN MOIST AND HOT. WINDS WILL BECOME LIGHT FROM THE SOUTHWEST OVERNIGHT. WEST WINDS BETWEEN 5 TO 10 KNOTS WILL DEVELOP BY NOON FRIDAY. EXTENDED AVIATION OUTLOOK...VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL OUTSIDE OF ANY CONVECTIVE CORES. SHALLOW GROUND FOG MAY REDUCE VISIBILITIES DURING THE EARLY MORNING HOURS. && .MARINE... WHILE THE MID AND UPPER LEVEL RIDGE WILL FLATTEN ACROSS THE AREA TONIGHT AND FRIDAY...THE LOW LEVEL AND SURFACE RIDGE WILL MOVE LITTLE THROUGH SATURDAY AS IT REMAINS ACROSS THE GULF OF MEXICO...FLORIDA AND THE SW ATLANTIC. MEANWHILE...A SURFACE TROUGH OVER THE SE STATES WILL SHIFT INTO OR NEAR THE NEARBY LAND AREAS FROM TIME TO TIME DURING THIS TIME...WHILE THE COASTAL WATERS REMAIN ON THE NORTHERN AND NW PERIPHERY OF THE ATLANTIC RIDGE. DURING EARLY NEXT WEEK THE LOW LEVEL RIDGE WILL BUILD NORTHWARD FROM THE GULF OF MEXICO...AS THE FLOW ALOFT VEERS TO NW. THIS MAY ALLOW FOR A WEAK COLD FRONT TO MAKE AN ATTEMPT TO GET INTO OR NEAR THE LOCAL WATERS BY TUESDAY. WINDS THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS WILL GO THROUGH A TYPICAL CYCLE OF SHIFTING BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN WEST AND SOUTH...WITH FLUCTUATIONS IN WIND SPEEDS. WESTERLY WINDS OF LESS THAN 10 KT EACH MORNING WILL BECOME SOUTHERLY AT LESS THAN 15 KT EACH AFTERNOON AND EVENING WITH THE SEA BREEZE CIRCULATION. WINDS WILL THEN SHIFT TO SOUTHWEST WITH SMALL SURGES THROUGH ABOUT 08-09Z...BEFORE DROPPING OFF AND VEERING TO WEST BY DAYBREAK THROUGH MONDAY. SEAS WILL BE A COMBINATION OF SMALL 1-2 FOOT SWELLS...WITH WIND WAVES OF 1 TO OCCASIONALLY 3 FEET. THIS RESULTS IN COMBINED SEAS OF NO HIGHER THAN 3 OR 4 FT INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE IS SHOWN IN THE FORECAST AND GRIDS AS ALL THE MEDIUM RANGE FORECAST GUIDANCE SUGGESTS IT WILL OCCUR NEXT TUESDAY. GIVEN THE TIME OF YEAR...CLIMATOLOGY WOULD SUGGEST IT WILL HAVE A HARD TIME MOVING THROUGH THE LOCAL WATERS. BUT GIVEN THE AMPLIFIED RIDGE BUILDING NORTHWARD FROM THE GULF...THE NW FLOW ON ITS EAST AND NE SIDE MAY VERY WELL ALLOW FOR AN UNUSUAL LATE SEASON COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE. && .CHS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... GA...NONE. SC...NONE. MARINE...NONE. && 8/33
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC 430 AM EDT THU JUN 11 2009 GAZ087-088-099>101-114>119-137>141-SCZ040-042>045-047>051-120830- 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- 430 AM EDT THU JUN 11 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST GEORGIA AND SOUTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP ACROSS THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON AND INTO THIS EVENING. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE...PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL. THE HIGHEST POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL MAINLY BE ALONG AND WEST OF A LINE STRETCHING FROM JENKINS COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST GEORGIA...THROUGH HAMPTON AND COLLETON COUNTIES IN SOUTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA...TO BERKELEY AND NORTHERN CHARLESTON COUNTIES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. AMZ330-350-352-354-374-120830- 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- 430 AM EDT THU JUN 11 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR ATLANTIC COASTAL WATERS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC
108 PM EDT THU JUN 11 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0945 PM TSTM WND GST PINEVILLE 33.43N 80.03W
06/10/2009 M59 MPH BERKELEY SC OFFICIAL NWS OBS
THE PINEVILLE OBSERVATION EQUIPMENT RECORDED A 59 MPH
WIND GUST AT 945 PM.
&&
DPBSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC 527 PM EDT THU JUN 11 2009 GAZ087-112215- JENKINS- 527 PM EDT THU JUN 11 2009 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL IMPACT JENKINS COUNTY THROUGH 615 PM EDT... AT 527 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING 1/2 INCH HAIL...AND GUSTY WINDS OF 35 TO 45 MPH. THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR HERNDON...OR ABOUT 12 MILES WEST OF MILLEN...MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH. AREAS IN AND AROUND EMMALANE...HERNDON...MILLEN AND PERKINS WILL BE IMPACTED THROUGH 615 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. &&
The Charleston,SC radar (KCLX), 86 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:19 UTC.
6 hail, 4 thunderstorm wind, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
A trained weather spotter reported penny size hail and numerous tree limbs down in Millen, Georgia.
A trained weather spotter reported penny size hail on Quail Road, 8 miles east-southeast of Sylvania, Georgia.
The public reported quarter size hail in Millen, Georgia.
The public reported dime to penny size hail and numerous tree limbs down in Cobbtown, Georgia.
Law Enforcement reported trees down on the roof of a house and quarter size hail along Highway 121 at the Candler and Tattnall County line.
Law Enforcement reported trees and power lines down in the Old Groveland area of Nevils, Georgia.
Law Enforcement reported a tree down along State Route 17 in Guyton, Georgia.
A trained weather spotter reported trees down across Goshen Road near Rincon, Georgia.
Law Enforcement reported several homes were struck by lightning and started on fire.
A trained weather spotter reported nickel size hail in Riceboro, Georgia.
Law Enforcement reported nickel size hail in Riceboro, Georgia.
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, June 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: 183880, 183886, 183890, 183899, 183911, 183922, 183919, 183925, 183915, 183909, 183908.