A cold front pushed southward into the region and when combined with the sea breeze and an upper level disturbance, resulted in scattered thunderstorm development 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 cold front pushed southward into the region and when combined with the sea breeze and an upper level disturbance, resulted in scattered thunderstorm development 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 Jun 16, 6:34 PM EST, 46 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC 734 PM EDT TUE JUN 16 2009 .SYNOPSIS... A COLD FRONT WILL PUSH THROUGH THE REGION TONIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY. THE FRONT WILL STALL AND DISSIPATE SOUTH OF THE REGION BY LATE WEEK...AND AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE WILL BUILD INTO THE AREA LATE WEEK INTO THIS WEEKEND. A COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH THE AREA LATE IN THE WEEKEND OR EARLY NEXT WEEK. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM WEDNESDAY MORNING/... MOST OF THE MCS WHICH PRODUCED SCATTERED WIND DAMAGE REPORTS DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING HAD SURGED OFFSHORE AND WEAKENED. HOWEVER...ADDITIONAL ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO FIRE ALONG THE WESTERN OUTFLOW OF THIS FEATURE...ESPECIALLY ALONG THE SAVANNAH RIVER AND PERHAPS DEEPER INTO SE GA...THIS EVENING. MEANWHILE...ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS WERE FIRING ALONG/AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT FROM THE MIDLANDS THROUGH THE UPSTATE...AND THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE PROGRESSING SE. THUS...AT LEAST SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO PUSH INTO THE REGION...ESPECIALLY INTO SC...WELL INTO THE NIGHT AS THE COLD FRONT ADVANCES S INTO THE REGION. MAINTAINED ONGOING CHANCE POPS ACROSS THE NORTHERN 1/2 OF THE FORECAST AREA OVERNIGHT. WILL ALSO CONTINUE TO MONITOR PROGRESS OF AN MCS FARTHER NW...PUSHING INTO THE CENTRAL APPALACHIANS. IF THIS FEATURE HOLDS TOGETHER...ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS COULD PUSH THROUGH OR JUST NORTH OF NORTHERN COUNTIES LATE TONIGHT. FOR NOW...MAINTAINED SLIGHT CHANCE TO CHANCE POPS ACROSS THE NORTHERN 1/2 OF THE FORECAST AREA OVERNIGHT. && .SHORT TERM /6 AM WEDNESDAY MORNING THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT/... THE SURFACE COLD FRONT WILL PUSH SOUTH OF THE ALTAMAHA RIVER WEDNESDAY...PUSHING A SHALLOW/SLIGHTLY COOLER AIRMASS INTO THE REGION. HOWEVER...SIGNIFICANT DRYING IS NOT EXPECTED...AND DESPITE INCREASED CLOUD COVER WARMING/DESTABILIZATION AND ADDITIONAL SHORTWAVES EMBEDDED WITHIN THE NW FLOW ALOFT WILL SUPPORT ANOTHER ROUND OF DIURNAL SHOWERS/THUNDERSTORMS...WHICH WILL INITIATE NEAR THE SEA BREEZE AND ALONG ANY DIFFERENTIAL HEATING/RESIDUAL OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES ACROSS THE REGION. ACROSS SE GA...EXPECT AN INCREASED POTENTIAL FOR THUNDERSTORMS AS COMPARED TO THE PAST COUPLE OF DAYS. THURSDAY HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL RANGE FROM THE MID TO UPPER 80S FAR NORTH TO THE LOWER 90S SOUTH. THICKER CLOUD COVER COULD HOLD TEMPERATURES A FEW DEGREES LOWER THAN EXPECTED...ESPECIALLY ACROSS NORTHERN COUNTIES. WEDNESDAY NIGHT...EXPECT ANOTHER ROUND OF DIURNAL WEAKENING/ DISSIPATION OF SHOWERS/THUNDERSTORMS. HOWEVER...12Z GUIDANCE CONTINUES TO SUGGEST THE POTENTIAL FOR ADDITIONAL/NOCTURNAL CONVECTION TO SPILL E/SE INTO OR JUST N OF N COUNTIES OVERNIGHT...THUS MAINTAINED SLIGHT CHANCE POPS THERE. ALSO...WITH A LIGHT FLOW REGIME/AMPLE LOW LEVEL MOISTURE WITHIN THE REMNANTS OF THE SHALLOW POST FROPA AIRMASS...STRATUS/FOG COULD DEVELOP OVERNIGHT. && .LONG TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... A HOT AND HUMID WEEKEND IS IN STORE AS HIGH PRESSURE AT THE SURFACE AND ALOFT BUILD INTO THE AREA. TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO BE IN THE MID TO UPPER 90S FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. HEAT INDEXES NEAR 105 EXPECTED FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. HPC AND ECMWF ARE IN AGREEMENT WITH KEEPING THIS FEATURE OVER US EARLY IN THE WEEKEND THEN BRINGING IN A COLD FRONT AND STALLING OVER THE AREA MON. 12Z RUN OF GFS AND NAM ARE PUSHING THE COLD FRONT THROUGH OVER THE WEEKEND BUT DUE TO THIS AIRMASS COMING IN...BELIEVE THIS WILL BE HARD TO DO AND HAVE GONE WITH THE ECMWF. DO NOT WANT TO MAKE ANY SIGNIFICANT CHANGES AT THIS TIME AS ITS ON THE FIRST RUN OF THIS SOLUTION. HAVE CONTINUED SLIGHT CHANCE TO CHANCE POPS ESPECIALLY DURING THE AFTERNOON THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK. && .AVIATION /00Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... AT KCHS...THUNDERSTORMS HAD PUSHED S/E OF THE TERMINAL TUESDAY EVENING...BUT ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING UPSTREAM AND COULD PUSH IN TO THE REGION TONIGHT. MAINTAINED A MENTION OF CBS UNTIL MIDNIGHT...BUT SIGNIFICANT FORECAST ADJUSTMENTS WILL BE REQUIRED IF UPSTREAM THUNDERSTORMS HOLD TOGETHER TO PUSH INTO THE REGION. MEANWHILE...A COLD FRONT WILL PUSH THROUGH KCHS TONIGHT. UPSTREAM TUESDAY MORNING...IFR/MVFR CEILINGS WERE COMMON...AND THE SHALLOW/MOIST POST FROPA AIRMASS SHOULD SUPPORT STRATUS AND LIGHT FOG. MAINTAINED IFR CEILINGS AND MVFR VISIBILITY DURING THE 10Z- 14Z TIME FRAME. THEN...WITH WARMING...EXPECT IMPROVEMENT THROUGH MVFR TO VFR CEILINGS WEDNESDAY...ALTHOUGH TIMING OF IMPROVEMENT REMAINS IN DOUBT. THEN...THE POTENTIAL FOR CONVECTION JUSTIFIES A MENTION OF CBS STARTING AT 16Z AND ENDING BY 21Z WEDNESDAY. AT KSAV...THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING ALONG OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES WILL IMPACT TERMINAL THIS EVENING. EXPECT AMENDMENTS AS NECESSARY TO ADDRESS NEAR TERM FORECAST TRENDS. THEN...IN THE WAKE OF COLD FROPA LATE TONIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING...A PERIOD OF MVFR OR LOWER CONDITIONS REMAIN POSSIBLE...FOLLOWED BY A RETURN TO VFR CONDITIONS WEDNESDAY. MEANWHILE...THE POTENTIAL FOR THUNDERSTORMS AT KSAV APPEARS SUFFICIENT TO INCLUDE AT LEAST A MENTION OF CBS STARTING AT 16Z. EXTENDED AVIATION OUTLOOK...LOW LEVEL MOISTURE AND/OR LINGERING CONVECTION MAY PRODUCE MVFR CONDITIONS WED NIGHT. MAINLY VFR CONDITIONS SHOULD PREVAIL AT BOTH KSAV/KCHS WITH DIMINISHED CHANCES FOR SHOWERS AND TSTMS LATE WEEK INTO SAT. && .MARINE... INTO THIS EVENING...A WEAK PRESSURE PATTERN WILL PERSIST OVER THE COASTAL WATERS. THEN...AS HIGH PRESSURE OVER NEW ENGLAND EXPANDS...A COLD FRONT WILL ADVANCE THROUGH THE WATERS OVERNIGHT INTO EARLY WEDNESDAY. IN THE WAKE OF THIS COLD FRONT...WINDS WILL TURN TOWARD THE N/NE AND WILL INCREASE...TO 10-15 KNOTS WITHIN NEARSHORE WATERS AND TO 15-20 KNOTS BEYOND 20 NM BY EARLY WEDNESDAY. THESE STRONGER WINDS WILL PUSH SEAS INTO THE 2-4 FT RANGE. AFTER THE INITIAL SURGE OF N/NE WINDS...THE SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENT SHOULD GRADUALLY RELAX...ALLOWING E/NE WINDS TO DIMINISH AND SEAS TO SUBSIDE WEDNESDAY NIGHT. HOWEVER...IF OFFSHORE LOW PRESSURE REMAINS IN PLACE AS SUGGESTED BY THE NAM...N/NE WINDS MAY BECOME A BIT STRONGER THAN EXPECTED...PERHAPS APPROACHING SCA THRESHOLDS BEYOND 20 NM...AND THESE STRONGER WINDS/ELEVATED SEAS COULD PERSIST THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT. FAIRLY TRANQUIL CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE FOR THE COASTAL WATERS THROUGH THE EXTENDED. WINDS WILL BE A BIT OF A CHALLENGE LATE IN THE WEEK WITH THE LOCATION OF THE BOUNDARY. WINDS AND SEAS WILL REMAIN UNDER SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY AT THIS TIME. && .CHS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... GA...NONE. SC...NONE. MARINE...NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC 745 PM EDT TUE JUN 16 2009 AMZ330-350-352-354-374-GAZ087-088-099>101-114>119-137>141-SCZ040- 042>045-047>051-171000- 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- 745 PM EDT TUE JUN 16 2009 ...SLIGHT CHANCE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TONIGHT... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR ATLANTIC COASTAL WATERS...SOUTHEAST GEORGIA AND SOUTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS...ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE TONIGHT...PRODUCING BRIEF DAMAGING WIND GUSTS EXCEEDING 60 MPH AND HAIL THE SIZE OF PENNIES OR LARGER. ANY THUNDERSTORM MAY ALSO PRODUCE TORRENTIAL RAINFALL AND LOCALIZED FLOODING. THE GREATEST POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE WEATHER AND HEAVY RAIN WILL OCCUR BEFORE MIDNIGHT. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO ALL HAZARDS OR LOCAL MEDIAL OUTLETS FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. HAZARDOUS HEAT...HOT AND HUMID CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY WITH HEAT INDICES IN EXCESS OF 105 DEGREES POSSIBLE. HEAT ADVISORIES COULD EVENTUALLY BE REQUIRED. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER GROUPS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR POSSIBLE ACTIVATION TONIGHT.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC
740 PM EDT TUE JUN 16 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0739 PM HAIL 2 W HARDEEVILLE 32.29N 81.11W
06/16/2009 M1.50 INCH JASPER SC TRAINED SPOTTER
&&PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC
744 PM EDT TUE JUN 16 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0739 PM HAIL 1 E BLUFFTON 32.24N 80.84W
06/16/2009 E1.75 INCH BEAUFORT SC PUBLIC
HAIL UP TO GOLFBALL SIZE OBSERVED NEAR MOSS CREEK.
&&
JPCSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC 746 PM EDT TUE JUN 16 2009 GAZ116-138-170015- INLAND BRYAN-INLAND LIBERTY- 746 PM EDT TUE JUN 16 2009 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL IMPACT CENTRAL LIBERTY AND CENTRAL BRYAN COUNTIES THROUGH 815 PM EDT... AT 745 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SMALL HAIL...AND GUSTY WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH. THIS STORM WAS LOCATED 7 MILES NORTHWEST OF DANIEL...OR ABOUT 9 MILES NORTHWEST OF RICHMOND HILL...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 15 MPH. AREAS IN AND AROUND RICHMOND HILL AND DANIEL WILL BE IMPACTED THROUGH 815 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. &&
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC
751 PM EDT TUE JUN 16 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0735 PM HAIL 2 ESE BLUFFTON 32.23N 80.83W
06/16/2009 E1.75 INCH BEAUFORT SC TRAINED SPOTTER
QUARTER TO GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL OBSERVED. WINDS ESTIMATED
40 TO 50 MPH.
&&
JPCPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC
809 PM EDT TUE JUN 16 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0745 PM TSTM WND DMG BLUFFTON 32.24N 80.86W
06/16/2009 BEAUFORT SC PUBLIC
1 TREE DOWN IN BACKYARD OF RESIDENCE ALONG LAKESIDE DR.
&&
JPCPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC
818 PM EDT TUE JUN 16 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0815 PM HAIL PORT WENTWORTH 32.15N 81.18W
06/16/2009 E0.50 INCH CHATHAM GA TRAINED SPOTTER
SPOTTER REPORTED PEA TO DIME SIZE HAIL AT INTERSECTION OF
I-95 AND GA HWY 21.
&&
JRLThe Charleston,SC radar (KCLX), 72 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:20 UTC.
4 hail, 4 thunderstorm wind, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
The public reported dime to nickel size hail lasting for 2 to 3 minutes on Wilmington Island, Georgia.
The public reported several trees and power lines down in the front yard of their residence, 1 mile east of Savannah, Georgia.
The public reported penny size hail 10 miles south-southeast of Townsend, Georgia.
Law Enforcement reported that lightning struck a transformer and started a fire along Nash Avenue in Savannah, Georgia.
A trained weather spotter reported dime to penny size hail and frequent lightning in downtown Savannah, Georgia.
Law Enforcement reported a tree down on a vehicle on Wilmington Island Road.
The public reported a tree down on a house 5 miles northeast of Riceboro, Georgia.
Law Enforcement reported nickel size hail and large limbs down at the City Hall in Midway, Georgia.
Law Enforcement reported trees down on the E.B. Cooper Highway near 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: 184698, 184701, 184700, 184705, 184703, 184708, 184711, 184706, 184712.