The approach of a strong cold front resulted in scattered thunderstorm development across 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.
The approach of a strong cold front resulted in scattered thunderstorm development across 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 Aug 31, 3:33 AM EST, 2 hours 32 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC 433 AM EDT MON AUG 31 2009 .SYNOPSIS... A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE EAST TODAY AND PUSH OFFSHORE LATE IN THE DAY AND OVERNIGHT. THE FRONT WILL THEN STALL OFFSHORE AND LINGER THROUGH THE UPCOMING WEEKEND AS A WEDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS SOUTH ACROSS THE REGION. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 PM THIS EVENING/... THE COLD FRONT EXTENDING JUST WEST OF THE AREA THIS MORNING IS FORECAST TO DROP SE INTO SRN SC AND SE GA THROUGH THE DAY AS A SHORTWAVE ACROSS GA PUSHES TOWARD NC THIS AFTERNOON. THE FRONT WILL BE A FOCUS FOR SHOWERS AND TSTMS. THE TIMING OF THE FRONTAL PASSAGE IS A BIT UNCERTAIN BUT HAVE CHOSEN TO FOLLOW A SLOWER GFS/SREF SOLUTION WHICH BRINGS THE FRONT THROUGH BEGINNING IN LATE AFTERNOON ACROSS WESTERN PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA AND THEN THROUGH OUR FORECAST AREA BY AROUND MIDNIGHT. HAVE KEPT THE HIGHEST POPS ACROSS NWRN PORTIONS OF OUR FORECAST AREA NEAR THE FRONT. NOT CERTAIN THAT HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE MUCH OF A THREAT BASED ON THE LATEST MODEL GUIDANCE BUT WITH PWATS OF 1.75-2 INCHES...WILL LET THE NEXT SHIFT HAVE ANOTHER LOOK. HIGHS SHOULD GET INTO THE MID 80S MOST LOCALES...COOLEST ACROSS NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA. && .SHORT TERM /6 PM THIS EVENING THROUGH 6 AM TUESDAY/... EXPECT THE FRONT TO PUSH OFFSHORE THIS EVENING AS SURFACE HIGH PRES WEDGES DOWN THE COAST FROM THE NORTH...A VERY ATYPICAL PATTERN FOR SUMMER. AGAIN HAVE FOLLOWED MORE OF A GFS SOLUTION WHICH SHOWS DECREASING POPS AS THE DEEPER MOISTURE/LIFT SHIFT OFFSHORE. LOWS WILL DROP INTO THE LOWER 60S WELL INLAND...WITH MID/UPPER 60S ELSEWHERE. HOWEVER... THE BEACHES SHOULD REMAIN IN THE 70S...ESPECIALLY ACROSS SE GA. && .LONG TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... AN UNSEASONABLE AND COMPLICATED SYNOPTIC PATTERN WILL RESULT IN LOWER THAN NORMAL FORECAST CONFIDENCE IN THE LONG TERM PERIOD. MEDIUM RANGE GUIDANCE IS OVERALL IN FAIRLY GOOD AGREEMENT WITH THE LARGE SCALE SYNOPTIC PATTERN...DEPICTING A DEEPENING LONG WAVE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH UPSTREAM OF THE REGION THROUGH THE END OF THE WORK WEEK...WITH HEIGHTS GRADUALLY RISING DURING THE UPCOMING WEEKEND. AT THE SURFACE...A NEARLY STATIONARY FRONT WILL EXTEND FROM OFF THE SOUTHEAST U.S. COAST TO ACROSS THE NORTHERN FLORIDA PENINSULA THROUGH THE WEEKEND WHILE HIGH PRESSURE WEDGES SOUTH ACROSS THE REGION. THERE IS ALSO SOME SUGGESTION THAT CYCLOGENESIS MAY OCCUR ALONG THE FRONT ACROSS THE NORTHEAST GULF OF MEXICO...WITH THE WAVE OF LOW PRESSURE PASSING OFFSHORE ALONG THE FRONT IN THE LATE WEDNESDAY/THURSDAY TIME PERIOD. HOWEVER...MODELS DIFFER WITH REGARDS TO THE STRENGTH AND TIMING OF THIS FEATURE. ALTHOUGH MODEL DIFFERENCES ARE RELATIVELY SMALL...THEY ARE SIGNIFICANT AT TIMES IN TERMS OF THE IMPACT ON SENSIBLE WEATHER. OVERALL...THE FORECAST WILL BE A COMPROMISE BETWEEN THE GFS AND NAM THROUGH MID WEEK...AND THE GFS...CANADIAN AND ECMWF LATER IN THE PERIOD. AS FOR EXPECTED WEATHER CONDITIONS...THE FORECAST WILL REFLECT A CHANCE OF SHOWERS TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY WITH THE GREATEST POTENTIAL OVER COASTAL AREAS...ESPECIALLY ACROSS FAR SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA...CLOSEST TO THE FRONT. THE CHANCE OF SHOWERS MAY ACTUALLY INCREASE OVER THE REST OF THE AREA WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY WHEN THE WAVE OF LOW PRESSURE IS EXPECTED TO PASS OFFSHORE...BUT THE STRENGTH AND TIMING OF THIS LOW WILL BE A BIG FACTOR IN THE COVERAGE OF PRECIPITATION ACROSS THE AREA. A MORE TYPICAL DIURNAL PATTERN WITH A CHANCE OF SHOWERS DURING THE DAY AND SLIGHT CHANCE AT NIGHT IS THEN EXPECTED FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. THUNDERSTORM POTENTIAL DURING THE PERIOD WILL BE RATHER LIMITED GIVEN THE MORE STABLE LOW LEVEL NORTHEAST FLOW IN PLACE. TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO BE SIGNIFICANTLY BELOW NORMAL TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY GIVEN THE WEDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE IN PLACE...BUT MAY BEGIN TO MODERATE FRIDAY AND OVER THE WEEKEND AS HEIGHTS INCREASE OVER THE REGION. && .AVIATION /09Z MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... MAINLY ISOLATED SHOWERS ACROSS THE AREA EARLY THIS MORNING AHEAD OF A SHORTWAVE PUSHING E INTO GA/SC...MAINLY AFFECTING THE KCHS TERM. AROUND DAYBREAK...THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR MVFR OR LOWER CEILINGS/VISIBILITIES BUT THIS COULD BE LIMITED BY MID/HIGH LEVEL CLOUD COVER AND THUS WILL NOT BE MENTIONED ATTM. ALTHOUGH SHOWERS/THUNDERSTORMS CAN REALLY OCCUR AT ANY TIME DURING THE TAF PERIOD...THINK THE BETTER CHANCE WILL COME LATER THIS MORNING THROUGH THE AFTERNOON AS A TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE PUSHES THROUGH DURING PEAK HEATING. HAVE A MENTION OF CBS STARTING AT 15-16Z AT BOTH TAF SITES...AND WITH MORE CONFIDENCE OF PRECIP AT KCHS...HAVE ADDED MENTION OF TSRA FROM 16-18Z FOR THAT TERM. DID NOT CONTINUE MENTION AFTER 18Z DUE TO DIMINISHING CONFIDENCE WITH TIME. EXTENDED AVIATION OUTLOOK...A LOW LEVEL NORTH-NORTHEAST FLOW DUE TO HIGH PRESSURE WEDGING SOUTH ACROSS THE REGION WILL RESULT IN A PROLONGED PERIOD OF LOW CEILINGS TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY WITH MVFR OR LOWER CONDITIONS EXPECTED TO PREVAIL. SCATTERED SHOWERS WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE DURING THIS TIME. GRADUAL IMPROVEMENT IS POSSIBLE DURING THE THURSDAY AND FRIDAY TIME PERIOD...BUT LOW CEILINGS AND SCATTERED SHOWERS MAY PERSIST RESULTING IN MVFR OR LOWER CONDITIONS AT TIMES. && .MARINE... TODAY...A VERY LIGHT WIND REGIME IS ANTICIPATED TODAY AS A WEAK COLD FRONT MOVES CLOSE TO THE AREA. COULD SEE A BIT OF ENHANCEMENT ALONG THE LAND/SEA INTERFACE AS THE SEA BREEZE DEVELOPS...BUT WINDS GENERALLY LOOK TO REMAIN 5-10 KT WITH SEAS 1-2 FT. TONIGHT...TRICKY FORECAST TONIGHT AS THE MODELS DIFFER WITH RESPECT TO THE PRES GRAD THAT DEVELOPS LATE AS THE WEAK COLD FRONT SHIFTS OFFSHORE AND HIGH PRES MOVES IN FROM THE N. HAVE FOLLOWED A CONSERVATIVE APPROACH FOR NOW...BUT EVEN IF THE SURGE IS STRONGER THAN CURRENTLY FORECAST...WE SHOULD NOT HAVE TO DEAL WITH ANY HEADLINES. TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY...CONDITIONS WILL DETERIORATE OVER THE COASTAL WATERS TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. A STALLED FRONTAL BOUNDARY JUST EAST OF THE WATERS AND A WEDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE INLAND WILL RESULT IN A RATHER TIGHT SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENT WHICH COULD CAUSE NORTH-NORTHEAST WINDS TO INCREASE SIGNIFICANTLY. THERE IS SOME MODEL DIFFERENCES WITH THE NAM SHOWING MUCH MORE OF A SURGE THAN THE GFS...SO CONFIDENCE IN HOW STRONG THE WINDS WILL GET IS RATHER LOW. HOWEVER...SINCE MODELS TEND TO BE TOO WEAK IN NORTHEAST FLOW EVENTS...HAVE LEANED MORE TOWARD THE NAM SOLUTION. WHILE THE NAM WOULD SUGGEST SOLID SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY CONDITIONS FOR NEARLY ALL WATERS...WILL CAP WINDS AT 20 KT AND SEAS AT 5 FT FOR NOW. A WAVE OF LOW PRESSURE MAY PASS OFFSHORE ALONG THE STALLED FRONT LATE WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY...SHIFTING THE FLOW MORE NORTHERLY AND WEAKENING THE GRADIENT JUST SLIGHTLY. IMPROVING CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED FOR FRIDAY. && .CHS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... GA...NONE. SC...NONE. MARINE...NONE. && RJB/JAQ
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC 412 AM EDT MON AUG 31 2009 AMZ330-350-352-354-374-GAZ087-088-099>101-114>119-137>141-SCZ040- 042>045-047>051-010900- 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- 412 AM EDT MON AUG 31 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 238 AM EDT MON AUG 31 2009 SCZ049-050-310715- CHARLESTON-COASTAL COLLETON- 238 AM EDT MON AUG 31 2009 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL IMPACT SOUTHWESTERN CHARLESTON AND SOUTHEASTERN COLLETON COUNTIES THROUGH 315 AM EDT... AT 237 AM 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 FENWICK...OR ABOUT 12 MILES NORTHWEST OF EDISTO BEACH...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH. AREAS IN AND AROUND FENWICK...ADAMS RUN...HOLLYWOOD...RAVENEL...WILL BE IMPACTED THROUGH 315 AM 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. && JAQ
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC 618 AM EDT MON AUG 31 2009 SCZ043>045-050-311045- BERKELEY-CHARLESTON-DORCHESTER-INLAND COLLETON- 618 AM EDT MON AUG 31 2009 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL IMPACT CENTRAL CHARLESTON...NORTHEASTERN COLLETON...DORCHESTER AND WESTERN BERKELEY COUNTIES THROUGH 645 AM EDT... AT 615 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SMALL HAIL...AND GUSTY WINDS OF 35 TO 45 MPH. THESE STORMS WERE LOCATED ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM SAINT GEORGE TO 6 MILES WEST OF SLANDS BRIDGE...MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH. AREAS IN AND AROUND TEXAS...NORMAN LANDING...SAINT GEORGE...INDIAN FIELD...GIVHANS...ROSINVILLE...SLANDS BRIDGE...DORCHESTER...COOKE CROSSROADS...WILL BE IMPACTED THROUGH 645 AM EDT. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... FREQUENT CLOUD-TO-GROUND LIGHTNING CAN BE EXPECTED. IF TIME PERMITS...UNPLUG COMPUTERS...TELEVISION SETS...CABLE MODEMS AND OTHER HOME APPLIANCES AS THEY ARE SUSCEPTIBLE TO POWER SURGES AND MAY BE DAMAGED BY NEARBY LIGHTNING STRIKES. 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. &&
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC 659 AM EDT MON AUG 31 2009 SCZ044-045-050-311130- BERKELEY-CHARLESTON-DORCHESTER- 659 AM EDT MON AUG 31 2009 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL IMPACT CENTRAL CHARLESTON...SOUTHEASTERN DORCHESTER AND SOUTH CENTRAL BERKELEY COUNTIES THROUGH 730 AM EDT... AT 658 AM 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 LINCOLNVILLE...OR ABOUT OVER SUMMERVILLE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH. AREAS IN AND AROUND LINCOLNVILLE...STALLSVILLE...COLLEGE PARK... LADSON...DRIGGERSTOWN...OAKATEE...MOUNT HOLLY...ARARAT... STRAWBERRY...WILL BE IMPACTED THROUGH 730 AM EDT. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... FREQUENT LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS THUNDERSTORM. IF OUTDOORS...STAY AWAY FROM ISOLATED TALL OBJECTS. IF INDOORS...STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS AND DOORS. AVOID USING PLUMBING AND ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES UNLESS IT IS AN EMERGENCY. 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), 97 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 11:04 UTC.
2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A trained weather spotter reported a tree down on Interstate 26, near Ladson, South Carolina.
A National Weather Service Damage Survey Team evaluated damage which occurred at Charleston Southern University, near College Park, South Carolina. The survey teams findings included, three large trees and numerous large tree limbs were blown down and an air conditioning unit sustained structural damage. The damage path was estimated to be a half mile long and a quarter mile wide. Damage was consistent with a downburst with winds estimated to be between 60 and 70 mph.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in South Carolina in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in South Carolina, 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: 191892, 191893.