South Carolina, 2009

Damaging Wind in South Carolina, March 28, 2009

March 28, 2009 · NWS CHS · 1 event in 1 county or zone

The combination of a stalled out warm front through the area and the approach of a strong cold front, resulted in numerous strong to severe thunderstorms across southern South Carolina and southeast Georgia.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$5,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS CHS wrote it up.

The combination of a stalled out warm front through the area and the approach of a strong cold front, resulted in numerous strong to severe thunderstorms across southern South Carolina and southeast Georgia.

What forecasters said that day

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 Mar 28, 12:58 PM EST, 1 hour 32 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 28, 12:58 PM EST, 1 hour 32 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Mar 28, 12:43 PM EST, 1 hour 47 minutes before
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In the hours before

Special weather statement, Mar 28, 10:50 AM EST, 3 hours 40 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Mar 28, 11:45 AM EST, 2 hours 45 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Mar 28, 1:06 PM EST, 1 hour 24 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Mar 28, 1:41 PM EST, 49 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC
241 PM EDT SAT MAR 28 2009

SCZ040-042-043-281915-
ALLENDALE-HAMPTON-INLAND COLLETON-
241 PM EDT SAT MAR 28 2009

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL IMPACT EXTREME NORTHWESTERN COLLETON...
NORTHWESTERN HAMPTON AND ALLENDALE COUNTIES THROUGH 315 PM EDT...

AT 240 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING GUSTY WINDS OF 35
TO 45 MPH.  THESE STORMS WERE LOCATED ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM
BALDOCK TO 11 MILES WEST OF LURAY...OR ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 9
MILES NORTHWEST OF ALLENDALE TO 13 MILES EAST OF SYLVANIA...MOVING
NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH.

AREAS IN AND AROUND ALLENDALE...APPLETON...BARTON...BRUNSON...
CROCKETVILLE...FAIRFAX...GIFFORD...HAMPTON...LURAY...MILEY...
SEIGLING...SYCAMORE AND ULMER WILL BE IMPACTED THROUGH 315 PM EDT.

A TORNADO WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT. THUNDERSTORMS CAN PRODUCE
TORNADOES SUDDENLY...SOMETIMES WITH LITTLE OR NO WARNING. BE ALERT
FOR RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND BE READY TO ACT QUICKLY
IF SEVERE WEATHER IS OBSERVED OR A WARNING IS ISSUED.

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.
Special weather statement, Mar 28, 2:08 PM EST, 22 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC
308 PM EDT SAT MAR 28 2009

GAZ088-100-101-SCZ040-042-043-047-049-282000-
ALLENDALE-BULLOCH-COASTAL COLLETON-EFFINGHAM-HAMPTON-INLAND
COLLETON-INLAND JASPER-SCREVEN-
308 PM EDT SAT MAR 28 2009

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL IMPACT NORTHERN JASPER...CENTRAL
COLLETON...HAMPTON...SOUTH CENTRAL ALLENDALE...EXTREME SOUTHEASTERN
SCREVEN...SOUTHEASTERN BULLOCH AND NORTHERN EFFINGHAM COUNTIES
THROUGH 400 PM EDT...

AT 303 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING GUSTY WINDS OF 35
TO 45 MPH.  THESE STORMS WERE LOCATED ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM
LURAY TO BAY...OR ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 7 MILES SOUTHWEST OF
HAMPTON TO BAY...MOVING EAST AT 60 MPH.

AREAS IN AND AROUND BAY...CLYO...EGYPT...GUYTON...SHAWNEE...
SPRINGFIELD...STILLWELL...STILSON...ALMEDA INTERSECTION...ASHTON...
BRUNSON...COLLETON...COOSAWHATCHIE...CROCKETVILLE...CUMMINGS...EARLY
BRANCH...ESTILL...FURMAN...GARNETT...GIFFORD...GILLISONVILLE...
GRAYS...GREEN POND...HAMPTON...HENDERSONVILLE...ISLANDTON...LENA...
LODGE...LURAY...MCPHERSONVILLE...MILEY...PADGETTS...PINELAND...
RITTER...ROBERTVILLE...RUFFIN...SCOTIA...SHIRLEY...TARBORO...
TILLMAN...VARNVILLE...WALTERBORO...WHITE HALL...WILLIAMS AND YEMASSEE
WILL BE IMPACTED THROUGH 400 PM EDT.

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 radar

The Charleston,SC radar (KCLX), 33 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:30 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Hampton

When
March 28, 2:30 PM EST to 2:31 PM EST
Where
Hampton County, Miley
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$5,000
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
32.950, -81.030

The public reported several trees uprooted and a few snapped off about 15 feet above the ground in Miley, South Carolina.

What these are

Thunderstorm Wind
Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in South Carolina in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in South Carolina, March 2009

Sources

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 157083.