Cluster thunderstorms produced large hail and strong winds over portions of the Midlands. A supercell moved in from the foothills across the north Midlands and produced a couple of small tornadoes.
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 CAE wrote it up.
Cluster thunderstorms produced large hail and strong winds over portions of the Midlands. A supercell moved in from the foothills across the north Midlands and produced a couple of small tornadoes.
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 Columbia, SC wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 4, 2:00 PM EST, 3 hours 20 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA SC 300 PM EDT MON MAY 4 2009 .SYNOPSIS... A SLOW MOVING FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL STALL ACROSS THE REGION TONIGHT AND BE THE FOCUSING MECHANISM FOR THUNDERSTORMS TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. THE WEATHER WILL REMAIN UNSETTLED FOR THE END OF THE WEEK WITH POSSIBLE CLEARING FOR THE WEEKEND. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... SATELLITE IMAGERY AND WSR-88D NETWORK SHOW RAPIDLY DEVLEOPING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ENTERING THE CSRA. CURRENT MOVEMENT OF THE CELLS IS NORTHEAST AROUND 20 KT...WITH STRONGER CELLS MOVING A BIT FASTER. EXPECT CONTINUED INTENSIFICATION OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS AS THE BETTER DYNAMICS MOVE INTO THE FORECAST AREA. BEST INSTABILITY IS OVER THE EASTERN MIDLANDS WHERE A BIT MORE SUN HAS INCREASED TEMPERATURES INTO THE LOWER 80S. SPC SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 242 EXPANDS ON THIS AREA SLIGHTLY ENCOMPASSING NEARLY ALL OF THE FORECAST AREA...AND EXPIRES AT 8PM. FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL MOVE INTO THE REGION THIS EVENING AND STALL OVER THE FORECAST AREA OVERNIGHT. THIS WILL KEEP THE SOUTHERLY WINDS OVER THE REGION ALLOWING GULF MOISTURE TO CONTINUE MOVING INTO THE REGION. ALTHOUGH INSTABILITY WILL DIMINISH WITH THE LOSS OF DIURNAL HEATING AND DYNAMICS WEAKENING THROUGH THE NIGHT...THE POTENTIAL FOR THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH THE NIGHT WILL PERSIST. BEST CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE ACROSS THE EASTERN MIDLANDS AS BEST INSTABILITY WILL REMAIN OVER THIS AREA UNTIL THE EARLY MORNING HOURS. && .SHORT TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT/... STALLED FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL REMAIN OVER THE FORECAST AREA AND BE THE FOCUS FOR CONVECTION TUESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT. MODELS INDICATE MODERATE INSTABILITY TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON DUE TO DIURNAL HEATING...HOWEVER THE EXTENT WILL DEPEND ON THE AMOUNT OF CLOUDINESS. WITH PARTLY TO MOSTLY CLOUDY SKIES LIMITING HEATING WILL EXPECT HIGH TEMPERATURES IN THE UPPER 70S TO LOWER 80S...WHICH WILL EXCEED CONVECTIVE TEMPERATURES IN THE MIDDLE 70S. ADDING TO THE POTENTIAL WILL BE MINOR UPPER LEVEL SHORT WAVES CROSSING THE AREA BOTH TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY AFTERNOONS. WITH DYNAMIC FORCING WEAKER AND UPPER LEVEL DIVERGENCE NEGLIGIBLE ON TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY BELIEVE THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE LOWER...HOWEVER THERE WILL STILL BE THE POTENTIAL FOR ISOLATED SEVERE. && .LONG TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY/... PATTERN WILL REMAIN UNSETTLED THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT AS THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY REMAINS NEAR THE FORECAST AREA AND A SERIES OF UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES CROSS THE REGION. MODELS HAVE SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT TIMING AND INTENSITIES OF THESE FEATURES...HOWEVER AGREE ON THE OVERALL PATTERN. ON SATURDAY THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH FINALLY SWINGS OFFSHORE WITH DRIER AIR MOVING INTO THE REGION FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEKEND. HAVE ELECTED TO KEEP MONDAY DRY AS MODEL DIFFERENCES INCREASE AND BELIEVE THE GFS IS TOO FAST. && .AVIATION /19Z MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/... A FRONTAL BOUNDARY NORTH OF THE MIDLANDS WILL MOVE SOUTHWARD INTO THE MIDLANDS TONIGHT. A MOIST SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST LOW LEVEL FLOW WILL CONTINUE TO BRING MOISTURE TO THE AREA. A SERIES OF UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES WILL CROSS THE REGION BRINGING SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND OVERNIGHT. CEILINGS AND VISIBILITY EXPECTED TO BE MVFR OR LOWER IN THUNDERSTORMS. RADAR AT 17Z SHOWING CONVECTION DEVELOPING ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL GEORGIA...SHOULD MOVE NORTHEAST INTO EASTERN SOUTH CAROLINA THIS AFTERNOON. SO EXPECT CONVECTION WILL BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING ALTHOUGH WEAK INSTABILITY REMAINS LIMITING FACTOR FOR STRONG THUNDERSTORMS AROUND CAE/CUB. STRONGER STORMS POSSIBLE NEAR OGB WHERE INSTABILITY STRONGER. GUIDANCE INDICATING MVFR TO IFR CONDITIONS TOWARD THE END OF THE TAF PERIOD WITH NUMEROUS SHOWERS DEVELOPING AGAIN TUESDAY MORNING. EXTENDED AVIATION OUTLOOK...THE SLOW MOVING COLD FRONT WILL DRIFT SOUTHWARD INTO THE AREA TUESDAY. THIS FRONT WILL GRADUALLY WEAKEN WEDNESDAY. SUFFICIENT MOISTURE AND DIURNAL INSTABILITY WILL PROVIDE A CHANCE OF AFTERNOON/EVENING SHRA/TSRA THROUGH THE PERIOD. LATE NIGHT/MORNING FOG OR STRATUS ALSO POSSIBLE. && .CAE WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... SC...NONE. GA...NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA SC 243 PM EDT MON MAY 4 2009 GAZ040-063>065-077-SCZ018-022-025>031-035>038-041-051845- LINCOLN-MCDUFFIE-COLUMBIA-RICHMOND-BURKE-MCCORMICK-KERSHAW-EDGEFIELD- SALUDA-LEXINGTON-RICHLAND-LEE-AIKEN-SUMTER-BARNWELL-ORANGEBURG- CALHOUN-CLARENDON-BAMBERG- 243 PM EDT MON MAY 4 2009 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 242 IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EAST CENTRAL GEORGIA AND CENTRAL SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. SCZ015-016-020-021-051845- LANCASTER-CHESTERFIELD-NEWBERRY-FAIRFIELD- 243 PM EDT MON MAY 4 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED THIS EVENING. ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE WITH DAMAMGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA SC
343 PM EDT MON MAY 04 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0340 PM HAIL 1 S SARDIS 32.96N 81.76W
05/04/2009 E0.75 INCH BURKE GA FIRE DEPT/RESCUE
FD REPORTED PEA SIZE HAIL IN SARDIS AND PENNY SIZE HAIL
SOUTH OF SARDIS BETWEEN HIGHWAYS 23 AND 24.
&&
PETROLITSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA SC 543 PM EDT MON MAY 4 2009 SCZ029-031-038-042245- CLARENDON-LEE-SUMTER- 543 PM EDT MON MAY 4 2009 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS AFFECTING CLARENDON...LEE AND SUMTER COUNTIES... AT 541 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS APPROACHING THE SUMTER AND MANNING AREAS. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEASTWARD NEAR 30 MPH AND WILL ALSO AFFECT SOUTHEAST LEE COUNTY ALSO. EXPECT WIND GUSTS NEAR 45 MPH...VERY HEAVY DOWNPOURS AND FREQUENT LIGHTING WITH THESE THUNDERSTORMS. REPORT LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS OR FLOODING TO YOUR COUNTY SHERIFF...OR CALL THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN COLUMBIA TOLL FREE AT 1 800 7 7 5 7 1 9 9.
The Columbia radar (KCAE), 102 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:21 UTC.
4 thunderstorm wind, 1 funnel cloud, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
Sheriff reported trees down on Puddin Swamp road.
Sheriff reported a funnel cloud in Jalapa.
Sheriff reported trees and powerlines down.
NWS storm survey and Fairfield Electric COOP found trees and some powerlines down from a small tornado. It was associated with the supercell that originated in Laurens county that went across Newberry and into Fairifield county.
DOT reported several trees down on SC Hwys 19, 37, and 53.
County paper reported there were trees and powerlinds down in the Lynchburg and Elliott areas.
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 historyThe tornado archive for South Carolina, 2009Warnings in South Carolina, May 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: 157452, 157678, 157454, 157465, 157466, 159122.