Scattered severe thunderstorms took down some trees with microbursts and also produced flash flooding in Columbia. Heavy rains also produced flooding in some low lying areas around the Midlands.
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.
Scattered severe thunderstorms took down some trees with microbursts and also produced flash flooding in Columbia. Heavy rains also produced flooding in some low lying areas around the Midlands.
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 Aug 18, 12:52 PM EST, 4 hours 6 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA SC 152 PM EDT WED AUG 18 2010 .SYNOPSIS... DEEP TROPICAL MOISTURE WILL REMAIN OVER THE REGION ALONG WITH AN UNSTABLE AIR MASS. AS A RESULT SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...WITH PERIODS OF HEAVY RAINFALL...ARE EXPECTED EACH DAY THIS WEEK. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 8 PM THIS EVENING/... MOIST ATMOSPHERE REMAINS IN PLACE. DIURNAL HEATING LEADING TO WEAK TO MODERATE INSTABILITY. WILL EXPECT LIKELY SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM CHANCES TO DEVELOP LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. && .SHORT TERM /8 PM THIS EVENING THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT/... TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY EVENING A SIMILAR WEATHER PATTERN TO WHAT WE HAVE HAD THE PAST COUPLE OF DAYS. MOIST AIR MASS...HIGH PRECIPITABLE WATER...WEAK TO MODERATE INSTABILITY WITH SCATTERED SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY OVER THE AREA. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL POSSIBLE. THURSDAY NIGHT...UPPER FLOW BECOMES NORTHWEST AND A FRONT MOVES SOUTH TOWARD THE AREA. && .LONG TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... FRIDAY AND SATURDAY...A BOUNDARY APPEARS TO SETTLE OVER THE AREA. THIS WILL BE THE FOCUS FOR DIURNAL CONVECTION WITH BEST CHANCES OVER SOUTHERN PART OF CWA. BROAD UPPER LEVEL RIDGE OVER THE SOUTHERN US BEGINS TO SPLIT ON SATURDAY AND A DEEP TROUGH DEVELOPS ALONG THE EASTERN SEABOARD EARLY NEXT WEEK AND SLOWLY MOVES OFF SHORE BY THE END OF THE WEEK. THE UPPER LEVEL FLOW OVER SC TAKES ON A MORE NORTHERLY COMPONENT THROUGH THE WEEK. MEX POPS TAKE A STEADY DECLINE THROUGH THE EXTENDED PERIOD. SO STILL EXPECT DIURNAL SHOWER AND TSTM ACTIVITY BUT IT SHOULD BE MORE SCATTERED TO WIDELY SCATTERED IN NATURE. EXPECT TEMPS TO BE NEAR OR JUST SLIGHTLY ABOVE SEASONAL AVERAGES WITH HIGHS IN THE LOW/MID 90S WITH LOWS IN THE LOW/MID 70S. && .AVIATION /18Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY/... VFR CONDITIONS REPORTED AT 17Z. TEMPERATURES ARE APPROACHING THE CONVECTIVE TEMP AND RADAR INDICATING A FEW SHOWERS BEGINNING TO DEVELOP. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS APPEAR LIKELY LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. FOR NOW...WILL HANDLE WITH VCSH...A CB CLOUD GROUP...AND A TEMPO GROUP FOR SHRA. WILL AMEND IF/WHEN CONFIDNCE OF TS AFFECTING TAF SITES WARRANTS. LAMP GUIDANCE INDICATING CIG/VSBY RESTRICTIONS AGAIN LATE TONIGHT. EXTENDED AVIATION OUTLOOK...EXPECT MVFR OR IFR CONDITIONS IN STRATUS AND FOG MAINLY DURING THE LATE NIGHTS AND EARLY MORNINGS. ALSO...RESTRICTIONS MAY OCCUR IN MAINLY AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS. && .CAE WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... SC...NONE. GA...NONE. && SYNOPSIS... NEAR TERM... SHORT TERM... LONG TERM... AVIATION...10
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA SC 354 AM EDT WED AUG 18 2010 GAZ040-063>065-077-SCZ015-016-018-020>022-025>031-035>038-041-190800- LINCOLN-MCDUFFIE-COLUMBIA-RICHMOND-BURKE-LANCASTER-CHESTERFIELD- MCCORMICK-NEWBERRY-FAIRFIELD-KERSHAW-EDGEFIELD-SALUDA-LEXINGTON- RICHLAND-LEE-AIKEN-SUMTER-BARNWELL-ORANGEBURG-CALHOUN-CLARENDON- BAMBERG- 354 AM EDT WED AUG 18 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EAST CENTRAL GEORGIA AND CENTRAL SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING MAY PRODUCE HEAVY RAINFALL. THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR THE HEAVY RAINFALL TO CREATE STANDING WATER IN LOW LYING AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. FOR THURSDAY AND FRIDAY...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IN THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING MAY PRODUCE HEAVY RAINFALL. THERE WILL CONTINUE TO BE A POTENTIAL FOR THE HEAVY RAINFALL TO CREATE STANDING WATER IN LOW LYING AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS. OTHERWISE...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 COLUMBIA SC 427 PM EDT WED AUG 18 2010 GAZ077-182130- BURKE- 427 PM EDT WED AUG 18 2010 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS AFFECTING BURKE COUNTY... AT 424 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IN THE GIRARD AREA OF EASTERN BURKE COUNTY. MOVEMENT WAS NORTHEASTWARD NEAR 10 MPH. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL LIKELY CONTAIN FREQUENT LIGHTNING...WIND GUSTS NEAR 40 MPH...AND VERY HEAVY DOWNPOURS. PONDING OF WATER WILL OCCUR IN POOR-DRAINAGE AREAS. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DRIVE ON FLOODED ROADS. IT TAKES LITTLE WATER TO MOVE A VEHICLE OFF THE ROAD AND INTO DEEPER WATER. REPORT LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS OR FLOODING TO YOUR COUNTY SHERIFF...OR CALL THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOLL FREE AT 1...8 7 7...6 3 3...6 7 7 2.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA SC 529 PM EDT WED AUG 18 2010 SCZ030-182230- AIKEN- 529 PM EDT WED AUG 18 2010 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE AFFECTING AIKEN COUNTY... AT 524 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM NEAR BEECH ISLAND TO JACKSON IN SOUTHWEST AIKEN COUNTY. THE LINE WAS MOVING EASTWARD NEAR 15 MPH...AND TOWARD THE STATE ROAD 302 AND HIGHWAY 278 AREA BETWEEN BEECH ISLAND AND NEW ELLENTON. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL LIKELY CONTAIN FREQUENT LIGHTNING...WIND GUSTS NEAR 40 MPH...AND VERY HEAVY DOWNPOURS. PONDING OF WATER WILL OCCUR IN POOR-DRAINAGE AREAS. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DRIVE ON FLOODED ROADS. IT TAKES LITTLE WATER TO MOVE A VEHICLE OFF THE ROAD AND INTO DEEPER WATER. REPORT LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS OR FLOODING TO YOUR COUNTY SHERIFF...OR CALL THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOLL FREE AT 1...8 7 7...6 3 3...6 7 7 2.
The Columbia radar (KCAE), 43 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:59 UTC.
5 thunderstorm wind, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Public reported several trees down along Peach Cider road and Fallow road southeast of Monetta.
Public reported several tree down along John Nunn Hwy and Juniper Street.
USGS and City Police reported flooding in downtown Columbia in the Five Points area and also the USC campus near Main and Whaley streets. Water levels were up to 4 feet deep in some areas and spilled over into some apartments and also Walgreens in Five Points. The Rocky Branch Creek gage crested at 10.7 feet which is 3.5 feet above flood stage. Several vehicles became trapped when they tried to drive through the area.
County Dispatch reported power lines down in the Farrell Crossroads Community near the Edisto River.
Sheriff reported several trees down in Branchville.
Highway Patrol and DOT reported several trees down along I-95 and Hwy 301 southwest of Manning.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in South Carolina in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in South Carolina, August 2010
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: 242295, 242296, 242301, 242300, 242299, 242298.