Low relative humidity values in combination with hot temperatures in advance of a cold front, contributed to the spread of a wildfire in southeast Georgia.
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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.
Low relative humidity values in combination with hot temperatures in advance of a cold front, contributed to the spread of a wildfire in 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 May 8, 9:53 AM EST, 1 hour 7 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC 1053 AM EDT SUN MAY 8 2011 .SYNOPSIS... A BACKDOOR COLD FRONT WILL DROP INTO THE AREA LATE TONIGHT AND LINGER TO THE SOUTH THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK. ANOTHER COLD FRONT COULD APPROACH THE REGION TOWARD THE END OF THE WEEK. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 PM THIS EVENING/... VERTICAL MIXING HAS LED TO IMPROVING VISIBILITY AS THE SMOKE/HAZE ALONG THE COAST HAS LIFTED OFF THE GROUND. OTHERWISE...EXPECT A DRY AND WARM TODAY AS THE AREA REMAINS BETWEEN HIGH PRESSURE TO THE SOUTH AND LOW PRESSURE AND AN ASSOCIATED STATIONARY FRONT TO THE NORTH. THE DAY IS STARTING OFF SUNNY AND WITH HEIGHTS RISING A TAD ALOFT ALONG WITH AN OFFSHORE FLOW IN PLACE...TEMPERATURES SHOULD HAVE NO PROBLEM RISING INTO THE MID TO UPPER 80S ACROSS MOST OF THE AREA. EVEN THE BEACHES SHOULD GET QUITE WARM /UPPER 70S/ DUE TO THE OFFSHORE FLOW...ALTHOUGH A RESULTANT SEA BREEZE SHOULD TEMPER THE WARMING SOMEWHAT. COULD EVEN SEE A FEW 90 DEGREE READINGS...MAINLY ACROSS INTERIOR SOUTHEAST GEORGIA. THE FRONT WILL SLOWLY SINK SOUTH THROUGH THE DAY BUT REMAIN NORTH OF THE SOUTH SANTEE RIVER THROUGH SUNSET. FORECAST SOUNDINGS INDICATE RATHER MEAGER MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY SO WILL MAINTAIN A DRY FORECAST...ALTHOUGH ACTIVITY NORTH OF THE AREA CLOSER TO THE FRONT COULD BEGIN TO PUSH SOUTH TOWARD NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA BY EVENING. && .SHORT TERM /6 PM THIS EVENING THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... A WEAK COLD FRONT WILL BACKDOOR THROUGH THE CHARLESTON TRI-COUNTY AREA WELL AFTER MIDNIGHT AND APPROACH THE ALLENDALE-HAMPTON- BEAUFORT CORRIDOR PRIOR TO DAYBREAK MONDAY. THE COMBINATION OF SHEARED SHORTWAVE ENERGY PASSING THROUGH VIA THE NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT AND SOME WEAK LOW-LEVEL FRONTAL CONVERGENCE SUPPORTS AT LEAST A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR SHOWERS/TSTMS TONIGHT...MAINLY NORTH OF A LINE FROM ALLENDALE TO WALTERBORO AND EDISTO BEACH. 08/00Z GUIDANCE MEMBERS...INCLUDING THE LATEST SREF...ARE NOT OVERLY IMPRESSED WITH NOCTURNAL RAIN CHANCES WHICH SEEMS REASONABLE GIVEN THE LACK OF SIGNIFICANT BOUNDARY LAYER MOISTURE. HOWEVER... EXPERIENCE HAS SHOWN THAT NORTHWEST FLOW EVENTS CAN BE VERY TRICKY SINCE MODELS TYPICALLY DO NOT HANDLE THE PLACEMENT AND/OR TIMING OF CHANNELED VORTICITY MAXIMA THAT ARE EMBEDDED IN THE FAST FLOW ALOFT. WILL MAINTAIN SLIGHT CHANCE POPS FOR THE AFOREMENTIONED AREAS...BUT KEEP THE REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST AREA DRY. LOWS WILL RANGE FROM THE LOWER-MID 60S. THE BACKDOOR COLD FRONT WILL CONTINUE TO SLIP SOUTHWARD THROUGH THE FORECAST AREA ON MONDAY...ASSISTED BY SHORTWAVE ENERGY TRACKING INTO THE REGION WITHIN NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT. INTERACTIONS BETWEEN THE COLD FRONT AND THE SEABREEZE BOUNDARY WILL ENHANCE LOW LEVEL CONVERGENCE AND PROVIDE A FOCUS FOR CONVECTION DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS. DEWPOINTS WILL BE IN THE LOWER 60S AT THIS TIME...AND CONSIDERING WARM HIGH TEMPERATURES RANGING FROM THE LOWER 80S NORTH OF THE FRONT TO THE UPPER 80S NEAR THE ALTAMAHA IN SOUTHEAST GEORGIA...INSTABILITY WILL BE SUFFICIENT TO SUPPORT ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT. SURFACE FLOW WILL BECOME ONSHORE AS THE FRONT PROGRESSES SOUTHWARD...LIKELY ENHANCING LOW LEVEL MOISTURE. DESPITE THESE FACTORS...MODEL QPF FIELDS INDICATE ONLY LIMITED COVERAGE OF CONVECTION MONDAY AFTERNOON...POSSIBLY DUE TO LESS FAVORABLE WEST TO NORTHWEST MID AND UPPER LEVEL FLOW. THUS PREFER TO KEEP ONLY SLIGHT CHANCE POPS IN THE FORECAST AT THIS TIME. CANNOT RULE OUT AN ISOLATED STORM BECOMING STRONG DUE TO THE PRESENCE OF THE FRONT AND SHORTWAVE ACTIVITY...AS WELL AS TYPICAL DIURNAL INSTABILITY. HOWEVER...CONFIDENCE IN SEVERE POTENTIAL IS MUCH TOO LOW TO MENTION AT THIS TIME. THE BACKDOOR FRONT WILL PUSH THROUGH THE FORECAST AREA BY LATE MONDAY...THEN CONTINUE TO LINGER TO THE SOUTH INTO TUESDAY. SHORTWAVE ENERGY WILL CONSISTENTLY PUSH INTO THE SOUTHEAST STATES THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK AND MAINTAIN SOMEWHAT UNSETTLED WEATHER. AFTER A LULL IN PRECIPITATION POTENTIAL MONDAY NIGHT...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO REDEVELOP ON TUESDAY...AS A STRONGER SHORTWAVE SLIPS INTO THE REGION WITHIN THE PERSISTENT NORTH TO NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT. DETERMINING FAVORED AREAS FOR CONVECTION ARE DIFFICULT...AS THE GFS AND NAM DISAGREE IN THE EXACT TIMING AND TRACK OF THE UPPER LEVEL ENERGY. WILL MENTION RAIN CHANCES IN THE 20 TO 30 PERCENT RANGE TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT...WITH SLIGHTLY HIGHER POPS ACROSS THE SOUTH CAROLINA ZONES AT THIS TIME. AN UPPER RIDGE AXIS WILL SHIFT ACROSS THE EAST COAST WEDNESDAY...WHILE WEAK SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE SETTLES OVER THE REGION. CONFIDENCE IN PRECIPITATION DETAILS IS QUITE LOW FOR THE MID WEEK PERIOD LACKING A STRONGER SURFACE PATTERN AND CONSIDERING MODEL DISCREPANCIES. HAVE KEPT RAIN CHANCES JUST BELOW 15 PERCENT FOR WEDNESDAY DUE TO THE INFLUENCE OF THE TRANSIENT UPPER RIDGE. HIGH TEMPERATURES FOR MOST OF THE SHORT TERM PERIOD WILL REFLECT A NORTH/SOUTH GRADIENT...RANGING FROM THE LOWER 80S IN THE CHARLESTON TRI COUNTY AREA TO NEAR 90 DEGREES NEAR THE ALTAMAHA IN SOUTHEAST GEORGIA. && .LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY/... SIGNIFICANT DISAGREEMENT BETWEEN MID RANGE MODEL SOLUTIONS MAINTAINS LOW CONFIDENCE IN FORECAST DETAILS FOR THE LONG TERM PERIOD. THE UPPER RIDGE AXIS WILL GRADUALLY SLIP EASTWARD OFF THE COAST THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY AS A DEEP UPPER LOW DEVELOPS TO THE WEST. THIS UPPER LOW IS DEPICTED QUITE DIFFERENTLY BETWEEN THE MODELS...BUT ALL SOLUTIONS SUGGEST UNSETTLED WILL CONTINUE INTO THE WEEKEND. PREFER TO REMAIN RATHER GENERIC WITH RAIN CHANCES LATE WEEK INTO THE WEEKEND...INDICATING SLIGHT CHANCE POPS EACH PERIOD. IF A FRONTAL PASSAGE DOES OCCUR FRIDAY...AS DEPICTED BY THE LATEST GFS SOLUTION...THEN EXPECT A SLIGHT COOLING TREND FOR THE WEEKEND. && .AVIATION /15Z SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... VFR FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS. VERY LOW PROBABILITIES FOR POSSIBLE SHOWERS/TSTMS AT KCHS TONIGHT AS A WEAK COLD FRONT DROPS SOUTH INTO THE AREA. PROBABILITIES ARE TOO LOW TO JUSTIFY A MENTION ATTM. COULD SEE SOME GUSTS THIS AFTERNOON IN THE UPPER TEENS AT BOTH KCHS AND KSAV. EXTENDED AVIATION OUTLOOK...THERE ARE NO CONCERNS ATTM. && .MARINE... SOUTHERLY WIND REGIME WILL CONTINUE TODAY WITH HIGH PRESSURE TO THE S HOLDING FIRM OVER THE REGION. WINDS WILL INCREASE SLIGHTLY ALONG THE LAND/SEA INTERFACE AS THE LATE DAY SEA BREEZE MOVES INLAND...BUT BOTH WINDS AND SEAS WILL REMAIN WELL BELOW ADVISORY THRESHOLDS. WINDS WILL INCREASE TONIGHT AHEAD OF A BACKDOOR COLD FRONT. WINDS MAY REACH AS HIGH AS 15-20 KT OVER THE GEORGIA OFFSHORE WATERS WITH 10-15 KT ELSEWHERE. THE FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE CHARLESTON COUNTY COASTAL WATERS PRIOR TO DAYBREAK MONDAY RESULTING IN A WIND SHIFT TO THE NORTHEAST. SEAS WILL AVERAGE 1-3 FT. A COLD FRONT WILL DROP SOUTH THROUGH THE MARINE ZONES MONDAY...WITH WINDS VEERING TO THE NORTH AND EAST BEHIND THE SYSTEM. THIS FRONT WILL THEN LINGER JUST TO THE SOUTH OF THE GEORGIA WATERS INTO MID WEEK. LACKING ANY APPRECIABLE TIGHTENING OF THE PRESSURE GRADIENT OR EVIDENCE OF LOW LEVEL JETTING...WINDS AND SEAS ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN BELOW SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY CONDITIONS. && .CHS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... GA...NONE. SC...NONE. MARINE...NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC 314 AM EDT SUN MAY 8 2011 AMZ330-350-352-354-374-GAZ087-088-099>101-114>119-137>141-SCZ040- 042>045-047>052-090715- 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-INLAND BERKELEY- INLAND JASPER-BEAUFORT-COASTAL COLLETON-CHARLESTON-COASTAL JASPER- TIDAL BERKELEY- 314 AM EDT SUN MAY 8 2011 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...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. 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 645 AM EDT SUN MAY 8 2011 GAZ101-116>119-137>141-SCZ047>049-051-081330- EFFINGHAM-INLAND BRYAN-COASTAL BRYAN-INLAND CHATHAM- COASTAL CHATHAM-LONG-INLAND LIBERTY-COASTAL LIBERTY- INLAND MCINTOSH-COASTAL MCINTOSH-INLAND JASPER-BEAUFORT- COASTAL COLLETON-COASTAL JASPER- 645 AM EDT SUN MAY 8 2011 ...AREAS OF SMOKE AND HAZE THIS MORNING... AREAS OF SMOKE AND HAZE BEING GENERATED BY A LARGE WILDFIRE BURNING NEAR THE OKEFENOKEE SWAMP IN EXTREME SOUTHERN GEORGIA WILL CONTINUE TO SPREAD NORTH ALONG THE GEORGIA AND FAR SOUTHERN SOUTH CAROLINA COAST THIS MORNING. VISIBILITIES AS LOW AS 2 MILES HAVE BEEN REPORTED IN THE SAVANNAH METRO AREA AND SIMILAR CONDITIONS ARE LIKELY OCCURRING FROM BEAUFORT AND EDISTO BEACH SOUTH TO RICHMOND HILL...DARIEN AND LUDOWICI. CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO IMPROVE AFTER 9 AM AS TEMPERATURES RISE QUICKLY THROUGH THE 70S.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.
A Forest Service official reported that a wildfire had consumed 350 acres of land, 3 miles south-southwest of Walthourville, Georgia.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Georgia in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in Georgia, May 2011
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: 313810.