With a weak trough aloft and a stalled front located near the region, thunderstorms developed across southeast Georgia.
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.
With a weak trough aloft and a stalled front located near the region, thunderstorms developed across 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 Aug 15, 2:58 PM EST, 1 hour 21 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC 358 PM EDT WED AUG 15 2012 .SYNOPSIS... AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE AND ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT WILL MOVE TOWARD THE REGION THIS EVENING. THE FRONT WILL CONTINUE TO SLOWLY MOVE SOUTHEAST BEFORE DISSIPATING ALONG THE COAST ON THURSDAY. A STRONGER COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH FROM THE NORTHWEST ON FRIDAY THEN LINGER ALONG THE SOUTHEAST COAST THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM THURSDAY MORNING/... ISOLATED CONVECTION STILL GOING OVER THE EXTREME SOUTHEAST FORECAST AREA...WITH CONVECTION STRUGGLING TO FORM ELSE WHERE. SEEING A HINT OF VERY WEAK CONVECTION/SHOWERS TRYING TO FORM ALONG THE SEA BREEZE...WHICH IS PINNED CLOSE TO THE COAST. STILL NO CONVECTION UPSTREAM OF THE REGION OVER THE SC. CONVECTION LIKELY INHIBITED SO FAR DUE TO LOWER CLOUD DECK THIS MORNING...WHICH HAS SLOWED TEMP RISE. STILL EXPECTING ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP ACROSS THE REGION...BUT NOT SURE IF IT WILL TRY TO DEVELOP CLOSER TO THE COAST WITH THE SEA BREEZE...OR FURTHER INLAND WITH THE APPROACHING FRONT AND UPPER TROUGH. HAVE KEPT LOW END CHANCE POPS FOR MAINLY THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE REGION THROUGH THIS EVENING. LATEST RUC ANALYSES SHOW HIGH VALUES OF DOWNDRAFT CAPE /1100-1300 J/KG/ ACROSS THE EASTERN PORTIONS OF SC AND GA. THIS ALONG WITH BULK SHEAR VALUES OF 25-30 KTS AND MIXED LAYER CAPE VALUES OF 3000-3500 J/KG WILL MEAN THERE IS STILL A CHANCE FOR ISOLATED SEVERE STORMS THROUGH THIS EVENING. HOWEVER...CONFIDENCE IN THE SEVERE WEATHER PROBABILITIES CONTINUE TO BE LOW GIVEN CURRENT LACK OF OVERALL CONVECTION THIS LATE IN THE AFTERNOON. IF STORMS BECOME STRONG/SEVERE...IT WILL BE MUCH LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND INTO EARLY EVENING...AND LIKELY OVER THE EASTERN 1/3 OF THE SC FORECAST AREA. TONIGHT...EXPECT ANY CONVECTION TO DISSIPATE AS IT MOVE EASTWARD ALONG WITH THE UPPER SHORTWAVE AXIS WELL TO THE NORTH. MIN TEMPS PRETTY CLOSE TO SEASONAL NORMALS...GENERALLY IN THE LOWER TO MID 70S. && .SHORT TERM /6 AM THURSDAY MORNING THROUGH SATURDAY/... ANOTHER IN A SERIES OF WEAK MID LEVEL DISTURBANCES MOVING THROUGH THE LARGER SCALE TROFFINESS IN THE EASTERN HALF OF NORTH AMERICA WILL PASS THROUGH THE REGION ON THURSDAY. HOWEVER...THE DISTURBANCE WILL BE WEAKENING A BIT AS IT MOVES THROUGH...AND THE WEAK SURFACE FRONT WILL STALL OVER THE MIDLANDS AND ESSENTIALLY BECOME A LEE TROF...LIMITING SURFACE CONVERGENCE TO LOCATIONS NEAR THE COAST. FOR THAT REASON...THE BEST CHANCE OF AFTERNOON CONVECTION LOOKS TO BE NEAR THE BEACHES WITH THE SEA BREEZE PINNED. FRIDAY IS A BIT TRICKIER. UPPER FLOW FLATTENS OUT A BIT BETWEEN SYSTEMS...BUT THE LEE TROF LOOKS LIKE IT COULD BECOME MORE ACTIVE LATER IN THE AFTERNOON. FOR THAT REASON...THE BEST CHANCE OF POPS WILL SHIFT TO INLAND LOCATIONS. ANY CONVECTION WILL PROBABLY HOLD OFF UNTIL LATER IN THE DAY INTO THE EVENING WITH THE LACK OF ANY SYNOPTIC SCALE FORCING. FRIDAY COULD ALSO GET A BIT WARMER THAN I CURRENTLY HAVE IN THE FORECAST WITH HEAT INDICES ECLIPSING THE 100 MARK IN QUITE A FEW LOCATIONS...BUT I THINK THEY WILL STAY BELOW ANY ADVISORY CRITERIA. BY SATURDAY...EIGHTS LOWER AGAIN IN RESPONSE TO A STRONGER SHORTWAVE DIGGING INTO THE EAST. THE CHANCES OF AFTERNOON CONVECTION WILL GO UP WITH MORE FORCING...ESPECIALLY DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS AS A 100 KNOT UPPER JET MOVES INTO THE OHIO RIVER VALLEY. && .LONG TERM /SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... MEDIUM RANGE GUIDANCE IS IN GOOD AGREEMENT INDICATING AN UNSETTLED PATTERN FOR MOST OF THE LONG TERM PERIOD. BROAD UPPER LEVEL TROUGHING WILL PERSIST ACROSS THE EASTERN UNITED STATES INTO THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK...WITH A COLD FRONT GETTING HUNG UP ALONG THE SOUTHEAST COAST. SEVERAL WAVES OF LOW PRESSURE PASSING ALONG THE FRONT WILL CAUSE THE FRONT TO OSCILLATE BACK AND FORTH ACROSS THE AREA THROUGH MOST OF THE PERIOD. CHANNELED VORTICITY ALONG THE EASTERN PERIPHERY OF THE TROUGH COMBINED WITH AN AXIS OF DEEP MOISTURE OVER THE AREA WILL RESULT IN A SOLID CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL TREND SLIGHTLY BELOW NORMAL THROUGH THE LONG TERM PERIOD. && .AVIATION /20Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY/... VFR THROUGH TONIGHT AT BOTH KSAV AND KCHS. THE LATE MORNING STRATUS DECK HAS BEGUN TO DRY OUT AS THE COLD FRONT PUSHES IN FROM THE NORTHWEST. NUMERICAL MODEL SOLUTIONS SUGGEST ISOLATED TO SCATTERED TSTMS WILL DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON...AND HAVE THEREFORE INCLUDED VCTS AT THE TERMINALS. EXPECT MOST OF THE ACTIVITY AROUND KCHS. KEEPING VCTS IN BOTH TAFS DUE TO THE MODELS BACKING OFF ON COVERAGE. EXTENDED AVIATION OUTLOOK...SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS... MAINLY DURING THE AFTERNOON/EVENING HOURS...COULD RESULT IN TEMPORARY REDUCTIONS IN CIGS/VSBYS FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. OTHERWISE...VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO PREVAIL. && .MARINE... NO HIGHLIGHTS EXPECTED THROUGH TONIGHT. SOME MODELS SHOWING WINDS BRIEFING SURGING TO 15-20 KTS OVER THE SC WATERS...BUT HAVE DECIDED TO KEEP FORECAST IN THE 10-15 KT RANGE FOR NOW. SEAS GENERALLY 3 FEET OR LESS. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORM POSSIBLE...MAINLY LATER THIS EVENING AS A WEAK FRONT APPROACHES THE AREA FROM THE WEST. THURSDAY AND INTO THIS WEEKEND...WINDS WILL BE GENERALLY OUT OF THE SOUTHWEST WITH AN ONSHORE COMPONENT NEAR THE COAST. WINDS AND SEAS WILL BE WELL BELOW AND HEADLINE CRITERIA WITH MAXIMUM SPEEDS MAYBE JUST A BIT ABOVE 15 KNOTS LATE EACH EVENING INTO THE EARLY MORNING HOURS. && .CHS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... GA...NONE. SC...NONE. MARINE...NONE. && SYNOPSIS... NEAR TERM...RFM SHORT TERM...ALSHEIMER LONG TERM...JAQ AVIATION...BDC/RFM MARINE...ALSHEIMER/RFM/JAQ
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC 415 AM EDT WED AUG 15 2012 AMZ354-374-GAZ087-088-099>101-114>119-137>141-161100- 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- 415 AM EDT WED AUG 15 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR ATLANTIC COASTAL WATERS AND SOUTHEAST GEORGIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... PLEASE RELAY ANY REPORTS OF HAZARDOUS WEATHER INCLUDING...BUT NOT LIMITED TO LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...AND FLOODING TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHARLESTON AT 1-888-383-2024. AMZ330-350-352-SCZ040-042>045-047>052-161100- 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-ALLENDALE- HAMPTON-INLAND COLLETON-DORCHESTER-INLAND BERKELEY-INLAND JASPER- BEAUFORT-COASTAL COLLETON-CHARLESTON-COASTAL JASPER-TIDAL BERKELEY- 415 AM EDT WED AUG 15 2012 ...SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR ATLANTIC COASTAL WATERS AND SOUTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS...A STRONG DISTURBANCE WILL MOVE INTO THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON...PUSHING A COLD FRONT TOWARD THE COAST BY EARLY THIS EVENING. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO ACCOMPANY THIS SYSTEM. CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR SOME OF THE STORMS ACROSS SOUTHERN SOUTH CAROLINA AND THE ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS TO BECOME SEVERE. DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH AND LARGE HAIL WILL BE THE PRIMARY HAZARDS. THE GREATEST CHANCE FOR SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE BETWEEN 2 PM AND 8 PM. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO ALL HAZARDS...TV OR YOUR LOCAL NEWS SOURCE FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... PLEASE RELAY ANY REPORTS OF HAZARDOUS WEATHER INCLUDING...BUT NOT LIMITED TO LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...AND FLOODING TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHARLESTON AT 1-888-383-2024.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC 517 PM EDT WED AUG 15 2012 GAZ137-138-152200- INLAND LIBERTY-LONG- 517 PM EDT WED AUG 15 2012 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL IMPACT PORTIONS OF LIBERTY AND LONG COUNTIES THROUGH 600 PM EDT... AT 515 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS...ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 10 MILES NORTHWEST OF GUM BRANCH TO FORT STEWART ... NEARLY STATIONARY. SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL BE AFFECTED INCLUDE... ALLENHURST...FLEMINGTON...FORT STEWART...GUM BRANCH...HINESVILLE... MCINTOSH AND WALTHOURVILLE... PREPARE NOW FOR THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS... GUSTY WINDS OF 40 TO 50 MPH... 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. 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. && LAT...LON 3204 8174 3184 8141 3171 8161 3195 8187 TIME...MOT...LOC 2118Z 007DEG 1KT 3196 8177 3187 8161
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A tree fell on a house along Windward Drive.
A 51 knot wind gust was recorded at Fort Stewart.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Georgia in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Georgia, August 2012
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: 405876, 405877.