Scattered thunderstorms produced wind damage in the Midlands and Pee Dee regions, mainly to trees and powerlines.
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 thunderstorms produced wind damage in the Midlands and Pee Dee regions, mainly to trees and powerlines.
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 17, 1:18 PM EST, 1 hour 8 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA SC 218 PM EDT FRI AUG 17 2012 .SYNOPSIS... AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT WILL MOVE INTO THE FORECAST AREA TONIGHT AND STALL. THE FRONT WILL REMAIN NEAR THE AREA THROUGH MONDAY. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... THIS AFTERNOON... A MOISTURE INCREASE AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT HAS OCCURRED TODAY. HEATING AND CONVERGENCE INTO THE PRE-FRONTAL TROUGH HAS RESULTED IN SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON. MODERATE INSTABILITY AND A LARGE SURFACE TEMPERATURE-DEW POINT TEMPERATURE SPREAD MAY HELP CAUSE DAMAGING WIND WITH A FEW OF THE THUNDERSTORMS. TONIGHT... A FURTHER INCREASE IN MOISTURE AND CONVERGENCE AHEAD OF THE FRONT SHOULD SUPPORT GREATER THUNDERSTORM COVERAGE TONIGHT UNLESS WIDESPREAD CONVECTION DEVELOPS DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON RELEASING MUCH OF THE INSTABILITY. THE LATEST HIGH-RESOLUTION WRF SHOWS THE GREATEST COVERAGE DURING THE 800 PM TO 1000 PM TIME FRAME. THIS MAY BE CORRECT BECAUSE BOTH THE NAM AND GFS PLUS RAP SHOW A MID- LEVEL SHORTWAVE TROUGH MOVING INTO THE AREA DURING THE EVENING. THUNDERSTORMS MAY CONTINUE OVERNIGHT BUT THE CHANCE SHOULD DIMINISH BECAUSE OF DIURNAL COOLING AND PREVIOUS CONVECTION. THE TEMPERATURE GUIDANCE TONIGHT MAY BE A LITTLE TOO COOL BECAUSE OF CLOUDINESS AND MIXING ASSOCIATED WITH THE FRONT. && .SHORT TERM /SATURDAY/... THE NAM AND GFS KEEP THE SURFACE FRONT IN THE FORECAST AREA THOUGH SUNDAY. CONVERGENCE ASSOCIATED WITH THE FRONT SUPPORT THUNDERSTORMS. THE MODELS SHOW MOISTURE BECOMING SOMEWHAT SHALLOW BEHIND A LEAD MID-LEVEL SHORTWAVE TROUGH TONIGHT. THE NAM AND GFS MOS ARE CONSISTENT WITH CHANCE POP SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. THE NAM MOS INDICATED COOLER HIGH TEMPERATURES COMPARED THE GFS MOS. BOTH THE NAM AND GFS SHOWED H85 WESTERLY FLOW SO EXPECT BREAKS IN THE CLOUDINESS SUPPORTING WARMER TEMPERATURES. BELIEVE THE GUIDANCE CONSENSUS IS THE BEST FORECAST AT THIS TIME. && .LONG TERM /SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY/... THE GFS AND ECMWF GENERALLY KEEP THE FRONT NEAR THE FORECAST AREA DURING THE EXTENDED PERIOD. THE MODELS INDICATE UPPER-LEVEL TROUGHING BUT ARE NOT IN GOOD AGREEMENT WITH THE TIMING AND PLACEMENT OF THE TROUGH AND DEEPER MOISTURE. THE GFS ENSEMBLE GUIDANCE INDICATES THE GREATER SHOWER CHANCE MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY WITH THE MEAN POPS AROUND 40 PERCENT. THE ENSEMBLE MEAN POPS LOWER TO 20 TO 30 PERCENT THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. HOWEVER...THE ECMWF INDICATES THE DEEPEST MOISTURE THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. LEANED TOWARD THE ENSEMBLE MEANS FOR THE POP FORECAST. && .AVIATION /18Z FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... CU HAS DEVELOPED RAPIDLY...WITH RADAR NOW INDICATING ISOLATED DEVELOPING CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY NEAR CAE/CUB. LATEST MODELS INDICATE CHANCE OF ADDITIONAL CONVECTION DEVELOPING LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. WILL CONCENTRATE ON THE NEAR TERM AND MONITOR RADAR TRENDS FOR TS/PRECIP INCLUSION IN THE TAFS. WILL NOT INDICATE FOG/STRATUS LATE TONIGHT/EARLY SATURDAY AT THIS TIME DUE TO UNCERTAINTIES WITH REGARD TO OVERNIGHT CLOUD COVER. EXTENDED AVIATION OUTLOOK...A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...ALONG WITH A CHANCE OF LATE NIGHT/EARLY MORNING RESTRICTIONS TO CIGS/VSBYS...AT TIMES THROUGH THE PERIOD. && .CAE WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... SC...NONE. GA...NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA SC 426 AM EDT FRI AUG 17 2012 GAZ040-063>065-077-SCZ015-016-018-020>022-025>031-035>038-041-180830- LINCOLN-MCDUFFIE-COLUMBIA-RICHMOND-BURKE-LANCASTER-CHESTERFIELD- MCCORMICK-NEWBERRY-FAIRFIELD-KERSHAW-EDGEFIELD-SALUDA-LEXINGTON- RICHLAND-LEE-AIKEN-SUMTER-BARNWELL-ORANGEBURG-CALHOUN-CLARENDON- BAMBERG- 426 AM EDT FRI AUG 17 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EAST CENTRAL GEORGIA AND CENTRAL SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. ISOLATED STRONG STORMS ARE POSSIBLE LATE THIS AFTERNOON INTO EARLY THIS EVENING AS A COLD FRONT APPROACHES FROM THE NORTHWEST. DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE THE MAIN THREAT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. 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 144 PM EDT FRI AUG 17 2012 SCZ022-028-171815- KERSHAW-RICHLAND- 144 PM EDT FRI AUG 17 2012 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL IMPACT PORTIONS OF KERSHAW AND RICHLAND COUNTIES THROUGH 215 PM EDT... AT 141 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM...NEAR ARCADIA LAKES...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH. SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL BE AFFECTED INCLUDE... ARCADIA LAKES...DENTSVILLE...FOREST ACRES...WOODFIELDS AND FORT JACKSON... PREPARE NOW FOR THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS... GUSTY WINDS OF 40 TO 50 MPH... PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... 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. && LAT...LON 3429 8078 3410 8062 3397 8095 3411 8105 TIME...MOT...LOC 1744Z 236DEG 17KT 3406 8095
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA SC
258 PM EDT FRI AUG 17 2012
SCZ022-029-031-038-172015-
CLARENDON-KERSHAW-LEE-SUMTER-
258 PM EDT FRI AUG 17 2012
...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL IMPACT PORTIONS OF KERSHAW...LEE...
SUMTER AND CLARENDON COUNTIES THROUGH 415 PM EDT...
AT 250 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS...ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 17 MILES NORTH OF
OAKLAND TO 9 MILES SOUTHWEST OF PINEWOOD...MOVING EAST AT 10 MPH.
SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL BE AFFECTED INCLUDE...
OAKLAND...BISHOPVILLE...MANNING...MILLWOOD...MULBERRY...SOUTH SUMTER
AND SUMTER...
PREPARE NOW FOR THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS...
GUSTY WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH...
PEA SIZE HAIL...
FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...
TORRENTIAL RAIN WHICH MAY PRODUCE LOCALIZED FLOODING...
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
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.
&&
LAT...LON 3364 8011 3363 8054 3364 8053 3367 8057
3368 8057 3369 8059 3373 8063 3378 8060
3384 8062 3429 8058 3431 8016 3429 8014
3417 8013 3416 8015 3414 8013
TIME...MOT...LOC 1858Z 283DEG 10KT 3422 8052 3365 8056The Columbia radar (KCAE), 65 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:24 UTC.
10 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Highway Patrol reported trees down on Hampton Street in Pinewood.
A farmer reported a microburst bent and twisted rebar, blew a cotton wagon over, and moved a portable barn a few inches off the foundation in Woodrow, SC. Path of the damage was about 100 yds long.
Highway Patrol reported powerlines down near Pinewood.
Highway Patrol reported a tree on a house on Bacon Hill Road in Pinewood.
Highway Patrol reported a tree on a house on Bacon Hill Road in Pinewood.
Highway Patrol reported a tree fell on a car on I-95 at mile marker 125. The vehicle was unoccupied.
Highway Patrol reported a tree on a car along I-95 at mile marker 125. The car was parked on the side of the road and was unattended.
Sheriff reported numerous trees down on the west side of Manning.
Sheriff reported trees down near the intersection of Bonnette Road and Shillingsbridge Road.
Sheriff reported trees down near Hwy 522 and Hwy 9.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in South Carolina in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in South Carolina, 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: 392588, 392595, 392589, 392590, 392592, 392591, 392593, 392594, 392596, 392597.