A shortwave and associated thermal trough aloft interacted with a weakly sheared and strongly unstable environment. Thunderstorms initiated along inland mesoscale boundaries and became multi-cellular with strong moist updrafts progagating mainly south and east across the forecast area.
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.
A shortwave and associated thermal trough aloft interacted with a weakly sheared and strongly unstable environment. Thunderstorms initiated along inland mesoscale boundaries and became multi-cellular with strong moist updrafts progagating mainly south and east across the forecast area. Thunderstorms produced scattered wind damage and multiple instances of large hail.
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 2, 2:27 PM EST, 43 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC 327 PM EDT THU AUG 2 2012 .SYNOPSIS... ATLANTIC HIGH PRESSURE WILL PREVAIL THROUGH THE WEEK...WHILE A TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE PERSISTS INLAND. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM FRIDAY MORNING/... ACTIVE WX EXPECTED ACROSS MUCH OF SOUTHEAST GA AND EXTREME SOUTHERN SC THROUGH EARLY THIS EVENING. WE STRONGLY DESTABILIZED THIS MORNING UNDER MOSTLY SUNNY SKIES AND LOW/MID 70S DEWPOINTS WHILE MID-LEVEL DRYING HAS RESULTED IN GOOD DOWNDRAFT POTENTIAL. WE ALSO COOLED OFF BY ALMOST TWO DEGREES AT 500 MB AND RESULTING WET BULB ZERO HEIGHTS DROPPED BY ABOUT 2000 FT. THUS WE ARE NOW SEEING QUITE A FEW REPORTS OF LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WINDS WITH CONVECTION THAT IS DEVELOPING. SEVERE TSTM WATCH CONTINUES UNTIL 8 PM FOR ALL BUT THE CHARLESTON TRI-COUNTY AREA. ACTIVITY SHOULD TAPER OFF EARLY THIS EVENING AFTER USING UP THE AIRMASS WITH DRY WX OVERNIGHT. && .SHORT TERM /6 AM FRIDAY MORNING THROUGH SUNDAY/... A TYPICAL SUMMERTIME PATTERN WILL PRESENT ITSELF THIS WEEKEND AS ATLANTIC HIGH PRESSURE EXPANDS OVER THE SOUTHEAST WHILE MID LVL RIDGING MAINTAINS A STRONG HOLD OVER THE CENTRAL UNITED STATES. WITH THESE SYNOPTIC FEATURES IN PLACE...LIGHT ONSHORE FLOW WILL PERSIST THIS WEEKEND AND RESULT IN FAVORABLE CONDITIONS FOR AN INLAND MOVING SEABREEZE EACH AFTERNOON ALONG WITH PULSE TYPE SHOWERS/THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH EACH EVENING. ACTIVITY WILL LIKELY DIMINISH QUICKLY WITH SUNSET EACH EVENING GIVEN WEAK MID/UPPER LVL SUPPORT. ALTHOUGH AN ISOLATED STRONG STORM IS POSSIBLE WITH THIS PULSE TYPE CONVECTION AND BOUNDARY INTERACTIONS...THE OVERALL SEVERE WEATHER THREAT WILL REMAIN LOW OVER THE PERIOD. IN GENERAL...HAVE MAINTAINED A 20 POP FORECAST FOR FRIDAY...WITH AN INCREASING TREND TO 20-30 POPS ON SATURDAY AND SUNDAY AS PWATS APPROACH 2 INCHES OVER THE REGION. HIGHEST CHANCES OF PRECIP SHOULD OCCUR OVER INLAND AREAS ALONG AND AHEAD OF THE AFTERNOON SEABREEZE. ACTIVITY WILL REMAIN DIURNAL IN NATURE GIVEN WEAK MID/UPPER LVL SUPPORT. THE OVERALL SEVERE WEATHER THREAT WILL ALSO REMAIN LOWER THAN PREVIOUS DAYS. OVERALL TEMPS WILL REMAIN A DEGREE OR TWO ABOVE CLIMATOLOGY...WITH 1000-850 THICKNESS VALUES SUPPORTING HIGHS IN THE LOW 90S. OVERNIGHT LOWS WILL BE IN THE LOW/MID 70S. && .LONG TERM /SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY/... MODELS SHOW SUBTLE HIGH FALLS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PERIOD AS A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVES EASTWARD ACROSS THE NEW ENGLAND AREA. ITS ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT WILL LIKELY STALL OUT WELL NORTH OF THE AREA SOMETIME AROUND MID WEEK. MEANWHILE...THE UPPER RIDGE ACROSS CENTRAL UNITED STATES WILL CONTINUE TO STRENGTHEN THROUGH THE PERIOD. AT THE SURFACE...THE FORECAST AREA WILL REMAIN SANDWICHED BETWEEN THE SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE MIDDLE OF THE UNITED STATES AND THE SUBTROPICAL HIGH JUST TO THE EAST. THIS PATTERN COULD ALLOW FOR AN INCREASE IN CONVECTION...ESPECIALLY AS CONVECTION DEVELOPS ALONG THE STALLED FRONT AND INTERACTS WITH OTHER BOUNDARIES...LIKE THE SEA BREEZE. TEMPERATURES WILL CONTINUE TO REFLECT NEAR SEASONAL NORMALS WITH LOW TO MID 90S EXPECTED DURING THE AFTERNOON AND DIPPING INTO THE LOW TO MID 70S OVERNIGHT. && .AVIATION /19Z THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... VFR FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS. LOW PROBABILITIES FOR TSTMS THIS AFTERNOON AT BOTH TERMINALS. EXTENDED AVIATION OUTLOOK...ISOLATED CONVECTION THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK BUT PROBABILITIES OF ANYTHING IMPACTING EITHER TERMINAL ARE LOW. && .MARINE... ATLANTIC HIGH PRESSURE WILL EXPAND OVER THE WATERS THIS WEEKEND... LEADING TO CONDITIONS WELL BELOW SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY THRESHOLDS INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. IN GENERAL...SOUTH WINDS BETWEEN 10-15 KT WILL PERSIST ON THE WESTERN SIDE OF THE ATLANTIC RIDGE WITH HIGHEST WINDS EXPECTED NEAR INLAND MOVING SEABREEZE CIRCULATIONS AND EARLY NIGHT SURGES. WINDS MAY BRIEFLY BECOME SOUTHEAST EACH AFTERNOON/EVENING AS THE SEABREEZE MAKES WAY INLAND. SEAS WILL REMAIN BETWEEN 1-3 FEET...WITH SWELLS FROM THE SOUTH/SOUTHEAST. && .CHS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... GA...NONE. SC...NONE. MARINE...NONE. && SYNOPSIS... NEAR TERM...JRL SHORT TERM...DPB LONG TERM...JHP AVIATION...JRL MARINE...DPB
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC 241 PM EDT THU AUG 2 2012 GAZ087-088-099>101-114>119-137>141-SCZ040-042-043-047>049-051-031845- 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-INLAND JASPER-BEAUFORT- COASTAL COLLETON-COASTAL JASPER- 241 PM EDT THU AUG 2 2012 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 550 IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST GEORGIA AND SOUTHEAST 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...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. 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. SCZ044-045-050-052-031845- DORCHESTER-INLAND BERKELEY-CHARLESTON-TIDAL BERKELEY- 241 PM EDT THU AUG 2 2012 ...ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS...SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP AWAY FROM THE BEACHES THIS AFTERNOON. A FEW OF THE THUNDERSTORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE WITH DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH. FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL COULD ALSO OCCUR...MAINLY THROUGH EARLY THIS EVENING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. 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. AMZ330-350-352-354-374-031845- 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- 241 PM EDT THU AUG 2 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR ATLANTIC COASTAL WATERS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC
330 PM EDT THU AUG 02 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0255 PM HAIL 2 ESE GUYTON 32.33N 81.35W
08/02/2012 E0.88 INCH EFFINGHAM GA PUBLIC
PUBLIC REPORTED NICKEL SIZE HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS ALONG
LITTLE MCCALL RD.
&&
EVENT NUMBER CHS1200606
JRLPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC
339 PM EDT THU AUG 02 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0259 PM TSTM WND DMG MARLOW 32.27N 81.39W
08/02/2012 EFFINGHAM GA 911 CALL CENTER
ONE TREE AND POWER LINES DOWN ON HW-17 NEAR LAMBERT
ROAD.
&&
EVENT NUMBER CHS1200607
BSHPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC
341 PM EDT THU AUG 02 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0305 PM TSTM WND DMG 3 NNE EDEN 32.22N 81.37W
08/02/2012 EFFINGHAM GA 911 CALL CENTER
ONE TREE DOWN ON HW-17 NEAR BLUE JAY ROAD.
&&
EVENT NUMBER CHS1200608
BSHSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC
353 PM EDT THU AUG 2 2012
SCZ042-022030-
HAMPTON-
353 PM EDT THU AUG 2 2012
...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL IMPACT PORTIONS OF HAMPTON COUNTY
THROUGH 430 PM EDT...
AT 350 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM...NEAR BARKERVILLE...MOVING EAST AT 5 MPH.
SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL BE AFFECTED INCLUDE...
EARLY BRANCH...MCPHERSONVILLE AND YEMASSEE...
PREPARE NOW FOR THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS...
STRONG WINDS OF 45 TO 55 MPH...
PENNY SIZE HAIL...
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT. THUNDERSTORMS CAN
PRODUCE LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...AND ISOLATED TORNADOES
SUDDENLY...SOMETIMES WITH LITTLE OR NO WARNING. BE ALERT FOR RAPIDLY
CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND BE READY TO ACT QUICKLY IF SEVERE
WEATHER IS OBSERVED OR A WARNING IS ISSUED.
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 3281 8089 3277 8086 3272 8085 3270 8083
3265 8088 3264 8095 3265 8096 3269 8094
3274 8101
TIME...MOT...LOC 1953Z 253DEG 5KT 3271 8093
JAQPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC
354 PM EDT THU AUG 02 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0350 PM HAIL 2 WNW STILLWELL 32.39N 81.28W
08/02/2012 E1.25 INCH EFFINGHAM GA PUBLIC
HAIL UP TO HALF DOLLAR SIZE ON MOCK ROAD.
&&
EVENT NUMBER CHS1200609
BSHPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC
405 PM EDT THU AUG 02 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0340 PM TSTM WND DMG 4 SSE I-16/I-95 INTERCH 32.03N 81.22W
08/02/2012 CHATHAM GA EMERGENCY MNGR
ONE TREE DOWN NEAR THE 5700 BLOCK OF OGEECHEE ROAD.
&&
EVENT NUMBER CHS1200610
BSHThe Charleston,SC radar (KCLX), 52 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:08 UTC.
15 hail, 8 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
South Carolina Highway Patrol reports a tree down and in the roadway near the intersection of Highway 301 and Well Branch Road.
Law enforcement officer reported quarter sized hail on Interstate 95 near mile marker 28.
South Carolina Highway Patrol reported a tree down on Rodeo Drive near Poor Farm Road.
The public reported golf ball to baseball sized hail near the intersection of Highway 17 and Highway 303.
South Carolina Highway Patrol reported a tree down on Cane Branch Road.
South Carolina Highway Patrol reported a tree down on Highway 61 at Interstate 95.
South Carolina Highway Patrol reported a tree down on Cannon Road at Round O Road.
One tree reported down on Highway 78 between St George and Byrd.
The Givhans Fire Department reported hail to the size of baseballs and wind gusts to 50 miles per hour.
A report of golf ball hail falling at the Berkeley County Emergency Operations Center.
A trained spotter reported hail ranging from pea to quarter sized falling along Whitesville Road in Moncks Corner.
The public reported nickel sized hail and 30 to 40 miles per hour wind gusts. The hail briefly covered the ground.
The public reported quarter sized hail near the intersection of Travis Hill Road and Old Cherry Hill Road.
The public reported quarter sized hail in Moncks Corner.
A spotter reported hail the size of tennis balls on Lakeside Drive near Lake Moultrie.
Weather equipment at Fire Station 41 recorded a 62 miles per hour wind gust.
The public reported quarter sized hail on Cane Gully Road near Wadboo Road.
A trained spotter reported penny to nickel sized hail near Macedonia.
The public reported pea to quarter sized hail along Saint Johns Avenue.
The public reported ping pong ball sized hail falling at Macedonia Middle School.
South Carolina Highway Patrol reports a tree down and in the roadway on Santee River Road near Schurlknight Road.
The public reported ping pong ball sized hail falling on Highway 17A near Mail Route Road.
The public reported quarter sized hail near the intersection of Highway 17 and Bethera Road.
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: 403635, 403596, 403637, 403600, 403638, 403639, 403640, 403641, 403604, 403608, 403611, 403613, 403616, 403618, 403622, 403643, 403623, 403624, 403629, 403630, 403642, 403631, 403634.