Scattered to numerous thunderstorms developed within a warm and unstable atmosphere along an early afternoon seabreeze and various meso-scale outflow boundaries.
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.
Scattered to numerous thunderstorms developed within a warm and unstable atmosphere along an early afternoon seabreeze and various meso-scale outflow boundaries.
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 Jun 11, 1:06 PM EST, 1 hour 3 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC 206 PM EDT MON JUN 11 2012 .SYNOPSIS... THE REGION WILL REMAIN POSITIONED BETWEEN HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE ATLANTIC AND A TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE APPROACHING FROM THE WEST INTO TONIGHT. THE TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE WILL THEN REMAIN IN PLACE THROUGH WEDNESDAY. HIGH PRESSURE WILL SLOWLY BUILD INTO THE REGION FROM THE NORTH AND WEST THURSDAY THROUGH THE UPCOMING WEEKEND. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 PM THIS EVENING/... WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND SOME THUNDERSTORMS HAVE MAINLY BEEN CONFINED TO INTERIOR SECTIONS THUS FAR BUT MORE ACTIVITY IS FIRING UP ALONG THE GA COAST AND THIS COULD BE THE BEGINNING OF A QLCS AS THE TWO AREAS POTENTIALLY COMBINE NEAR INTERSTATE 95 AND THEN PROGRESS EAST TOWARD THE COAST LATER THIS AFTERNOON. EITHER WAY...MOST AREAS WILL SEE RAIN THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. LATEST MESOANALYSIS INDICATES PLENTY OF SURFACE- BASED INSTABILITY WITH SBCAPES OVER 4000 J/KG ACROSS SE GA AND THERE COULD BE JUST ENOUGH SHEAR TO HELP ORGANIZE THE CONVECTION. SOME OF THE STORMS HAVE BEEN ROTATING...MAINLY NORTHWEST OF OUR FORECAST AREA TOWARD ORANGEBURG WHERE 0-1 SRH IS MAXIMIZED. THINK THE MAIN HAZARD THIS AFTERNOON WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS...ESPECIALLY IF THE QLCS DEVELOPS...ALTHOUGH HEAVY RAINFALL/LOCALIZED FLOODING AND FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING WILL BE POSSIBLE. A BRIEF/WEAK TORNADO CANNOT BE RULED OUT EITHER. TEMPERATURES WILL LIKELY PEAK IN THE MID 80S...ALTHOUGH SOME UPPER 80S ARE POSSIBLE NEAR THE ALTAMAHA WHERE THERE ARE MORE BREAKS IN THE CLOUDS. && .SHORT TERM /6 PM THIS EVENING THROUGH THURSDAY/... TONIGHT...DEEP MOISTURE WILL REMAIN IN PLACE AS A SHORT WAVE TROUGH SHIFTS INTO THE AREA. THERE IS THE POSSIBILITY THAT A QLCS MAY BE MOVING THROUGH THE AREA EARLY THIS EVENING...BUT REALLY THE POTENTIAL FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL EXIST AT JUST ABOUT ANY TIME TONIGHT. EXPECT THE COVERAGE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO BE NUMEROUS OR WIDESPREAD MUCH OF THIS EVENING...DIMINISHING TO MORE SCATTERED IN COVERAGE OVERNIGHT. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WHICH COULD PRODUCE MINOR FLOODING OF LOW LYING AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS IS EXPECTED. THERE IS ALSO A LOW PROBABILITY OF DAMAGING WINDS IF ORGANIZED CONVECTION DOES AFFECT THE AREA...MAINLY IN THE EVENING. OVERCAST SKIES AND A CONTINUED ONSHORE FLOW WILL ONLY ALLOW TEMPERATURES TO FALL TO LOWS NEAR 70 TONIGHT. A BROAD UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WILL BE DIRECTLY OVER THE FORECAST AREA ON TUESDAY WITH AN ASSOCIATED SURFACE TROUGH ACROSS INLAND SC/GA. WE ARE NOT SEEING MUCH IN THE WAY OF SHORTWAVE ENERGY MOVING THROUGH ON TUESDAY BUT THAT WILL NOT PRECLUDE SUBSTANTIAL COVERAGE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. A VERY MUGGY ATMOSPHERE WILL PERSIST WITH PRECIPITABLE WATER CONTENT REMAINING ABOVE 2 INCHES. LOW-LEVEL CONVERGENCE ALONG THE INLAND SURFACE TROUGH WILL PROBABLY BE THE FOCUS FOR SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY EARLIER IN THE DAY. BREAKS IN THE CLOUDS WILL ALLOW POCKETS OF 2000-2500 J/KG CAPE TO DEVELOP. CONVECTION SHOULD INCREASE IN COVERAGE TO THE EAST AS THE DAY WEARS ON AND CONVECTIVE OUTFLOWS BECOME MORE NUMEROUS. WE ARE CARRYING LIKELY POPS TUESDAY. HEAVY RAINFALL COULD BECOME A CONCERN IN SPOTS GIVEN THE HEAVY RAINFALL THAT OCCURRED SUNDAY AND WILL LIKELY FALL ON MONDAY AS WELL. WITH THE SURFACE TROUGH AXIS IN PLACE THE LOW-LEVEL FLOW WILL WEAKEN TO LESS THAN 10 KT...RESULTING IN EVEN SLOWER CELL MOTIONS AND LIKELY BACK-BUILDING AND MERGING CONVECTION. THE SURFACE AND UPPER TROUGH AXES LOOK TO SHIFT OFF THE COAST BY WEDNESDAY NIGHT...PUSHING THE BEST CHANCE FOR PRECIP OFFSHORE AS WELL. CONVECTIVE COVERAGE ON WEDNESDAY IS TRICKY DUE TO TIMING VARIATIONS BUT FOR NOW WE WILL MAINTAIN CHANCE POPS ALL DAY WITH HIGHEST VALUES OFF THE COAST. ON THURSDAY...SLIGHT UPPER RIDGING TO THE WEST WILL ALLOW DRIER HIGH PRESSURE OVER EASTERN CANADA TO SPREAD DOWN THE EASTERN SEABOARD AND INTO OUR NORTHERN ZONES. WE THINK NORTHERN AREAS WILL BE MAINLY DRY ON THURSDAY BUT A MORE MOIST ENE FLOW OVER SOUTHEAST GA COULD ALLOW FOR SCATTERED SHOWERS/STORMS TO DEVELOP. && .LONG TERM /THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY/... MEDIUM-RANGE GUIDANCE IS NOW IN MUCH BETTER AGREEMENT REGARDING THE LONG-TERM PERIODS. AN UNSEASONABLY DEEP UPPER RIDGE IS PROGGED TO BUILD INTO THE GREAT LAKES REGION OVER THE WEEKEND WITH A CLOSED UPPER LOW DEVELOPING OVER NORTHERN FLORIDA EARLY NEXT WEEK. FOR OUR AREA...SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING DOWN THE EASTERN SEABOARD WILL MAINTAIN A QUIETER PATTERN BUT KEEP ISOLATED TO SCATTERED CONVECTION IN THE FORECAST...MAINLY OVER THE WATERS AND FAR SOUTHERN GA. TEMPS WILL BE A FEW DEGREES BELOW NORMAL. && .AVIATION /18Z MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/... ABUNDANT LOW LEVEL MOISTURE WILL SUPPORT MVFR CEILINGS AND/OR VISIBILITIES AT TIMES THROUGH 00Z AT BOTH KCHS AND KSAV. THERE IS A LOW CHANCE OF IFR CIGS AT BOTH TERMINALS DURING THUNDERSTORMS BETWEEN 20-00Z THIS EVENING. A FEW THUNDERSTORMS MAY BE STRONG AS A CONVECTIVE COMPLEX SHIFTS ACROSS THE AREA THIS EVENING. UNCERTAINTY REMAINS HIGH DURING THE OVERNIGHT PERIOD. HAVE MAINTAINED MVFR CIGS BETWEEN 04-13Z TUESDAY FOR CHS AND 05-13Z TUESDAY FOR SAV AS SHOWER ACTIVITY REMAINS POSSIBLE OVERNIGHT. CONDITIONS WILL IMPROVE TO VFR AT BOTH TERMINALS AROUND 13Z AS DEEP MOISTURE BEGINS TO SHIFT OVER THE ATLANTIC. EXTENDED AVIATION OUTLOOK...PERIODIC RESTRICTIONS TO VSBYS/CIGS WILL BE POSSIBLE TUESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY WITH ROUNDS OF SHOWERS AND STORMS. WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY WILL MAINLY BE VFR BUT LOW CEILINGS OR FOG MAY IMPACT EITHER TERMINAL DURING THE LATE NIGHT PERIODS. && .MARINE... HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE WESTERN ATLANTIC WILL MAINTAIN A SOUTHERLY SYNOPTIC FLOW ACROSS THE WATERS THROUGH TONIGHT. WINDS WILL GENERALLY BE IN THE 10-15 KT RANGE TODAY...BUT COULD INCREASE UPWARDS OF AROUND 15 KT TONIGHT AS THE SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENT TIGHTENS AND WEAK SURGING DEVELOPS. SEAS WILL REMAIN IN THE 2-4 FT RANGE. SUB-ADVISORY SOUTHERLY FLOW TO CONTINUE TUESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. NORTHEAST WINDS WILL DEVELOP THURSDAY INTO THE WEEKEND AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS FROM THE NORTH. CHANCES FOR SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY CONDITIONS INCREASE BY SATURDAY AS SEAS COULD BUILD TO 6 FT OVER OUTER WATERS. && .CHS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... GA...NONE. SC...NONE. MARINE...NONE. && SYNOPSIS... NEAR TERM...RJB SHORT TERM...JRL/JAQ LONG TERM...JRL AVIATION...JRL/DPB MARINE...JRL/JAQ
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC 451 AM EDT MON JUN 11 2012 GAZ087-088-099>101-114>119-137>141-SCZ040-042>045-047>052-121000- 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- 451 AM EDT MON JUN 11 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST GEORGIA AND SOUTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. HEAVY RAINFALL...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL PRODUCE HEAVY RAINFALL AT TIMES THROUGH TONIGHT. THIS COULD RESULT IN MINOR FLOODING...MAINLY IN LOW LYING AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS...ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING...CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS. FREQUENT CLOUD-TO-GROUND LIGHTNING IS ALSO EXPECTED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. HEAVY RAINFALL...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL PRODUCE HEAVY RAINFALL AT TIMES THROUGH TUESDAY. THIS COULD RESULT IN MINOR FLOODING...MAINLY IN LOW LYING AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. AMZ330-350-352-354-374-121000- 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- 451 AM EDT MON JUN 11 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR ATLANTIC COASTAL WATERS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS...ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING...CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS. FREQUENT CLOUD-TO-WATER LIGHTNING IS ALSO EXPECTED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. 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
1011 AM EDT MON JUN 11 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0907 PM TSTM WND DMG 2 S COBBTOWN 32.26N 82.14W
06/10/2012 TATTNALL GA LAW ENFORCEMENT
A SHERIFF REPORTED TREES DOWN ON WOODROW WILLIAMS ROAD.
&&
EVENT NUMBER CHS1200359
DPBSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC
1240 PM EDT MON JUN 11 2012
GAZ087-088-SCZ040-111730-
ALLENDALE-JENKINS-SCREVEN-
1240 PM EDT MON JUN 11 2012
...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL IMPACT PORTIONS OF SCREVEN...JENKINS AND
ALLENDALE COUNTIES THROUGH 130 PM EDT...
AT 1236 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM...NEAR LEWIS...MOVING EAST AT 20 MPH.
SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL BE AFFECTED INCLUDE...
BURTONS FERRY LANDING...HILLTONIA...MILLHAVEN...SYLVANIA AND
WOODCLIFF...
PREPARE NOW FOR THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS...
GUSTY WINDS OF 40 TO 50 MPH...
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
THIS THUNDERSTORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN...WHICH MAY
FLOOD DITCHES AND LOW-LYING AREAS. REDUCE VEHICLE SPEED TO LOWER THE
RISK OF HYDROPLANING. DO NOT DRIVE INTO PLACES WHERE WATER COVERS THE
ROAD. SEEK AN ALTERNATE ROUTE.
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 3288 8186 3302 8152 3301 8149 3295 8151
3290 8148 3290 8147 3288 8148 3287 8145
3284 8146 3284 8142 3278 8143 3266 8187
TIME...MOT...LOC 1640Z 248DEG 15KT 3282 8173SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC 210 PM EDT MON JUN 11 2012 GAZ101-SCZ042-047-111900- EFFINGHAM-HAMPTON-INLAND JASPER- 210 PM EDT MON JUN 11 2012 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL IMPACT PORTIONS OF EFFINGHAM...HAMPTON AND JASPER COUNTIES THROUGH 300 PM EDT... AT 205 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM...NEAR TARBORO...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH. SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL BE AFFECTED INCLUDE... COOSAWHATCHIE...FURMAN...GARNETT...GILLISONVILLE...GRAYS... PINELAND...ROBERTVILLE...TARBORO AND TILLMAN... PREPARE NOW FOR THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS... GUSTY WINDS OF 40 TO 50 MPH... DIME SIZE HAIL... PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... 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 3280 8109 3260 8086 3241 8117 3254 8132 TIME...MOT...LOC 1810Z 227DEG 20KT 3254 8116
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC 258 PM EDT MON JUN 11 2012 GAZ101-SCZ047-111930- EFFINGHAM-INLAND JASPER- 258 PM EDT MON JUN 11 2012 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL IMPACT PORTIONS OF EFFINGHAM AND JASPER COUNTIES THROUGH 330 PM EDT... AT 257 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM...NEAR RINCON...MOVING NORTH AT 15 MPH. SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL BE AFFECTED INCLUDE... EBENEZER...RINCON...STILLWELL...HARDEEVILLE AND PURYSBURGH... PREPARE NOW FOR THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS... GUSTY WINDS OF 40 TO 50 MPH... DIME SIZE HAIL... TORRENTIAL RAIN WHICH MAY PRODUCE LOCALIZED FLOODING... PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... 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 3246 8129 3241 8103 3223 8110 3228 8131 TIME...MOT...LOC 1858Z 195DEG 13KT 3231 8119
The Charleston,SC radar (KCLX), 40 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:09 UTC.
9 thunderstorm wind, 1 tornado, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
The South Carolina Highway Patrol reported a tree down near Bells Highway and Lowcountry Highway.
The South Carolina Highway Patrol reported a tree down near Mt Carmel Road and Interstate 95.
The South Carolina Highway Patrol reported a tree down and in the roadway near Stock Farm Road and Grays Highway.
Law enforcement reported 1 tree down on North Main street. The limbs of the tree fell on a nearby shed and car.
A 911 call center reported 1 tree down on Interstate 95 between mile marker 11 and 12.
A National Weather Service damage survey team evaluated damage that occurred with a severe thunderstorm that moved through portions of central Jasper County Monday afternoon. The team found considerable damage to trees south of Ridgeland with a damage pattern consistent with a tornado.
The tornado touched down just west of Jasper Road between the communities of Okatie and Switzerland and moved rapidly east-northeast before lifting near the intersection of South Carolina Highway 462 and Snake road. The worst damage occurred between Jasper Road and Riley Field Road where the team estimated between 300 and 500 medium to large-size trees were either snapped or uprooted. Some debarking of trees was also noted. This degree of|tree damage was consistent with an ef-1 tornado on the enhanced Fujita scale with winds estimated to be between 85 and 95 mph.
A spotter reported a tree down and on a power line on Jasper Road. Numerous trees were also uprooted or snapped off in the woods on both sides of the road.
A 911 call center reported 1 tree down on Lowcountry Drive near Snake Road.
A 911 call center reported a tree down on a power line near Old House Road and Lowcountry Drive.
The public reported a tree down along Witsell Road.
A spotter reported 2.1 inches of rain accumulating within 30 minutes. The garage flooded along with neighborhood yards. Ditches were overflowing and covering Hartin Blvd. SPOTTER REPORTED 2.1 INCHES OF RAIN WITHIN 30 MINUTES.
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 historyThe tornado archive for South Carolina, 2012Warnings in South Carolina, June 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: 393364, 393366, 393367, 393372, 393373, 393363, 393375, 393376, 393377, 393378, 393396.