Isolated to scattered thunderstorms developed in the evening hours across portions of Southern South Carolina well south of a cold front.
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.
Isolated to scattered thunderstorms developed in the evening hours across portions of Southern South Carolina well south of a cold front.
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 5, 6:55 PM EST, 57 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC 755 PM EDT SAT MAY 5 2012 .SYNOPSIS... A COLD FRONT WILL SINK SOUTHWARD ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN FROM THE NORTH. THE FRONT WILL STALL OUT AND DISSIPATE JUST TO THE SOUTH THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK BEFORE ANOTHER COLD FRONT APPROACHES FROM THE NORTHWEST BY THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH SUNDAY/... THE BIG QUESTION THIS EVENING IS HOW MUCH POTENTIAL THERE IS FOR STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. CURRENT RADAR CONTINUES TO INDICATE SOME ISOLATED CONVECTION WELL NW OF THE REGION...BUT IT IS MOVING SE...AND COULD INTERACT WITH THE SEA BREEZE WITHIN THE NEXT FEW HOURS. GIVEN THE LATEST TRENDS...HAVE TRIMMED BACK POPS AND PUSHED BACK TIMING FOR ANY CONVECTION THIS EVENING...BUT STILL LEFT WORDING FOR DAMAGING WINDS AND HAIL THROUGH ABOUT MIDNIGHT. ALTHOUGH INSTABILITY WILL LIKELY REMAIN MODERATELY STRONG WELL INTO THE EVENING...CONCERNED THAT A NEAR SURFACE THAT FORMS AFTER DARK COULD LIMIT THE POTENTIAL FOR STRONGER WINDS TO MIX DOWN TO THE SURFACE WITH ANY STORMS THAT MAY FORM. HOWEVER...IF STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS DUE FORM IN THE ELEVATED INSTABILITY THIS EVENING...A SURFACE INVERSION WOULD NOT LIMIT HAIL FROM REACHING THE SURFACE. THE SURFACE TROUGH AXIS...WHICH IS THE MAIN LOW LEVEL FOCUSING MECHANISM FOR CONVECTION THIS EVENING...IS EXPECTED TO MOVE SLOWLY SOUTHWARD FROM SE NC AND NORTHERN SC INTO AT LEAST OUR NORTHERN FORECAST AREA BY LATE TONIGHT/EARLY SUNDAY. FOR NOW...HAVE KEPT BEST CHANCES FOR CONVECTION MAINLY BEFORE MIDNIGHT. STILL FEEL IT WILL BE A WARM AND SOMEWHAT HUMID NIGHT WITH LOWS RANGING FROM THE UPPER 60S INLAND TO THE LOWER 70S AT THE COAST. WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED TO SEE A FEW BEACH COMMUNITIES ONLY BOTTOM OUT IN THE MID 70S PRIOR TO SUNRISE. && .SHORT TERM /SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY/... SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT...MODELS SHOW A WELL DEFINED UPPER LEVEL SHORTWAVE POISED TO DRIFT SOUTHWARD ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA THROUGH THE DAY. THIS FEATURE IS EXPECTED TO HELP PROMOTE AN UPSTREAM CONVECTIVE CLUSTER/MCS...THE REMNANTS OF WHICH WILL BE KNOCKING ON THE NORTHERN DOOR OF THE AREA IN THE MORNING. I HAVE STARTED THE POPS OFF WITH CHANCE POPS ACROSS THE NORTH AND SLIGHT CHANCE TO THE SOUTH. THEN THROUGH THE DAY THIS UPPER LEVEL ENERGY AND CONVERGENCE ALONG THE BACKDOOR COLD FRONT WILL MOVE SOUTHWARD INTO THE SE GA AREA. FOR THE AFTERNOON...THE HIGHEST POPS ARE ORIENTED ALONG THE SOUTHERN TIER WHERE THE BEST HEATING AND SURFACE DESTABILIZATION WILL TAKE PLACE. INCREASING CLOUDS ALONG AND BEHIND THE BACKDOOR FRONT WILL HELP HOLD HIGH TEMPS DOWN ACROSS THE NORTH SO THE MAX TEMP GRADIENT IS FAIRLY TIGHT. EXPECT LOW TO MID 80S FOR SOUTHERN SC AND UPPER 80S FOR SE GA. CONCERNING THE POTENTIAL FOR STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS...IT APPEARS THE GREATEST THREAT AREA WILL BE JUST TO THE SOUTH AND WEST OF THE FORECAST AREA. STILL CAN/T TOTALLY DISCOUNT THE POSSIBILITY FOR A COUPLE OF SEVERE STORMS CLOSER TO THE ALTAMAHA. MONDAY THROUGH TUESDAY...THE BAGGY TROF WILL REMAIN OVER THE AREA UNDERCUTTING THE WEAKENING UPPER RIDGE ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST. THE BACKDOOR COLD FRONT WILL STALL OUT JUST TO THE SOUTH AND DISSIPATE THROUGH THE PERIOD. FOR POPS THIS SCENARIO WILL MAINLY FAVOR SE GA AND AREAS CLOSER TO THE ALTAMAHA FOR MAINLY AFTERNOON/EVENING CONVECTION AS AREAS ACROSS SOUTHERN SC LOOK TO BE MORE CAPPED. LOW LEVEL THICKNESSES DO FALL BEHIND THE BACKDOOR FRONT BUT ARE STILL ON THE WARM SIDE. HOWEVER...PERSISTENT NE TO E FLOW WITH PERIODS OF MOSTLY CLOUDY SKIES WILL KEEP TEMP AT OR SLIGHTLY ABOVE CLIMO. && .LONG TERM /TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY/... PRETTY DECENT MODEL AGREEMENT THIS PERIOD SHOWING AN UPPER TROUGH APPROACHING FROM THE WEST FOR MID WEEK WITH AN ASSOCIATED SURFACE COLD FRONT LIKELY TO PUSH THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT FOLLOWED BY HIGH PRESSURE INTO LATE WEEK. SOME QUESTION AS TO HOW FAR SOUTH THE FRONT GETS...WITH THE GFS INDICATING IT GETTING HUNG UP JUST SOUTH OF THE AREA WITH A THREAT FOR SHOWERS THERE THURSDAY/FRIDAY. TEMPERATURES ABOVE NORMAL WEDNESDAY AHEAD OF THE FRONT...THEN CLOSER TO NORMAL THE REST OF THE PERIOD. && .AVIATION /23Z SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE POTENTIAL FOR CONVECTION THIS EVENING FOR KCHS. CURRENT TRENDS AND MODEL GUIDANCE INDICATE THAT THE BEST CHANCE FOR CONVECTION AS KCHS WOULD BE BETWEEN 02 AND 06Z TONIGHT...WHICH COULD PRODUCE MVFR CIGS. THERE IS A CHANCE THAT ANY STORMS THAT DO FORM COULD BE STRONG...WITH STRONG WIND GUSTS AND POSSIBLY HAIL...BUT LATEST TRENDS SEEM TO BE POINTING TOWARD A LOWER PROBABILITY FOR STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS...AND HAVE LEFT OUT OF KCHS TAF AT THIS TIME. NOT EXPECTING CONVECTION TO AFFECT KSAV TONIGHT WITH VFR CONDITIONS TO PREVAIL. EXTENDED AVIATION OUTLOOK...PERIODIC RESTRICTIONS FROM SHOWERS AND STORMS POSSIBLE SUNDAY AFTERNOON/EVENING...WITH THE BEST CHANCE AT KSAV. OCCASIONAL MVFR CEILINGS POSSIBLE SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY BEHIND A SOUTHWARD MOVING COLD FRONT. && .MARINE... TONIGHT...THERE ARE NO SIGNIFICANT MARINE CONCERNS. COULD SEE A LINE OF TSTMS MOVE OFF THE COAST THIS EVENING...WHICH COULD POSE A HAZARD TO MARINERS. OTHERWISE WINDS 15 KT OR LESS AND SEAS 2-4 FT. SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY...A COLD FRONT WILL CROSS THE LOCAL WATERS SUNDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT. EXPECT A NE SURGE SUNDAY NIGHT CONTINUING INTO MONDAY MORNING. WITH WINDS CLOSE TO SCA CRITERIA FOR NEARLY ALL OF THE WATERS. WINDS WILL SLOWLY SUBSIDE THROUGH THE DAY ON MONDAY AND BEGIN TO TURN MORE EASTERLY THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK AS HIGH PRESSURE MOVES AWAY FROM THE EAST COAST. SEAS WILL BE AT THEIR HIGHEST EARLY MONDAY WITH 3-5 FT WITHIN 20 NM AND 4-6 FT BEYOND. RIP CURRENTS...INCREASINGLY ONSHORE WINDS AND LINGERING ASTRONOMICAL INFLUENCES WILL LIKELY LEAD TO AN ENHANCED RISK OF RIP CURRENTS MONDAY. && .TIDES/COASTAL FLOODING... LATEST OBSERVATIONS INDICATING THAT TIDES ARE APPROACHING THEIR HIGH TIDE MARKS...AND ARE EXPECTED JUST BELOW MINOR COASTAL FLOODING CRITERIA. THE PROXIGEAN SPRING TIDES WILL IMPACT THE AREA THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT...ALONGSIDE THE OCCURRENCE OF THE YEARS CLOSEST PERIGEE WITHIN 2 MINUTES OF THE FULL MOON. PROJECTED TIDE LEVELS ARE ALREADY EXPECTED TO BE CLOSE TO SHALLOW COASTAL FLOODING CRITERIA...AND EVEN A SMALL INCREASE IN WAVE ACTION AND/OR ONSHORE WIND COULD NECESSITATE THE NEED FOR COASTAL FLOOD ADVISORIES. THE BEST CHANCES FOR SHALLOW COASTAL FLOODING APPEAR TO BE WITH THE SUNDAY AND MONDAY EVENING HIGH TIDES. && .CLIMATE... A RECORD WARM DAY OCCURRED ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA WITH DOWNTOWN CHARLESTON...CHARLESTON AIRPORT AND SAVANNAH AIRPORTS ALL BROKE HIGH TEMPERATURE RECORDS TODAY. SEE THE LATEST RER PRODUCTS FOR ADDITIONAL DETAILS. A VERY WARM NIGHT IS EXPECTED...WHICH COULD ALLOW RECORD HIGH MINIMUM TEMPERATURES TO BE SET AT BOTH DOWNTOWN CHARLESTON AND SAVANNAH. && .CHS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... GA...NONE. SC...NONE. MARINE...NONE. && SYNOPSIS... NEAR TERM...RFM SHORT TERM...BSH LONG TERM...RJB AVIATION...RFM MARINE...BSH/RFM TIDES/COASTAL FLOODING...
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC 339 PM EDT SAT MAY 5 2012 GAZ117-119-139-141-SCZ048>051-060600- COASTAL BRYAN-COASTAL CHATHAM-COASTAL LIBERTY-COASTAL MCINTOSH- BEAUFORT-COASTAL COLLETON-CHARLESTON-COASTAL JASPER- 339 PM EDT SAT MAY 5 2012 ...ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST GEORGIA AND SOUTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS...ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO IMPACT SOUTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA AND SOUTHEAST GEORGIA THIS EVENING. A FEW OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE AND BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL. THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY TO ALSO PRODUCE FREQUENT CLOUD-TO- GROUND LIGHTNING STRIKES. THE RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE HIGHEST GENERALLY ALONG AND NORTH OF A LINE FROM SYLVANIA TO YEMASSEE TO FOLLY BEACH...WHICH INCLUDES THE CHARLESTON METRO AREA. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO ALL HAZARDS...TV OR YOUR LOCAL NEWS SOURCE FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WATCHES AND WARNINGS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. COASTAL FLOODING...THE PROXIGEAN SPRING TIDES WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE END OF THIS WEEKEND...RESULTING IN ELEVATED TIDE LEVELS. SHALLOW COASTAL FLOODING MAY OCCUR WITH THE HIGH TIDE SUNDAY EVENING AND A COASTAL FLOOD ADVISORY MAY BE REQUIRED. RIP CURRENTS...INCREASINGLY ONSHORE WINDS AND LINGERING ASTRONOMICAL INFLUENCES WILL LIKELY LEAD TO AN ENHANCED RISK OF RIP CURRENTS MONDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS EVENING. AMZ330-350-352-354-374-GAZ087-088-099>101-114>116-118-137-138-140- SCZ040-042>045-047-052-060600- 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-INLAND CHATHAM-LONG-INLAND LIBERTY-INLAND MCINTOSH- ALLENDALE-HAMPTON-INLAND COLLETON-DORCHESTER-INLAND BERKELEY- INLAND JASPER-TIDAL BERKELEY- 339 PM EDT SAT MAY 5 2012 ...ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR ATLANTIC COASTAL WATERS...SOUTHEAST GEORGIA AND SOUTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS...ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO IMPACT SOUTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA AND SOUTHEAST GEORGIA THIS EVENING. A FEW OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE AND BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL. THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY TO ALSO PRODUCE FREQUENT CLOUD-TO- GROUND LIGHTNING STRIKES. THE RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE HIGHEST GENERALLY ALONG AND NORTH OF A LINE FROM SYLVANIA TO YEMASSEE TO FOLLY BEACH...WHICH INCLUDES THE CHARLESTON METRO AREA. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO ALL HAZARDS...TV OR YOUR LOCAL NEWS SOURCE FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WATCHES AND WARNINGS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS EVENING.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC
758 PM EDT SAT MAY 5 2012
SCZ045-060045-
INLAND BERKELEY-
758 PM EDT SAT MAY 5 2012
...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL IMPACT PORTIONS OF BERKELEY COUNTY
THROUGH 845 PM EDT...
AT 755 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM...8 MILES NORTHWEST OF EASTERN LAKE MARION...
MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH.
SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL BE AFFECTED INCLUDE...
BONNEAU...BONNEAU BEACH...CROSS...EADYTOWN...EASTERN LAKE MARION...
NORTHERN LAKE MOULTRIE...PINOPOLIS...SAINT STEPHEN AND SOUTHERN LAKE
MOULTRIE...
PREPARE NOW FOR THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS...
GUSTY WINDS OF 40 TO 50 MPH...
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
THESE STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO IMPACT LAKE MOULTRIE. BOATERS SHOULD
SEEK SAFE HARBOR IMMEDIATELY. IF CAUGHT ON THE OPEN WATERS...STAY AS
LOW AS POSSIBLE AND WEAR A PERSONAL FLOATATION DEVICE. SWIMMERS
SHOULD GET OUT OF THE WATER AND INTO A STURDY BUILDING. REMEMBER...IF
YOU CAN HEAR THUNDER YOU ARE AT RISK OF BEING STRUCK BY LIGHTNING.
&&
LAT...LON 3350 7996 3344 7986 3340 7985 3312 8012
3328 8035 3327 8030 3330 8026 3339 8025
3340 8023 3345 8022 3346 8015 3348 8016
3350 8013 3351 8005
TIME...MOT...LOC 2358Z 305DEG 21KT 3347 8029SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC
843 PM EDT SAT MAY 5 2012
SCZ045-060115-
INLAND BERKELEY-
843 PM EDT SAT MAY 5 2012
...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL IMPACT PORTIONS OF BERKELEY COUNTY
THROUGH 915 PM EDT...
...MARINERS ON LAKE MOULTRIE SHOULD SEEK SAFE HARBOR...
AT 839 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM...NEAR BONNEAU BEACH...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 30
MPH.
SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL BE AFFECTED INCLUDE...
BONNEAU...BONNEAU BEACH...JAMESTOWN...NORTHERN LAKE MOULTRIE...OLD
SANTEE CANAL STATE PARK...SAINT STEPHEN AND SOUTHERN LAKE MOULTRIE...
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 3327 7961 3306 7984 3329 8011 3348 7995
3342 7985 3341 7985 3338 7980 3338 7979
3337 7978 3333 7975 3332 7969
TIME...MOT...LOC 0043Z 296DEG 26KT 3333 7998The Charleston,SC radar (KCLX), 126 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:52 UTC.
3 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Two trees blown down on Dennis Ridge Road.
One Tree down in the roadway on Von Hollen Road.
A report of a tree blown down along Highway 41.
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, May 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: 383122, 383127, 383126.