Scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms broke out across much of the region by early afternoon ahead of an approaching 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.
Scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms broke out across much of the region by early afternoon ahead of an approaching 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 9, 11:49 AM EST, 1 hour 15 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC 1249 PM EDT WED MAY 9 2012 .SYNOPSIS... A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE INTO THE AREA TODAY AND OFF THE COAST TONIGHT...FOLLOWED BY DRY HIGH PRESSURE INTO SATURDAY. THE HIGH WILL BEGIN TO WEAKEN EARLY NEXT WEEK...AS IT GIVES WAY TO A SLOW MOVING FRONTAL SYSTEM THROUGH WEDNESDAY. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 PM THIS EVENING/... EXTREMELY COMPLEX CONVECTIVE PATTERN IS EVOLVING OVER THE REGION EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. THE INITIAL LINE OF TSTMS EXTENDING FROM THE MIDLANDS INTO FAR SOUTH-CENTRAL GEORGIA IS MOVING STEADILY NORTHEAST AND WILL BRUSH THE COUNTIES BORDERING THE CSRA AND SOUTHERN MIDLANDS DURING THE NEXT 1-2 HOURS. AN ISOLATED STRONG OR SEVERE TSTM COULD CERTAINLY OCCUR ALONG THIS LINE...BUT HIGHER RESOLUTION MESOSCALE GUIDANCE STILL SUPPORTS THE MORE SUBSTANTIAL ROUND OF CONVECTION FIRING LATER THIS AFTERNOON DURING PEAK INSTABILITY. 12Z 250MB ANALYSIS SHOWED A 100 KT JET STREAK OVER NORTH COASTAL TEXAS. THIS FEATURE NOW APPEARS TO BE MOVING RAPIDLY EAST ALONG THE NORTH-CENTRAL GULF OF MEXICO AND WILL BE LOCATED JUST TO THE SOUTH OVER LATER THIS AFTERNOON AS A DUAL JET STRUCTURE DEVELOPS. SUSPECT ENHANCED UVV/S ASSOCIATED WITH THE LEFT EXIT REGION OF THIS JET STREAK WILL LIKELY AID CONTINUED UPSCALE GROWTH IN THE CONVECTION CURRENTLY DEVELOPING OVER WEST- CENTRAL GEORGIA...WHICH COULD EVOLVE INTO A MORE ORGANIZED LINE OF STRONG TO SEVERE TSTMS OVER SOUTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA AND SOUTHEAST GEORGIA LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE ATMOSPHERE IS CONTINUES TO STEADILY DESTABILIZE WITH SBCAPES APPROACHING 2500 J/KG ACROSS SOUTHEAST GEORGIA WHERE CLEARING IS TAKING HOLD. 0-6KM BULK SHEAR WILL ALSO INTENSIFY LATER THIS AFTERNOON WHICH SUPPORT A RISK FOR MORE ORGANIZED TSTMS. THEREFORE A RISK FOR ORGANIZED SEVERE TSTMS CONTINUES. && .SHORT TERM /6 PM THIS EVENING THROUGH SATURDAY/... TONIGHT...THE SURFACE COLD FRONT SHOULD PUSH THROUGH BY MIDNIGHT WITH THE UPPER TROUGH PUSHING OFFSHORE AROUND DAYBREAK. EXPECT DIMINISHING CLOUD COVER FROM WEST TO EAST THROUGH THE NIGHT. TEMPERATURES WILL DROP INTO THE MID TO UPPER 50S INLAND WITH LOWER 60S CLOSER TO THE COAST. A PROGRESSIVE AND FAIRLY HIGH AMPLITUDE TROUGH COVERING THE EASTERN UNITED STATES THURSDAY WILL BEGIN TO SLIP EAST FRIDAY...THEN GIVES WAY TO A BUILDING RIDGE ON SATURDAY. WHILE THIS PATTERN UNFOLDS ALOFT...SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE OVER ILLINOIS AND MISSOURI ON THURSDAY WILL SHIFT EAST AND EXPAND FROM THE OHIO VALLEY ACROSS THE CENTRAL APPALACHIANS TO THE CAROLINAS ON FRIDAY. THE HIGH WILL THEN STRENGTHEN AS IT MOVES INTO THE ATLANTIC FOR THE START OF THE WEEKEND. THERE IS NO CONCERN FOR RAINFALL BOTH THURSDAY AND FRIDAY...WITH PWATS DOWN NEAR 1/2 TO 3/4 INCHES AND A SUBSIDENCE CAP AROUND 800 MB. HOWEVER...MOISTURE SLOWLY BEGINS ITS RETURN ON SATURDAY WITHIN THE CLOCKWISE FLOW AROUND THE ATLANTIC HIGH. GIVEN SO MUCH DRY AIR IN PLACE...THE ATMOSPHERE WILL TAKE TIME TO MOISTEN ENOUGH FOR RAIN TO OCCUR. EVEN WITH A LITTLE ISENTROPIC LIFT WE EXPECT TO EXPERIENCE ONLY AN INCREASE IN CLOUD COVER...AND HAVE SHOWN POPS NO MORE THAN 10-12 PERCENT. AFTER THE COOL ADVECTION SHUTS OFF DURING THE MORNING ON THURSDAY...PLENTIFUL SUNSHINE AND DOWNSLOPE FLOW OFF THE APPALACHIANS WILL BOOST MAX TEMPS TO THE UPPER 70S AND LOWER 80S. RADIATIONAL COOLING IS QUITE SUFFICIENT THURSDAY NIGHT UNDER CLEAR SKIES AND MOSTLY CALM WINDS TO DROP TEMPS TO THE LOWER AND MIDDLE 50S MOST LOCALES AWAY FROM THE COAST. TEMPS ON FRIDAY WILL BE VERY SIMILAR TO THURSDAY...EXCEPT WITH AN ONSHORE FLOW IT/LL BE A LITTLE LOWER OVER EASTERN SECTIONS AND A TAD OVER INTERIOR SE GA IN ADVANCE OF THE SEA BREEZE. WARMER 850 MB TEMPS AND LOW LEVEL THICKNESS FOR SATURDAY WILL ALLOW MOST COMMUNITIES TO REACH 80-83...WHILE SHORELINE AREAS HOLD IN THE MID AND UPPER 70S. && .LONG TERM /SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY/... RIDGING ALOFT WILL SLIDE INTO THE ATLANTIC FOR SUNDAY...AND WILL EVENTUALLY GIVE WAY TO EITHER A CLOSED LOW OR DEEP TROUGH DURING THE EARLY TO MIDDLE PORTION ON NEXT WEEK. SURFACE LOW PRESSURE WILL FORM AS A RESULT OVER OR NEAR THE TENNESSEE VALLEY OR NORTHERN GULF COAST. BUT A BLOCKING ATLANTIC RIDGE WILL PREVENT THE LOW AND ITS ASSOCIATED WARM AND COLD FRONTS FROM TRACKING EAST TOO QUICKLY. THIS MEANS WE/RE LOOKING AT A FAIRLY UNSETTLED PATTERN DURING THE EARLY AND MID WEEK PERIOD. SLIGHT CHANCE POPS FOR SUNDAY WILL INCREASE INTO THE CHANCE RANGE FOR MOST PLACES MONDAY...THEN SOLIDLY INTO THE CHANCE RANGE EVERYWHERE TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. MAX TEMPS WILL AVERAGE NEAR OR SLIGHTLY BELOW SEASONAL NORMS...WHILE NIGHTTIME LOWS WILL START OUT NEAR NORMAL...BUT CLIMB ABOVE NORMAL IN LATER PERIODS. && .AVIATION /18Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY/... TO BE ISSUED. EXTENDED AVIATION OUTLOOK...MVFR CIGS COULD LINGER LATE TONIGHT SHORTLY AFTER 06Z BUT OTHERWISE NO SIG CONCERNS THROUGH SUN. && .MARINE... TODAY...SW WINDS AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT BUT REMAINING 15 KT OR LESS. SEAS GENERALLY 3-4 FT OR LESS...HIGHEST E. TONIGHT...A COLD FRONT WILL PUSH THROUGH AROUND MIDNIGHT WITH A BRISK NW/N WIND TO USHER IN COOLER TEMPERATURES BY DAYBREAK. COULD SEE SOME 25 KT GUSTS MAINLY BEYOND 20 NM. THURSDAY...AN EARLY MORNING SURGE IN THE NW AND NORTH WINDS BEHIND THE COLD FRONT WITHIN THE COOL AIR ADVECTION AND STEADY PRESSURE RISES...MAY RESULT IN A MARGINAL SCA ACROSS OUR OUTER GA WATERS. BUT PROBABILITIES ARE NOT ENOUGH TO JUSTIFY IN HOISTING ANY SCA FLAGS AT THIS TIME GIVEN THAT IT IS THE THIRD PERIOD OF THE FORECAST. OTHERWISE...WIND/SEAS WILL DROP OFF FOR THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING...WITH CONDITIONS ACROSS ALL WATERS BELOW ANY SCA CRITERIA. FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY...HIGH PRESSURE WILL COVER THE MARINE AREA WITH AN ONSHORE FLOW TO PREVAIL. WINDS WILL GENERALLY HOLD AT 15 KT OR LESS WITH SEAS NO MORE THAN 3-5 FT. MONDAY...THE COASTAL WATERS WILL LIE BETWEEN ATLANTIC HIGH PRESSURE TO THE NE AND EAST...WITH LOW PRESSURE TO BE FOUND ALONG THE NORTHERN GULF COAST. ALTHOUGH THERE DOES APPEAR TO BE AN INCREASE IN THE PRESSURE GRADIENT BETWEEN THESE TWO FEATURES...CONDITIONS AT THIS TIME LOOK TO REMAIN BELOW SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY LEVELS. && .TIDES/COASTAL FLOODING... TIDES WILL CONTINUE TO RUN HIGH FOR TONIGHT/S HIGH TIDE BUT SHOULD FALL SHORT OF ADVISORY LEVELS DUE TO THE OFFSHORE WINDS. && .CHS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... GA...NONE. SC...NONE. MARINE...NONE. && SYNOPSIS... NEAR TERM... SHORT TERM...RJB LONG TERM... AVIATION... MARINE... TIDES/COASTAL FLOODING...
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC 203 PM EDT WED MAY 9 2012 AMZ330-350-352-354-GAZ099>101-114>119-137>141-SCZ042>045-047>052- 101815- 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-CANDLER-BULLOCH-EFFINGHAM- TATTNALL-EVANS-INLAND BRYAN-COASTAL BRYAN-INLAND CHATHAM- COASTAL CHATHAM-LONG-INLAND LIBERTY-COASTAL LIBERTY-INLAND MCINTOSH- COASTAL MCINTOSH-HAMPTON-INLAND COLLETON-DORCHESTER-INLAND BERKELEY- INLAND JASPER-BEAUFORT-COASTAL COLLETON-CHARLESTON-COASTAL JASPER- TIDAL BERKELEY- 203 PM EDT WED MAY 9 2012 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 269 IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM EDT THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR ATLANTIC COASTAL WATERS...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...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS REQUESTED. AMZ374-GAZ087-088-SCZ040-101815- WATERS FROM SAVANNAH GA TO ALTAMAHA SOUND GA EXTENDING FROM 20 TO 60 NM-JENKINS-SCREVEN-ALLENDALE- 203 PM EDT WED MAY 9 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR ATLANTIC COASTAL WATERS...SOUTHEAST GEORGIA AND SOUTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. 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 CHARLESTON SC 1035 AM EDT WED MAY 9 2012 GAZ087-088-099>101-114>119-137>141-SCZ040-042>045-047>052-091900- 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- 1035 AM EDT WED MAY 9 2012 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING... NUMEROUS TO WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ACROSS MUCH OF SOUTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA AND SOUTHEAST GEORGIA THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING AS A COLD FRONT APPROACHES FROM THE WEST. A FEW OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL HAVE THE CAPABILITY OF PRODUCING LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. THE RISK FOR SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE GREATEST WEST OF A LINE FROM MONCKS CORNER TO WALTERBORO AND ESTILL IN SOUTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA AND FROM NEWINGTON TO STATESBORO AND REIDSVILLE IN SOUTHEAST GEORGIA THROUGH MID AFTERNOON. THE RISK WILL THEN SPREAD EAST TO THE COAST INTO THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING HOURS. THIS INCLUDES THE CHARLESTON...BEAUFORT AND SAVANNAH METRO AREAS. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... PEOPLE ACROSS SOUTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA AND SOUTHEAST GEORGIA SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST WEATHER CONDITIONS THROUGHOUT THE DAY. THIS CAN BE DONE THROUGH NOAA WEATHER RADIO ALL HAZARDS...TV OR YOUR LOCAL MEDIA SOURCE. BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION SHOULD THREATENING WEATHER APPROACH OR IF WARNINGS ARE ISSUED. &&
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC
1253 PM EDT WED MAY 9 2012
GAZ088-SCZ040-091730-
ALLENDALE-SCREVEN-
1253 PM EDT WED MAY 9 2012
...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL IMPACT PORTIONS OF SCREVEN AND ALLENDALE
COUNTIES THROUGH 130 PM EDT...
AT 1249 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM...10 MILES NORTHWEST OF MILLHAVEN...MOVING EAST
AT 15 MPH.
SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL BE AFFECTED INCLUDE...
MILLHAVEN...ALLENDALE...APPLETON...MARTIN...MILLETT...SEIGLING...
SYCAMORE AND ULMER...
PREPARE NOW FOR THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS...
STRONG WINDS OF 45 TO 55 MPH...
FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
HAVE AN ACTION PLAN READY IN THE EVENT THIS STORM STRENGTHENS OR A
WARNING IS ISSUED. CONTINUE TO MONITOR NOAA WEATHER RADIO ALL HAZARDS
FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION.
&&
LAT...LON 3304 8157 3305 8157 3308 8162 3310 8162
3316 8154 3311 8136 3312 8119 3306 8112
3305 8109 3304 8109 3291 8175 3292 8176
TIME...MOT...LOC 1653Z 253DEG 15KT 3308 8171SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC
131 PM EDT WED MAY 9 2012
GAZ087-088-SCZ040-042-091815-
ALLENDALE-HAMPTON-JENKINS-SCREVEN-
131 PM EDT WED MAY 9 2012
...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL IMPACT PORTIONS OF SCREVEN...JENKINS...
ALLENDALE AND HAMPTON COUNTIES THROUGH 215 PM EDT...
AT 127 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS...ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 9 MILES NORTHWEST
OF ULMER TO 8 MILES SOUTH OF BURTONS FERRY LANDING TO PARKERS...
MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH.
SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL BE AFFECTED INCLUDE...
ALTMAN...BURTONS FERRY LANDING...CAPTOLO...HILLTONIA...HUNTERS...
MILLHAVEN...SCARBORO...SYLVANIA...WOODCLIFF...ALLENDALE...ALMEDA
INTERSECTION...APPLETON...BARTON...BRUNSON...CROCKETVILLE...ESTILL...
FAIRFAX...FURMAN...GIFFORD...HAMPTON...LAKE WARREN STATE PARK...
LENA...LURAY...MARTIN...MILLETT...SCOTIA...SEIGLING...SHIRLEY...
SYCAMORE...ULMER AND VARNVILLE...
PREPARE NOW FOR THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS...
STRONG WINDS OF 45 TO 55 MPH...
SMALL HAIL...
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
FREQUENT CLOUD-TO-GROUND LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING. POSTPONE OUTDOOR
ACTIVITIES PROMPTLY. SEEK SHELTER INSIDE AN ENCLOSED BUILDING.
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 3273 8193 3289 8170 3301 8161 3304 8157
3306 8158 3315 8150 3311 8136 3312 8119
3306 8112 3305 8110 3282 8098 3261 8126
3260 8167
TIME...MOT...LOC 1730Z 254DEG 36KT 3319 8129 3284 8147
3268 8178The Charleston,SC radar (KCLX), 44 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:02 UTC.
9 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
One tree blown down on Broxton Bridge Highway at Bachman Road.
One tree blown down on Lowcountry Highway at Community Avenue.
Law enforcement reported one tree blown down on Big Estate Road.
Two trees reported blown down in Cross.
Law enforcement reported a tree blown down on Lincolnville Road.
One tree blown down at Laurel Bay Road and Stanley Farm Road.
Three trees blown down in Moncks Corner.
One tree blown down on NOrth Aylesbury Road.
Law enforcement reported one tree down along Bennetts Point 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, 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: 383163, 383165, 383168, 383170, 383171, 383172, 383173, 383174, 383175.