A supercell thunderstorm produced a tornado near the Ft. Gordon Recreation Area in northern Columbia county.
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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.
A supercell thunderstorm produced a tornado near the Ft. Gordon Recreation Area in northern Columbia county. Witnesses said the tornado went over the lake.
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 Apr 28, 3:39 PM EST, 1 hour 16 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA SC 439 PM EDT SUN APR 28 2013 .SYNOPSIS... A WARM FRONT WILL CONTINUE TO SHIFT NORTH THROUGH THE REGION THROUGH THIS EVENING...WHILE A COLD FRONT SLOWLY MOVES INTO THE REGION FROM THE WEST. THIS WILL LEAD TO SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. THE FRONT WILL STALL OR SLOWLY MOVE OUT OF THE REGION LATE MONDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE WILL WEDGE DOWN THE EASTERN SEABOARD WEDNESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY...PROVIDING OUR REGION WITH A PROLONGED PERIOD OF MOSTLY CLOUDY AND COOL CONDITIONS. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM MONDAY MORNING/... CURRENT SURFACE ANALYSIS INDICATES WEAK IN SITU WEDGE HANGING ON ACROSS THE UPSTATE...WITH APPEARANCE OF WARM FRONT NEAR THE SOUTHERN TIER OF THE FA...COLD FRONT STRETCHED FROM E TENN SW ACROSS N ALA/CENT MS TO SE LA. THE WARM FRONT IS PROJECTED TO LIFT NORTH THROUGH THE FA THROUGH THIS EVENING...WHILE THE COLD FRONT APPROACHES FROM THE NW. SOUTH OF THE WARM FRONT IN AN AREA THAT HAS RECEIVED MORE INSOLATION...MODERATE INSTABILITIES CURRENTLY IN PLACE ACROSS GA. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED ALONG AND AHEAD OF THE FRONT...BACK TO OUR WEST. HIGH RES MODELS PROJECTING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING AND MOVING INTO OUR FA LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY THIS EVENING...CONTINUING THROUGH AT LEAST MIDNIGHT...WITH SOME DIURNAL DECREASE IN COVERAGE POSSIBLE LATE TONIGHT. UPPER TROUGH AND MID LEVEL JET STREAK CURRENTLY MOVING ACROSS W/CENT TENN....WILL LIFT NORTH TONIGHT...AND BEST 850MB JET WILL REMAIN JUST TO OUR NORTH. THIS WILL MINIMIZE SEVERE THREAT FOR OUR FA...BUT AN ISOLATED SEVERE CELL IS POSSIBLE LATE TODAY THROUGH THIS EVENING GIVEN WEAK TO MODERATE INSTABILITY...AND WEAK TO MODERATE SHEAR. MODELS INDICATE HEAVIEST RAIN AMOUNTS TO OUR NORTH NEAR THE MOUNTAINS. LATEST SREF MEAN QPF IN THE 1.25 TO 1.5 INCH RANGE FOR MOST OF OUR FA. FLOOD WATCH DOES NOT APPEAR WARRANTED FOR OUR FA...BUT GIVEN THIS PRECIP AND ADDITIONAL PRECIP UPSTREAM...WILL HAVE TO MONITOR OUR RIVER FORECAST POINTS FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF REACHING ACTION STAGE OR POSSIBLY FLOOD STAGE OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS. LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN IN ANY TRAINING EFFECT ECHOES COULD RESULT IN POSSIBLE LOCALIZED FLOOD THREAT AS WELL. && .SHORT TERM /6 AM MONDAY MORNING THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT/... UPPER TROUGH WILL MOVE THROUGH THE REGION MONDAY. COLD FRONT WILL ENTER THE REGION AND MOVE SLOWLY THROUGH OR STALL. MOST ATMOSPHERIC MOISTURE WILL SHIFT EAST OF THE REGION BY LATE MONDAY. SOUTHERN END OF UPPER TROUGH APPEARS WILL GET CUT OFF NEAR THE GULF COAST...LEAVING OUR REGION IN A WEAK SW FLOW MON NT/TUE...THIS MAY LEAD THE WEAK FRONT TO STALL...OR ONLY SHIFT SLOWLY TO OUR SOUTH AND EAST. ENOUGH MOISTURE REMAINS TO PROVIDE SLIGHT CHANCE TO CHANCE POPS IN MAINLY DIURNAL SHOWERS AND POSSIBLE THUNDERSTORMS. SREF POPS TUE GENERALLY FAVORING THE SOUTH. && .LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... UPPER TROUGH AND MAIN UPPER FLOW OVER THE NORTHERN ROCKIES/NORTHERN PLAINS REGION...WITH UPPER RIDGE DEVELOPING OVER THE EASTERN GREAT LAKES/NEW ENG/E CANADA REGION. WEAK UPPER CUTOFF LOW WILL SHIFT EAST ALONG THE GULF COAST INTO THE SE CONUS...WHILE STRONG SURFACE HIGH BUILDS DOWN THE EASTERN SEABOARD. THIS APPEARS WILL LEAD TO BACK DOOR FRONT PUSHING THROUGH DURING THE DAY WEDNESDAY...WITH A WEAK WEDGE OVER OUR REGION LATE WED THRU FRI...POSSIBLY LONGER. MODELS INDICATE OMEGA BLOCK PATTERN DEVELOPING BY LATE WEEK...WITH STRONG UPPER RIDGE OVER THE EASTERN CONUS...WITH CUTOFF LOWS DEVELOPING OVER THE CENTRAL PLAINS/MID MISS VLLY...AND OFFSHORE OVER THE WESTERN ATLANTIC. THIS WILL LEAD TO SLOW MOVEMENT OF SYSTEMS AND GENERALLY LITTLE CHANGE UNTIL THE BLOCK WEAKENS...AND IT MAY TAKE QUITE A WHILE FOR THAT TO HAPPEN. IT APPEARS THAT THIS WILL RESULT IN A GENERALLY MOSTLY CLOUDY AND COOL PATTERN FOR OUR FORECAST AREA...WITH SLIGHT CHANCE TO CHANCE POPS...THROUGH THE PERIOD. MODELS GENERALLY SEEM TO INDICATE THE BEST MOISTURE TO REMAIN STRETCHED NEAR THE CSRA/SOUTHERN MIDLANDS. && .AVIATION /21Z SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... REGIONAL COMPOSITE RADAR SHOWING BAND OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM NRN AL ACROSS NRN AND CENTRAL GA INTO THE PIEDMONT OF THE CAROLINAS. VFR CONDITIONS AT THE CURRENT TIME...BUT EXPECTING MVFR CONDITIONS TO DEVELOP ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA BY 00Z MONDAY. CURRENT INDICATIONS ARE THAT THE HEAVIER AND MORE WIDESPREAD SHOWER ACTIVITY WILL ARRIVE THIS EVENING. A SURFACE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVING NE TOWARD THE OHIO VALLEY WILL BRING A FRONTAL SYSTEM ACROSS THE SOUTHEASTERN US DURING THE PERIOD. CURRENT REGIONAL RADAR COMPOSITE SHOWING SHOWER ACTIVITY HAS BECOME PATCHY ACROSS THE MIDLANDS AND CSRA WITH THE HEAVIEST ACTIVITY IN THE WESTERN CAROLINAS. HEAVIER SHOWERS AND POSSIBLE THUNDERSTORMS WILL ARRIVE BY 00Z AND MOVE OUT OF THE AREA BY AROUND 04Z. DID NOT INCLUDE THUNDER IN CURRENT ISSUANCE AS CONFIDENCE IS TOO LOW... MORE CONFIDENT THAT HEAVY RAIN WILL AFFECT TAF SITES. WILL MONITOR TO INCLUDE THUNDER IN A TEMPO GROUP IF NECESSARY. EXPECT VSBY TO DROP TO MVFR IN HEAVIER SHOWERS AND CEILINGS TO LOWER. HEAVIER SHOWERS WILL TAPER OFF AFTER MIDNIGHT WITH LOWER CEILINGS AND LIGHT SHOWERS STICKING AROUND. GUIDANCE IS IN GOOD AGREEMENT WITH LOWER CEILINGS THROUGH THE END OF THE TAF PERIOD. MODELS SHOWING IFR CEILINGS POSSIBLE... BUT CONFIDENCE IS TOO LOW TO INCLUDE AT THE MOMENT. EXPECT WINDS TO VEER FROM SSE TO MORE SSW THROUGH THE PERIOD WITH SPEEDS AVERAGING FROM 4 TO 8 KNOTS. EXTENDED AVIATION OUTLOOK...RAINFALL AND CEILING/VSBY RESTRICTIONS EXPECTED MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT. RESTRICTIONS ALSO POSSIBLE IN SHOWERS TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT. && .CAE WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... SC...NONE. GA...NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA SC 153 PM EDT SUN APR 28 2013 GAZ040-063>065-077-SCZ015-016-018-020>022-025>031-035>038-041-290900- LINCOLN-MCDUFFIE-COLUMBIA-RICHMOND-BURKE-LANCASTER-CHESTERFIELD- MCCORMICK-NEWBERRY-FAIRFIELD-KERSHAW-EDGEFIELD-SALUDA-LEXINGTON- RICHLAND-LEE-AIKEN-SUMTER-BARNWELL-ORANGEBURG-CALHOUN-CLARENDON- BAMBERG- 153 PM EDT SUN APR 28 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EAST CENTRAL GEORGIA AND CENTRAL SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE LATE TODAY THROUGH EARLY TONIGHT. LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN POSSIBLE THROUGH TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. SOME RIVER FLOODING POSSIBLE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
The Columbia radar (KCAE), 130 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:55 UTC.
2 thunderstorm wind, 1 tornado, 1 funnel cloud. Local standard time, as filed.
Storm survey found trees down in the Amity area down toward the lake.
NWS storm survey found many trees down along and near Greaham Park Road near Clay Hill.
Public reported several large limbs down at the Winfield Corps Campground. Dime size hail also occurred.
Columbia County CERT Team member and other members of the public saw a funnel cloud over the east end of the Ft. Gordon Recreation Area.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Georgia in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Georgia, 2013Warnings in Georgia, April 2013
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: 437863, 437864, 437862, 438025.