Rip Current, Charleston
- When
- June 30, 11:39 AM EST to 11:40 AM EST
- Where
- Charleston forecast zone
- Injuries
- 1 direct, 0 indirect
- Reported by
- Fire Department/Rescue
One person drowned trying to rescue another person in a rip current.
Numerous to widespread thunderstorms developed over the area as several mid level shortwaves ejected northeast over a stationary front between an inland upper trough and high pressure offshore. Tropical air featuring PWATs over 2 inches and repeating thunderstorms produced torrential rain and several reports of flash flooding across the Charleston Tri-county region.
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.
Numerous to widespread thunderstorms developed over the area as several mid level shortwaves ejected northeast over a stationary front between an inland upper trough and high pressure offshore. Tropical air featuring PWATs over 2 inches and repeating thunderstorms produced torrential rain and several reports of flash flooding across the Charleston Tri-county region. A couple of thunderstorms became severe with damaging wind gusts and heavy rainfall during the afternoon. Two storms exhibited sufficient rotation to prompt Tornado Warnings. Persistent onshore winds and long period swell also led to a moderate risk of rip currents along the coast. One rip current resulted in a drowning while an individual tried to rescue another person already in a rip current.
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 30, 8:52 AM EST, 2 hours 47 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC 952 AM EDT SUN JUN 30 2013 .SYNOPSIS... A FRONT WILL REMAIN NEARLY STATIONARY OVER THE WESTERN CAROLINAS AND NORTHERN GEORGIA. A VERY MOIST AIR MASS AHEAD OF THE FRONT WILL ALLOW FOR HEAVY RAINFALL AT TIMES THROUGH AT LEAST MID WEEK. OTHERWISE...HIGH PRESSURE WILL PREVAIL OFFSHORE WITH DEEP LOW PRESSURE NORTH AND WEST OF THE AREA. BY THE END OF THE WEEK HIGH PRESSURE WILL STRENGTHEN ALONG THE EAST COAST AND PERSIST THROUGH NEXT WEEKEND. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 PM THIS EVENING/... MORNING WATER VAPOR DATA SHOW A DEEP...TROPICAL FLOW IS IN PLACE AHEAD OF A SHARPENING UPPER TROUGH TO THE WEST. BLENDED AMSU/SSMI DATA AS WELL AS REGIONAL 30/12Z RAOBS INDICATE THE TROPICAL MOISTURE TAP IS CHARACTERIZED BY HIGH PWAT VALUES NEARING 140 PERCENT OF NORMAL...RANGING FROM AROUND 2 INCHES TO AS HIGH AS 2.35 INCHES. CONVECTIVE TEMPERATURES OFF AREA SOUNDINGS ARE RUNNING ABOUT 80-82 DEGREES WHICH SHOULD BE REACHED SHORTLY. ALREADY SEEING QUITE A BIT OF SHOWER AND SOME TSTM ACTIVITY EXPANDING ALONG THE CHARLESTON COUNTY COAST THIS MORNING...WHICH SHOULD DEVELOP/SPREAD INLAND OVER THE NEXT FEW HOURS AS TEMPERATURES RISE. INCOMING HIGH RESOLUTION DATA SETS SUGGEST THE AXIS OF HEAVIEST RAINFALL MAY SHIFT SLIGHTLY FARTHER WEST THIS AFTERNOON AS A VARIETY OF IMPULSES EMBEDDED IN THE DEEP SOUTHWEST FLOW AHEAD OF THE UPPER TROUGH TRAVERSE THE AREA. WILL CORRESPONDINGLY SHIFT THE HIGHEST GRIDDED POPS SLIGHTLY WITH THE MID-MORNING MORNING UPDATE. STILL EXPECT QUITE BIT OF ACTIVITY ALONG THE COASTAL COUNTIES...BUT ATTM IT APPEARS THE GREATEST RAIN CHANCES WILL SETUP SLIGHTLY FARTHER INLAND. WILL MAINTAIN 70-80 PERCENT POPS TODAY WITH A CONTINUED MENTION THAT THE RAIN COULD BE HEAVY AT TIMES. WAS VERY TEMPTED TO HOIST A FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR A GOOD PORTION OF THE FORECAST AREA THIS MORNING...HOWEVER 1-HR AND 3-HR FLASH FLOOD GUIDANCE VALUES HAVE RECOVERED SOMEWHAT OVER THE PAST FEW DAYS. WILL HOLD OFF HOISTING A WATCH FOR NOW...BUT ONE MAY EVENTUALLY BECOME NECESSARY LATER TODAY. HIGHS IN THE UPPER 80S LOOK ON TRACK. && .SHORT TERM /6 PM THIS EVENING THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... TONIGHT...CONVECTION WILL BEGIN TO DIMINISH IN COVERAGE THIS EVENING...BUT EXPECT REDEVELOPMENT TO OCCUR OVERNIGHT...ESPECIALLY TOWARD THE LOWER SOUTH CAROLINA COAST WHERE LOW-LEVEL ONSHORE WIND TRAJECTORIES AND THE BEST SUPPORT FROM A LOW-LEVEL JET WILL OCCUR. RAINFALL WILL CONTINUE TO BE HEAVY AT TIMES. MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...MEDIUM RANGE GUIDANCE IN PRETTY GOOD AGREEMENT INDICATING THE AREA REMAINING CAUGHT BETWEEN HIGH PRESSURE OFFSHORE AND LOW PRESSURE TO THE WEST. ALTHOUGH HIGH PRESSURE WILL BE SHIFTING WESTWARD WITH TIME IT APPEARS AS THOUGH DEEP MOISTURE WILL PERSIST WITH PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES OVER 2 INCHES THROUGH THE PERIOD. THIS PATTERN WILL FAVOR UNSETTLED WEATHER GIVEN DIVERGENCE ASSOCIATED WITH THE UPPER JET AND SEVERAL SHORTWAVES TRAVERSING THE AREA ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE TROUGH. SEVERAL INCHES OF RAINFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE DURING THIS TIME WITH LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL POSSIBLY LEADING TO SOME FLOODING...ESPECIALLY WHERE STORMS MOVE OVER THE SAME AREAS. THE THREAT OF SEVERE STORMS LOOKS PRETTY SMALL GIVEN THE MOIST ATMOSPHERIC PROFILES...BUT IT LIKELY WILL NOT TAKE AS MUCH WIND TO TOPPLE TREES GIVEN THE ALREADY SATURATED GROUND. HIGH TEMPERATURES SHOULD BE HELD SLIGHTLY BELOW NORMAL WITH OVERNIGHT LOWS SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL. && .LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY/... DECENT MODEL AGREEMENT THIS PERIOD INDICATING DEEP HIGH PRESSURE STRENGTHENING OVER THE EAST COAST THROUGH THE WEEKEND. WITH THE DEEPEST MOISTURE SHIFTING WEST OF THE AREA THERE SHOULD BE LESS IN THE WAY OF RAINFALL ACROSS THE AREA...MAINLY NEAR THE COAST EACH MORNING TRANSITIONING INLAND THROUGH THE DAY. HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL BE SLOWLY WARMING THROUGH THE PERIOD...LIKELY GETTING BACK ABOVE NORMAL FOR THE WEEKEND. && .AVIATION /14Z SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... DEEP MOISTURE WILL REMAIN ANCHORED OVER THE AREA...BUT TIMING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS AT THE TERMINALS REMAINS DIFFICULT. THE FORECAST GENERALLY DEPICTS VICINITY SHOWERS THROUGH MUCH OF THIS MORNING...THEN PREVAILING SHOWERS WITH VICINITY THUNDERSTORMS BEGINNING AROUND MIDDAY AND CONTINUING INTO EARLY THIS EVENING. HAVE ALSO INCLUDED A TEMPO GROUP WITH THUNDERSTORMS RESTRICTING CEILINGS/VISIBILITIES TO MVFR LEVELS FROM 16-20Z AT KSAV AND 18-22Z AT KCHS WHEN THE POTENTIAL FOR CONVECTION IS EXPECTED TO BE GREATEST. HOWEVER...ADJUSTMENTS TO TIMING WILL BE NEEDED AS CONVECTIVE TRENDS BECOME BETTER ESTABLISHED. SHOWERS IN THE VICINITY OF THE TERMINALS ARE THEN FORECAST THROUGH 12Z MONDAY. OUTSIDE OF ANY THUNDERSTORMS WHICH WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HEAVY RAINFALL...VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO PREVAIL. EXTENDED AVIATION OUTLOOK...SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED MOSTLY EACH AFTERNOON/EVENING THROUGH MID WEEK WITH BRIEF REDUCTIONS IN CEILINGS AND/OR VISIBILITIES. && .MARINE... TODAY AND TONIGHT...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORIES WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR ALL COASTAL WATERS OUTSIDE OF THE NEAR SHORE GEORGIA WATERS. A TIGHT GRADIENT BETWEEN A STALLED FRONT INLAND AND ATLANTIC HIGH PRESSURE WILL MAINTAIN A STRONG SOUTH/SOUTHWEST FLOW THROUGH TONIGHT. WINDS IN THE ADVISORY AREA WILL BE A SOLID 15-20 KT WITH FREQUENT GUSTS TO 25 KT AND SEAS COULD BE AS HIGH AS 4-6 FT. WINDS ALONG THE LAND/SEA INTERFACE WILL STRENGTHEN LATE TODAY INTO TONIGHT AND COULD APPROACH SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY CRITERIA IN CHARLESTON HARBOR...BUT CONFIDENCE IS NOT HIGH ENOUGH TO ISSUE AN ADVISORY AT THIS TIME. MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY...THE COASTAL WATERS WILL REMAIN IN BETWEEN ATLANTIC HIGH PRESSURE TO THE EAST AND LOW PRESSURE TO THE WEST THROUGH MID WEEK WITH HIGH PRESSURE GAINING MORE CONTROL LATER THIS WEEK. THIS PATTERN WILL RESULT IN MOSTLY SOUTHERLY WINDS...ENHANCED TO NEAR ADVISORY LEVELS AT TIMES DUE TO A TIGHTER THAN NORMAL PRESSURE GRADIENT AND LOW-LEVEL JET FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR. THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL MAINLY BE ACROSS THE SOUTH CAROLINA NEAR SHORE WATERS AND OFFSHORE GEORGIA WATERS. SIGNIFICANT WAVE HEIGHTS WILL ALSO BE CLOSE TO ADVISORY LEVELS IN THESE SAME AREAS INTO TUESDAY. RIP CURRENTS...A MODERATE RISK OF RIP CURRENTS IS EXPECTED TO PERSIST ALONG THE SOUTH CAROLINA BEACHES TODAY. WINDS AND SWELLS SHOULD BE A BIT LESS ALONG THE GEORGIA COAST...THUS THE RIP CURRENT RISK WILL REMAIN IN IN LOW CATEGORY THIS AFTERNOON FOR THE GEORGIA BEACHES. && .CHS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... GA...NONE. SC...NONE. MARINE...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 8 AM EDT TUESDAY FOR AMZ350-352-374. && ST
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</html>SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC 1014 AM EDT SUN JUN 30 2013 GAZ087-088-099>101-114>119-137>141-SCZ040-042>045-047>052-301800- 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- 1014 AM EDT SUN JUN 30 2013 ...HEAVY RAIN AND FLOODING POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON... NUMEROUS TO WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO IMPACT MUCH OF SOUTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA AND SOUTHEAST GEORGIA TODAY INTO AT LEAST THIS EVENING. THE NATURE OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE SUCH THAT TORRENTIAL RAINFALL COULD OCCUR OVER A VERY SHORT PERIOD WITH AS MUCH AS 2 TO 3 INCHES FALLING WITHIN AN HOURS TIME. GIVEN HOW WET THE AREA HAS BEEN OVER THE PAST SEVERAL WEEKS...IT WILL NOT TAKE MUCH HEAVY RAIN OVER A SHORT PERIOD TO PRODUCE AT LEAST MINOR FLOODING OF LOW LYING AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS. ISOLATED FLASH FLOODING COULD ALSO OCCUR...ESPECIALLY IN AREAS THAT HAVE SEEN HEAVY RAINS YESTERDAY AND EARLIER THIS MORNING. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... PEOPLE ACROSS SOUTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA AND SOUTHEAST GEORGIA SHOULD REMAIN ALERT THROUGHOUT THE DAY AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION SHOULD FLOODING BE OBSERVED OR IF A FLOOD ADVISORY OR FLASH FLOOD WARNING IS ISSUED. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO ALL HAZARDS OR THE INTERNET FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. &&
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC
1137 AM EDT SUN JUN 30 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1131 AM WATER SPOUT 2 ESE FOREST BEACH 32.13N 80.71W
06/30/2013 AMZ352 SC NWS EMPLOYEE
NWS EMPLOYEE REPORTED A BRIEF WATERSPOUT OFF HILTON
HEAD ISLAND. WATERSPOUT HAS SINCE DISSIPATED.
&&
EVENT NUMBER CHS1300596
JHPThe Charleston,SC radar (KCLX), 103 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:44 UTC.
8 flash flood, 4 thunderstorm wind, 1 rip current. Local standard time, as filed.
One person drowned trying to rescue another person in a rip current.
A storm chaser reported Ashley Avenue impassable due to high water on the road.
Law enforcement reported Farm Quarter Road in Snee Farm subdivision closed due to flooding.
The Mount Pleasant Police Department reported the intersection of Bell Hall Parkway and Long Point Road impassable due to flooding. One car was stalled at the intersection.
The public reported the intersection of Dunneman Avenue and 10th Street closed due to flooding.
A tree was reported down near the intersection of Weeks Road and Parkers Ferry Road.
Law enforcement reported a tree down near the intersection of Jacksonboro Road and Cottageville Highway.
Several trees and power lines were reported down on Donwood Circle.
The Dorchester County 911 call center reported the intersection of Dorchester Road and Old Trolley Road closed due to flooding.
The Dorchester County 911 call center reported the intersection of Judith Drive and Miles Jamison Road closed due to flooding.
Law enforcement reported the intersection of Sprucewood Drive and Birch Lane closed due to flooding.
A spotter reported Swift Court flooded with water coming up to driveways.
Law enforcement reported a tree down on Turkey Pond Road.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in South Carolina in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in South Carolina, June 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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 463470, 463474, 463484, 463487, 463515, 463508, 463505, 463510, 463494, 463495, 463502, 463497, 463506.