Isolated to scattered strong to severe thunderstorms developed in the evening hours south of a stationary front. A shortwave upper level trough also moved through the region late in the day and helped promote the development of thunderstorms.
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 strong to severe thunderstorms developed in the evening hours south of a stationary front. A shortwave upper level trough also moved through the region late in the day and helped promote the development of thunderstorms.
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 23, 7:48 PM EST, 1 hour 12 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC 848 PM EDT FRI MAY 23 2014 .SYNOPSIS... A COLD FRONT WILL DROP THROUGH THE AREA OVERNIGHT WITH HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING BEHIND IT SATURDAY. THE HIGH WILL SHIFT INTO THE WESTERN ATLANTIC ON SUNDAY AND REMAIN THE DOMINANT FEATURE THROUGH THE FIRST PART OF NEXT WEEK BEFORE A COLD FRONT MOVES IN MID WEEK. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM SATURDAY MORNING/... THE 00Z KCHS STILL SHOWS A 2-3C CAP IN THE LOW LEVELS OF THE ATMOSPHERE. WHILE THIS COULD BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE MARITIME AIRMASS BEHIND THE SEA BREEZE...IT IS ALSO VERY LIKELY THAT THIS SAME CAP EXISTS ELSEWHERE AND IS RESPONSIBLE FOR KEEPING CONVECTION AT BAY ACROSS THE AREA AS OF EARLY THIS EVENING. HOWEVER...700-500 MB LAPSE RATES ARE AN IMPRESSIVE -8C. OUR MAIN FOCUS IS ON CONVECTION STRENGTHENING UPSTREAM ACROSS THE NORTHERN/CENTRAL MIDLANDS AHEAD OF A SUBTLE SHORTWAVE TROUGH. THESE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE A HISTORY OF PRODUCING VERY LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. THESE STORMS SHOULD MAINTAIN INTENSITY AS THEY NEAR THE AREA GIVEN FORCING ASSOCIATED WITH THE SHORTWAVE ALOFT AND A MODERATELY TO STRONGLY UNSTABLE AIR MASS IN PLACE ACROSS THE AREA. IN FACT...SURFACE BASED CAPE VALUES ARE STILL UPWARDS OF 2500 J/KG AND LI/S DOWN TO -9 ACROSS PARTS OF THE CHARLESTON TRI-COUNTY AREA. AT THIS TIME IT APPEARS THE CONVECTION SHOULD AFFECT MAINLY PARTS OF THE CHARLESTON QUAD-COUNTY AREA THROUGH ABOUT MIDNIGHT. AS A RESULT...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 178 HAS BEEN EXTENDED IN TIME UNTIL MIDNIGHT FOR CHARLESTON...BERKELEY AND DORCHESTER COUNTIES. THE PRIMARY THREATS REMAIN VERY LARGE HAIL UP TO AROUND 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER AND DAMAGING WINDS. LATER TONIGHT THE BACK DOOR COLD FRONT WILL DROP THROUGH THE AREA WITH DRIER AIR AND NORTHERLY WINDS. && .SHORT TERM /6 AM SATURDAY MORNING THROUGH MONDAY/... SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT...A BACKDOOR COLD FRONT WILL CONTINUE TO DROP WELL SOUTH OF THE AREA AS SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN FROM THE OHIO VALLEY. A RELATIVELY DRY NORTHERLY FLOW WILL PREVAIL THROUGH MUCH OF THE DAY AT THE SURFACE AND OVERALL MOISTURE WILL BE INSUFFICIENT TO SUPPORT ANY PRECIPITATION ACROSS THE AREA. A SHORT WAVE DISTURBANCE EMBEDDED WITHIN NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT SHOULD BRING SOME MID AND HIGH LEVEL CLOUDS INTO THE AREA LATER IN THE DAY AND DURING SATURDAY NIGHT. TEMPERATURES WILL BE COOLER THAN PREVIOUS DAYS...BUT DOWNSLOPE FLOW JUST ALOFT COULD STILL SUPPORT HIGHS IN THE MID TO UPPER 80S ACROSS SOUTHEAST SC AND UPPER 80S TO AROUND 90 ACROSS SOUTHEAST GEORGIA. A ROBUST SEABREEZE SHOULD KEEP TEMPERATURES ALONG THE IMMEDIATE COAST CONSIDERABLY COOLER. WITH THE INCREASE IN CLOUD COVER AND A LIGHT ONSHORE SYNOPTIC FLOW DEVELOPING SATURDAY NIGHT...LOWS SHOULD BE IN THE LOWER TO MID 60S. SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT...SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE WILL SHIFT INTO THE WESTERN ATLANTIC...SUPPORTING A SYNOPTIC ONSHORE FLOW ACROSS THE AREA RESULTING IN AN INCREASE IN LOW LEVEL MOISTURE. FORCING PROVIDED BY SHORT WAVE ENERGY EMBEDDED WITHIN THE NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT AND CONVERGENCE ALONG/AHEAD OF THE SEABREEZE SHOULD SUPPORT ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...MAINLY ALONG AND WEST OF THE I-95 CORRIDOR IN THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING. MODERATE INSTABILITY WITH CAPE VALUES AS HIGH AS 1500-2500 J/KG AND LI/S DOWN TO -7 TO -8C...HIGHEST ACROSS INTERIOR SOUTHEAST GA... SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT FOR PULSE-TYPE ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TO OCCUR. ISOLATED CONVECTION COULD RE-FOCUS OVER THE COASTAL WATERS LATE SUNDAY NIGHT. HIGHS ON SUNDAY SHOULD BE IN THE MID TO UPPER 80S AWAY FROM THE COAST WITH LOWS SUNDAY NIGHT IN THE MID TO UPPER 60S. MONDAY...A MOIST SOUTHERLY RETURN FLOW WILL DEVELOP AROUND ATLANTIC HIGH PRESSURE. MEANWHILE...A LEE SIDE TROUGH INLAND AND THE SEA BREEZE WILL ACT AS FOCI FOR MAINLY AFTERNOON/EVENING SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. MODERATE INSTABILITY PARAMETERS ONCE AGAIN LOOK FAVORABLE FOR ISOLATED PULSE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ALONG AND AHEAD OF THE SEA BREEZE. HIGHS WILL BE IN THE UPPER 80S ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA AWAY FROM THE IMMEDIATE COAST. && .LONG TERM /MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY/... GENERALLY NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT WILL PREVAIL THROUGH THE PERIOD. A COLD FRONT SHOULD MOVE INTO THE AREA IN THE MID WEEK TIME FRAME AND LIKELY STALL OUT. EXPECTED WIDELY SCATTERED TO SCATTERED MAINLY AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS ALONG AND WEST OF THE SEA BREEZE EACH DAY...WITH THE GREATEST COVERAGE LIKELY ON WEDNESDAY AS THE COLD FRONT MOVES IN. ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY AND THEN MORE NORMAL TEMPERATURES ARE LIKELY THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. && .AVIATION /01Z SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... KCHS...UPSTREAM CONVECTION COULD AFFECT THE TERMINAL LATE THIS EVENING INTO THE EARLY OVERNIGHT HOURS. FOR NOW...HAVE INCLUDED A TEMPO GROUP FOR THUNDERSTORMS WITH ERRATIC WINDS AND SOME FLIGHT RESTRICTIONS FROM 03-05Z...BUT AMENDMENTS WILL LIKELY BE NEED TO ADJUST THE TIME AS TRENDS BECOME BETTER ESTABLISHED. OTHERWISE...VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED...WITH WINDS SHIFTING NORTHERLY BEHIND A COLD FRONT LATER TONIGHT. KSAV...VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO PREVAIL. WINDS WILL SHIFT NORTHERLY LATE TONIGHT BEHIND A COLD FRONT. EXTENDED AVIATION OUTLOOK...TEMPORARY FLIGHT RESTRICTIONS POSSIBLE WITH MAINLY AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING CONVECTION SUNDAY THROUGH MID-WEEK. OTHERWISE...VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO PREVAIL. && .MARINE... CONDITIONS OVER THE WATERS WILL REMAIN FAIRLY QUIET THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD IN ON SATURDAY AND THEN SHIFT INTO THE ATLANTIC ON SUNDAY WHERE IT WILL PREVAIL THROUGH MID-WEEK. THERE WILL BE A BIT OF A NORTHEAST SURGE SATURDAY MORNING IN THE WAKE OF A COLD FRONT DROPPING SOUTH OF THE AREA...BUT WIND SPEEDS SHOULD BE NO GREATER THAN ABOUT 15-20 KT. ANOTHER COLD FRONT COULD ENTER THE WATERS DURING THE MID WEEK PERIOD. WINDS/SEAS ARE EXPECTED TO BE BELOW ANY HEADLINE CRITERIA THROUGH THE PERIOD. && .CLIMATE... CHS HAS HIT 97 DEGREES WHICH BREAKS THE RECORD HIGH FOR THE DATE. RECORD HIGH TEMPS TODAY... CHARLESTON 96/1956...DOWNTOWN 97/1956...SAVANNAH 99/2012 && .CHS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... GA...NONE. SC...NONE. MARINE...NONE. && NEAR TERM...JAQ SHORT TERM...JAQ LONG TERM...MTE AVIATION...JAQ MARINE...JRL/JAQ CLIMATE...
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC 852 PM EDT FRI MAY 23 2014 AMZ330-350-SCZ044-045-050-052-250100- CHARLESTON HARBOR- WATERS FROM SOUTH SANTEE RIVER TO EDISTO BEACH SC OUT 20 NM- DORCHESTER-INLAND BERKELEY-CHARLESTON-TIDAL BERKELEY- 852 PM EDT FRI MAY 23 2014 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 178 IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT EDT TONIGHT... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR ATLANTIC COASTAL WATERS AND SOUTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...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...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS...ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS ON SUNDAY AND MONDAY. THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR A FEW OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS TO BECOME SEVERE...CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ASSISTANCE IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. SCZ043-049-250100- INLAND COLLETON-COASTAL COLLETON- 852 PM EDT FRI MAY 23 2014 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS...A FEW THUNDERSTORMS COULD DEVELOP LATE THIS EVENING. THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR THESE THUNDERSTORMS TO BECOME STRONG TO SEVERE...PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL. THE BEST CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS IS THROUGH MIDNIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS...ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS ON SUNDAY AND MONDAY. THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR A FEW OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS TO BECOME SEVERE...CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ASSISTANCE IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. AMZ352-354-374-GAZ087-088-099>101-114>119-137>141-SCZ040-042-047-048- 051-250100- 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-COASTAL BRYAN-INLAND CHATHAM-COASTAL CHATHAM-LONG- INLAND LIBERTY-COASTAL LIBERTY-INLAND MCINTOSH-COASTAL MCINTOSH- ALLENDALE-HAMPTON-INLAND JASPER-BEAUFORT-COASTAL JASPER- 852 PM EDT FRI MAY 23 2014 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR ATLANTIC COASTAL WATERS...SOUTHEAST GEORGIA AND SOUTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS...ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS ON SUNDAY AND MONDAY. THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR A FEW OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS TO BECOME SEVERE...CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ASSISTANCE IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC 915 PM EDT FRI MAY 23 2014 SCZ044-045-050-052-240215- DORCHESTER-INLAND BERKELEY-CHARLESTON-TIDAL BERKELEY- 915 PM EDT FRI MAY 23 2014 ...DANGEROUS SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS COULD MOVE ACROSS THE CHARLESTON TRI-COUNTY AREA THROUGH MIDNIGHT... A LARGE CLUSTER OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH A HISTORY OF PRODUCING VERY LARGE HAIL UP TO BASEBALL SIZE...DAMAGING WINDS AND FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING CONTINUES TO MOVE SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE EASTERN MIDLANDS OF SOUTH CAROLINA THIS EVENING. THE STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO THE WESTERN PORTIONS OF DORCHESTER AND BERKELEY COUNTIES BETWEEN 10 PM AND 11 PM AND COULD REACH AS FAR SOUTH AS THE CHARLESTON METRO AREA BY MIDNIGHT...IF NOT SOONER. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE AREA UNTIL MIDNIGHT. THIS IS A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. PEOPLE ACROSS DORCHESTER...BERKELEY AND CHARLESTON COUNTIES SHOULD BE PREPARED TO TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION SHOULD WARNINGS BE ISSUED FOR YOUR AREA. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO ALL HAZARDS OR THE INTERNET FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. && ST
The Columbia radar (KCAE), 127 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 01:58 UTC.
4 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
The Berkeley County communications center reported a tree down near a home on Mendel Rivers Road.
Law enforcement reported half dollar sized hail in the Bonneau Beach area.
Multiple trees down at Cordesville Road and Witherbee Road near Moncks Corner.
Law enforcement reported a tree down at the intersection of Dupre Road and Lincoln Road.
Law enforcement reported a tree down at the intersection of Society Road and Weston Road.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in South Carolina in 2014Every state in 2014This day in weather historyWarnings in South Carolina, May 2014
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: 518623, 518633, 518624, 518625, 518626.