Thunderstorms developed in the early afternoon hours ahead of a strong cold front supported by a upper level trough. The thunderstorms developed into line segments within a high shear, low surface-based instability environment.
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.
Thunderstorms developed in the early afternoon hours ahead of a strong cold front supported by a upper level trough. The thunderstorms developed into line segments within a high shear, low surface-based instability environment. The thunderstorms produced damaging wind gusts as well as a tornado that moved through an area west of downtown Savannah.
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 Jan 1, 1:54 PM EST, 1 hour 14 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC 154 PM EST THU JAN 1 2015 .SYNOPSIS... HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD INTO THE AREA THROUGH FRIDAY...BEFORE MOVING INTO THE ATLANTIC BY SATURDAY AS A WEAK WARM FRONT LIFTS THROUGH THE REGION. A COLD FRONT WILL THEN PASS OFF THE COAST SUNDAY NIGHT WITH HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING TO THE NORTH OF THE AREA EARLY NEXT WEEK. A WEAK COLD FRONT MAY THEN MOVE THROUGH THURSDAY. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... EARLY THIS AFTERNOON...NO CHANGES TO THE FORECAST WITH THIS UPDATE. THE AREA OF CLOUDS NOTED TO THE SOUTH HAS MADE A VERY SLOW NORTHWARD PROGRESSION OVER THE LAST FEW HOURS AND THIS TREND WILL CONTINUE. ONLY THIN HIGH CLOUDS ACROSS THE REST OF THE FORECAST AREA AS TEMPERATURES RISE INTO THE MID/UPPER 50S. TONIGHT...HIGH AND EVENTUALLY MID CLOUDS WILL INCREASE AFTER MIDNIGHT ACROSS THE REGION AS A BAROCLINIC REGION ACROSS THE SW GULF COAST AREA STRENGTHENS IN RESPONSE TO A DEEP UPPER LOW WOBBLING THROUGH THE DESERT SOUTHWEST. CLOUDS AND A BIT HIGHER LOW LEVEL DEW POINTS SHOULD KEEP READINGS WARMER OVERNIGHT BUT COLDER INLAND SPOTS COULD STILL SEE TEMPS DIP INTO THE MID 30S IN COLDER RURAL AREAS OF SE SOUTH CAROLINA BEFORE CLOUDS THICKEN LATE. WE MAINTAINED A DRY FORECAST AS PRECIPITATION WILL HAVE A TOUGH TIME MAKING IT INTO THE AREA PRIOR TO 6 AM SINCE FORECAST SOUNDINGS INDICATE QUITE A BIT OF DRY AIR BELOW 700 MB. && .SHORT TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... FRIDAY...A CUT OFF LOW SPINNING IN THE DESERT SW WILL RESULT IN A SPLIT FLOW ACROSS THE CONUS...WITH DEEP RIDGING ACROSS THE SE...INCLUDING THE LOCAL AREA. AT THE SURFACE A COASTAL TROUGH ALIGNED NE-SW AND OUT NEAR THE GULF STREAM MAY PINCH OFF INTO A WAVE AS HIGH PRESSURE TO THE NORTH SHIFTS EASTWARD. A SHORT WAVE WILL SCRAPE BY TO THE NORTH AND THE BEST FORCING FROM THE UPPER JET ALSO REMAINS TO THE NORTH. THUS WE STILL REMAIN SOMEWHAT UNCERTAIN IN REGARDS TO HOW MUCH RAIN WILL OCCUR...DRIVEN MAINLY BY ISENTROPIC ASCENT AND LOW LEVEL CONVERGENCE IN PROXIMITY TO THE COASTAL TROUGH. THERE IS LITTLE CHANCE OF RAIN AT THE START OF THE PERIOD...WITH CHANCES TO RISE FOR THE LATE MORNING AND AFTERNOON FROM WEST/SW TO EAST/NE INTO THE 20-40 PERCENT RANGE. DESPITE THE WARM ADVECTION...CONSIDERABLE CLOUDINESS AND NE SYNOPTIC FLOW WILL LIMIT MAX TEMPS TO MAINLY THE UPPER 50S AND LOWER 60S. FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY...THE CUT OFF IN THE SW WILL EVENTUALLY START TO OPEN AS IT HEADS EAST INTO THE SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL GREAT PLAINS....WHILE THE DEEP RIDGING PERSISTS ACROSS THE SE. THE COASTAL TROUGH WILL ATTEMPT TO LIFT NORTH/NW AND WILL TRANSFORM INTO A WARM FRONT AS IT PASSES INTO AND NORTH OF THE REGION BY LATE SATURDAY. IT WILL RUN INTO A TRANSIENT WEDGE...WHOSE STRENGTH AT BUCKING THE PROGRESS OF THE TROUGH/WARM FRONT WILL BE DETERMINED BY HOW MUCH RAINFALL OCCURS. THE BETTER FORCING AND DYNAMICS WILL REMAIN OUTSIDE THE CWFA...BUT THERE IS CONTINUED ISENTROPIC UPGLIDE TO SUPPORT 20-40 POPS...GREATEST COVERAGE NW AND NORTH ZONES. THERE ARE EVEN SOME INDICATIONS OF A TAD OF ELEVATED INSTABILITY BY LATE SATURDAY...WITH SHOWALTER INDICES DOWN NEAR ZERO. BUT ANY T-STORM RISK IS FAR TOO REMOTE TO ADD TO THE FORECAST. ONCE THE WARM FRONT MAKES NORTHWARD PROGRESS OUR WIND FIELDS WILL VEER AROUND FROM NE TO SE AND SOUTH...AND A WARMER AND MOISTER AIR MASS WILL ALLOW FOR PATCHY FOG TO FORM OFF THE SE GA COAST BY LATE IN THE DAY. FRIDAY NIGHT WILL BE CONSIDERABLY WARMER THAN TONIGHT WILL BE...WITH PLENTY OF CLOUDS AND WARM ADVECTION. A HUGE THERMAL GRADIENT WILL THEN EXIST SATURDAY...WITH ADJUSTMENTS LIKELY IN LATER FORECASTS PENDING THE PROGRESSION OF THE WARM FRONT AND ASSOCIATED EVAPORATIONAL COOLING IN ANY RAIN. SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY...THE BLOCKING RIDGE CENTERED OVER OR NEAR THE BAHAMAS WILL ATTEMPT TO HOLD FIRM...BUT STARTS TO WEAKEN A BIT AS PHASING TAKES PLACE ALOFT OF THE NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN BRANCHES OF THE JET...AND SHORT WAVES PASS OFF TO THE NW OF THE LOCAL DISTRICT. IN WAKE OF THE NORTHWARD MOVING WARM FRONT THE SUB-TROPICAL ATLANTIC RIDGE WILL BUILD FROM THE OCEAN...WHILE UPSTREAM A COLD FRONT MOVING THROUGH THE OH/TN VALLEYS SATURDAY NIGHT WILL APPROACH LOCALLY FROM THE WEST/NW BY LATE IN THE DAY. A WARM AND STICKY AIR MASS WILL PREVAIL IN THE SO-CALLED WARM SECTOR...LEADING FIRST TO SOME FOG/STRATUS BUILD DOWN AND POSSIBLE ADVECTION ONSHORE OF SEA FOG...THEN TO AN INCREASING RISK FOR SHOWERS AND POSSIBLE T-STORMS. LOW TEMPS SATURDAY NIGHT WILL ACTUALLY BE NEAR WHAT IS CONSIDERED NORMAL HIGHS FOR EARLY JANUARY...BEFORE TEMPS CLIMB INTO THE LOWER-MIDDLE 70S SUNDAY. WIDESPREAD CLOUD COVER WILL LIMIT THE AMOUNT OF INSTABILITY...BUT THERE IS MODEST SHEAR AND SOME FORCING ALOFT FROM A POTENT 175 KT OR GREATER UPPER JET IN THE OH/TN VALLEYS. FOR NOW THE RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER APPEARS LOW AS A RESULT. && .LONG TERM /SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY/... A DAMPENING SHORT WAVE WILL PUSH EAST THROUGH THE CAROLINAS SUNDAY NIGHT AND KICK THE COLD FRONT INTO THE ATLANTIC...TAKING WITH IT THE REMAINS OF CONVECTION. A BROAD TROUGH WILL THEN DEVELOP ALOFT OVER THE EASTERN HALF OF THE NATION FOR THE EARLY AND MIDDLE PART OF NEXT WEEK...AS STRONG SHORT WAVES PERIODICALLY ADVANCE THROUGH THE NORTHERN TIER OF STATES. BEHIND THE COLD FRONT A ROBUST 1050 MB HIGH IN THE SOUTHERN PLAINS WILL BUILD EAST THROUGH MID WEEK...PROVIDING US WITH MUCH COOLER AND DRIER CONDITIONS. EVEN COLDER ARCTIC AIR MAY BE LURKING JUST UPSTREAM AS A COLD FRONT LIKELY MOVES IN NEXT THURSDAY. && .AVIATION /19Z THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO PREVAIL AT KCHS AND KSAV THROUGH 18Z FRIDAY. THE MAIN FORECAST ISSUE REVOLVES AROUND INCREASING MOISTURE AND CLOUDS FROM THE SOUTH THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT AND THE LOW END POTENTIAL FOR PREVAILING MVFR CEILINGS AFTER MIDNIGHT AT KSAV. MODEL GUIDANCE ISN/T TOO BULLISH ON THE POSSIBILITY...BUT MODEL SOUNDINGS AND TIME HEIGHTS SHOW CONSIDERABLE MOISTURE IN THE 2-4 KFT RANGE. UNTIL THERE IS A LITTLE MORE CONFIDENCE...THE FORECAST HAS BEEN LIMITED TO JUST LOW END VFR CEILINGS AT KSAV STARTING AT 03Z. AT KCHS...EXPECT CEILINGS AROUND 5 KFT FOR THE LATTER PART OF THE FORECAST. KSAV ALSO HAS A LOW END CHANCE OF SEEING SOME LIGHT SHOWERS OVERNIGHT...BUT THIS HAS BEEN KEPT OUT OF THE FORECAST. OVERALL CHANCES FOR MVFR CEILINGS AT BOTH TERMINALS INCREASE BY EARLY FRIDAY AFTERNOON. EXTENDED AVIATION OUTLOOK...MODERATE TO HIGH PROBABILITIES OF FLIGHT RESTRICTIONS FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY NIGHT AS THE NEXT SYSTEM IMPACTS THE TERMINALS. && .MARINE... HIGH PRES WILL SPREAD INTO THE MID ATLC AREA AND ADJACENT ATLC WATERS THROUGH TONIGHT MAINTAINING A GENERAL NE SYNOPTIC FLOW THROUGH TONIGHT. THE STRONGER FLOW LOOKS TO PERSIST OVER OUR GEORGIA WATERS BEYOND 20 NM WITH 15 KT FLOW ON AVERAGE SEAWARD FROM GRAYS REEF. A WEAK WAVE OFF THE NE FLORIDA COAST LATER TONIGHT MAY BUMP SPEEDS UP TO 15-20 KT AS SEVERAL MODELS SUGGEST THE GRADIENT PINCHES IN RESPONSE TO THIS FEATURE. THE WEAKER FLOW WILL REMAIN ACROSS THE NEAR SHORE SOUTH CAROLINA WATERS AND OFF CHARLESTON COUNTY WHERE SPEEDS WILL MAINLY BE LESS THAN 10 KT. THROUGH TONIGHT...SEAS WILL AVERAGE 2 FT CAROLINA WATERS AND UP TO 4 FT BEYOND 20 NM OFF THE GEORGIA COAST. FRIDAY...THERE REMAINS ENOUGH PINCHING OF THE GRADIENT IN RESPONSE TO THE COASTAL TROUGH NEAR THE GULF STREAM TO KEEP NE WINDS AS HIGH AS 10 OR 15 KT AND SEAS OF 2 TO 4 FT. FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY...THE COASTAL TROUGH BEGINS A TRANSFORMATION INTO A WARM FRONT THAT GRADUALLY PUSHES INTO AND NORTH OF THE LOCAL WATERS. HOW QUICK THIS PROGRESSION OCCURS IS STILL SOMEWHAT QUESTIONABLE AS THE TROUGH OFTEN GETS HUNG UP BY THE COOLER SHELF WATERS. WE SHOULD STILL HAVE NE WINDS FRIDAY NIGHT...BEFORE WINDS CLOCK AROUND TO THE SE WITH THE PASSAGE OF THE WARM FRONT SATURDAY. WINDS ARE CAPPED AT 15 KT AND SEAS NO MORE THAN 3 OR 4 FT. AFTER THE WINDS VEER AROUND TO THE SE THERE IS AN ADVECTION OF A WARMER AND MORE HUMID AIR MASS WHICH WILL LIKELY PRODUCE AT LEAST PATCHY FOG...ESPECIALLY OVER CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN WATERS OUT 10-15 NM. SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT...ATLANTIC HIGH PRESSURE WILL FILL THE VOID LEFT BEHIND THE NORTHWARD MOVING WARM FRONT...EVENTUALLY GIVING WAY TO A COLD FRONT FROM THE WEST/NW LATE SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT. WARM ADVECTION IN ADVANCE OF THE COLD FRONT WILL LIMIT THE AMOUNT OF MIXING...BUT WE STILL COULD FLIRT WITH MARGINAL SMALL CRAFT ADVISORIES ON AT LEAST SOME WATERS. A BETTER CHANCE OF ADVISORY HEADLINES IN THE COLD ADVECTION AND ISALLOBARIC PRESSURE RISES BEHIND THE FRONT SUNDAY NIGHT. ALSO AT LEAST ISOLATED T-STORMS WILL OCCUR IN ADVANCE OF THE COLD FRONT. SEA FOG COULD ALSO BE A CONCERN IN THE WARM/VERY MOIST ENVIRONMENT PRIOR TO THE FROPA. THIS HAS BEEN ADDED TO THE HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK. MONDAY THROUGH TUESDAY...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORIES ARE STILL POSSIBLE EARLY NEXT WEEK WITH A GOOD PRESSURE GRADIENT TO EXIST BETWEEN THE DEPARTING COLD FRONT AND STRONG CONTINENTAL HIGH PRESSURE ACROSS THE SOUTH AND SE STATES. BUT ANY RISK FOR SEA FOG WILL HAVE ENDED. && .CHS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... GA...NONE. SC...NONE. MARINE...NONE. && NEAR TERM...BSH SHORT TERM...33 LONG TERM...33 AVIATION...BSH MARINE...33
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC 421 AM EST THU JAN 1 2015 GAZ087-088-099>101-114>119-137>141-SCZ040-042>045-047>052-020930- 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- 421 AM EST THU JAN 1 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST GEORGIA AND SOUTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. DENSE FOG...THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR DENSE FOG TO DEVELOP SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY MORNING. A DENSE FOG ADVISORY MAY BE REQUIRED. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ASSISTANCE IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. AMZ330-350-352-354-020930- 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- 421 AM EST THU JAN 1 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR ATLANTIC COASTAL WATERS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. SEA FOG...A WARM AND VERY HUMID AIR MASS WILL MOVE ACROSS THE COOLER ATLANTIC WATERS LATE SATURDAY INTO SUNDAY NIGHT...PRODUCING THE RISK FOR SEA FOG. IF THE COVERAGE OF THE FOG BECOMES WIDESPREAD AND DENSE ENOUGH...THEN DENSE FOG ADVISORIES WOULD BE REQUIRED. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ASSISTANCE IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. AMZ374-020930- WATERS FROM SAVANNAH GA TO ALTAMAHA SOUND GA EXTENDING FROM 20 TO 60 NM- 421 AM EST THU JAN 1 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR ATLANTIC COASTAL WATERS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ASSISTANCE IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME.
The Charleston,SC radar (KCLX), 67 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:04 UTC.
3 thunderstorm wind, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
Chatham County Emergency Management reported two trees blown down and blocking traffic off of Southern Boulevard and Chatham Parkway.
A report of power poles snapped off at the base at Cornell Avenue and Waters Avenue.
The tornado initially touched down near the intersection of Berwick Boulevard and Stonebridge Circle and moved northeast through the Stonebridge neighborhood. The tornado ripped numerous shingles and vinyl siding panels off a number of houses and damaged several large wooden fences. A gazebo was damaged and a trampoline was lifted and thrown for about a quarter of a mile. High winds forced rainwater through the walls of one home and damaged the drywall and carpet. Several large trees were blown over and snapped. Quite a bit of debris was noted hanging in the trees in the back of the neighborhood. One air conditioner unit was lifted and moved several feet.
The tornado then lifted and periodically touched down between Elk Road, Moose Jaw Road and Salt Creek Road for a total path length of three miles. In these areas, large trees were either blown down or snapped, including many large grand oak trees. Two homes were damaged by falling trees.
Port of Savannah police reported that six containers were blown over and a roof was damaged at the Ocean Terminal. Also, several large limbs were blown down just south of the port terminal.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Georgia in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Georgia, 2015Warnings in Georgia, January 2015
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: 555384, 555385, 555383, 555386.