A strong line of thunderstorms developed across central Georgia in the mid afternoon hours and pushed eastward through southeast Georgia in the late afternoon and early evening. The storms developed within a inland trough of low pressure with a upper shortwave trough helping to force the line.
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.
A strong line of thunderstorms developed across central Georgia in the mid afternoon hours and pushed eastward through southeast Georgia in the late afternoon and early evening. The storms developed within a inland trough of low pressure with a upper shortwave trough helping to force the line. A highly unstable airmass with plentiful mid-level dry air created an environment supportive damaging wind gusts across the region.
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 Jul 2, 3:08 PM EST, 1 hour 24 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC 408 PM EDT THU JUL 2 2015 .SYNOPSIS... ATLANTIC HIGH PRESSURE WILL PREVAIL AS A TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE LINGERS INLAND THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM FRIDAY MORNING/... THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT...A BROAD MID LVL TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE WILL REMAIN OVER MUCH OF THE EASTERN CONUS WITH A SERIES OF H5 SHORTWAVES THAT ROUND ITS SOUTHERN BASE OVER THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES. AT THE SFC...THE AREA WILL REMAIN BETWEEN A PIEDMONT TROUGH INLAND AND HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE WESTERN ATLANTIC. THE SETUP WILL FAVOR A WEST/SOUTHWEST FLOW THAT MAINTAINS DEEP MOISTURE OVER THE AREA CHARACTERIZED BY PWATS AROUND 2.0 INCHES. THESE MOISTURE LEVELS ALONG WITH FORCING ALONG THE BASE OF THE LOW PRESSURE TROUGH WILL FAVOR A PERIOD OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER MOST OF THE AREA THIS EVENING INTO EARLY OVERNIGHT HOURS. THE BULK OF PRECIP ACTIVITY WILL COME WITH A H5 SHORTWAVE THAT IS CURRENTLY DEPICTED ON WATER VAPOR IMAGERY OVER THE UPSTATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA. EXPECT PRECIP COVERAGE AND INTENSITY TO PEAK WHILE THIS SHORTWAVE BEGINS TO SHIFT EAST/SOUTHEAST TOWARDS THE AREA THIS EVENING AND EARLY TONIGHT. A FEW OF THE HIRES MODELS INDICATE PRECIP ACTIVITY WILL BE IN THE FORM OF A LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THAT PUSH EASTWARD THROUGH THE AREA. SBCAPES RANGING BETWEEN 2000-3000 J/KG ALONG WITH 20-30 KT LOW LVL WINDS WILL SUPPORT STRONGER AND/OR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH THIS ACTIVITY...ESPECIALLY WHEN ENCOUNTERING THE SEABREEZE. GIVEN THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF SOUTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA AND SOUTHEAST GEORGIA UNTIL 9 PM. THE MAIN THREAT ASSOCIATED WITH THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE DAMAGING WIND GUSTS. STRONGER CONVECTION SHOULD GRADUALLY TAPER OFF FROM WEST TO EAST A FEW HOURS AFTER SUNSET...BUT THERE ARE HINTS WE COULD SEE A FEW SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS LINGER INTO THE OVERNIGHT PERIOD WITH REMAINING SHORTWAVE ACTIVITY THAT PASSES MAINLY OVER NORTHERN AREAS LATE. A SLIGHT CHANCE TO CHANCE OF SHOWERS/THUNDERSTORMS HAVE THEREFORE BEEN INCLUDED IN THE LATEST FORECAST THROUGH MUCH OF THE OVERNIGHT PERIOD. LOW TEMPS WILL RANGE IN THE LOW TO MID 70S. && .SHORT TERM /6 AM FRIDAY MORNING THROUGH SUNDAY/... THIS PERIOD WILL FEATURE MAINLY SUBTLE CHANGES WHICH WILL TRANSLATE IN VARYING THUNDERSTORM POTENTIAL. A BROAD UPPER TROUGH WILL REMAIN IN PLACE FRIDAY. ELEVATED LOWER/MID TROPOSPHERIC WINDS...VORTICITY MAXIMA EMBEDDED WITHIN THE LONGWAVE TROUGH...INSTABILITY AND MESOSCALE BOUNDARIES WILL SUPPORT MULTICELL CLUSTERS OF THUNDERSTORMS WHICH WILL PROPAGATE FROM EAST TO WEST. PER 02/12Z GUIDANCE MAINTAINED AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING POPS GRADUATED FROM LIKELY NORTH TO CHANCE SOUTH/WEST. THE COMBINATION OF ELEVATED WINDS/SHEAR AND INSTABILITY WILL SUPPORT AT LEAST ISOLATED/SPORADIC EPISODES OF SEVERE WEATHER...ESPECIALLY DAMAGING WIND GUSTS. POPS GRADUALLY DECREASE/RETREAT TOWARD THE COAST/ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS FRIDAY NIGHT. THEN...DURING THE FOURTH OF JULY THE ATLANTIC RIDGE SHOULD EXPAND INTO THE REGION AS THE UPPER TROUGH AMPLIFIES/SHARPENS UPSTREAM. THUS...LIMITED POPS TO SLIGHT CHANCE SATURDAY AFTERNOON...AND TEMPERATURES WILL RECOVER INTO THE LOWER/MID 90S. SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY...THE UPSTREAM UPPER TROUGH WILL PRESS E/SE TOWARD THE REGION...NUDGING THE ATLANTIC RIDGE OFFSHORE. THIS COULD PROMOTE THUNDERSTORMS...EITHER DEVELOPING IN PLACE OVER THE REGION OR ONGOING/UPSTREAM CONVECTIVE COMPLEXES PROPAGATING INTO THE FORECAST AREA AS EARLY AS LATER SUNDAY NIGHT. ACCORDINGLY...RAISED POPS TO SLIGHT CHANCE LATE SUNDAY NIGHT. SUNDAY AFTERNOON COULD BECOME QUITE ACTIVE AS ONE OR MORE MULTICELL CLUSTERS OF THUNDERSTORMS WITH AT LEAST AN ISOLATED SEVERE THREAT PUSH INTO THE FORECAST AREA. RAISED MAX POPS INTO THE 45-50 PERCENT RANGE SUNDAY AFTERNOON...BUT LOCALLY GREATER POPS COULD EVENTUALLY BE REQUIRED. && .LONG TERM /SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY/... MEDIUM RANGE GUIDANCE IS IN FAIRLY GOOD AGREEMENT THROUGH THE LONG TERM PERIOD. AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WILL DEEPEN OVER THE SOUTHEAST STATES AND PERSIST THROUGH MID-WEEK. MEANWHILE AT THE SURFACE... ATLANTIC HIGH PRESSURE WILL PREVAIL AS A PIEDMONT TROUGH PERSISTS INLAND. THIS PATTERN WILL FAVOR CHANCES OF MAINLY DIURNALLY DRIVEN SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EACH DAY...WITH THE GREATEST COVERAGE LIKELY TO OCCUR MONDAY AND TUESDAY. TEMPERATURES WILL GENERALLY BE NEAR NORMAL...WITH HIGHS AROUND 90 OR IN THE LOWER 90S AND LOWS IN THE LOWER TO MID 70S. && .AVIATION /20Z THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... VFR CIGS/VSBYS SHOULD PREVAIL AT BOTH TERMINALS THROUGH 22Z. SHOWERS/THUNDERSTORMS WILL THEN BE POSSIBLE LATE AFTERNOON INTO EVENING HOURS...PRODUCING A PERIOD OF FLIGHT RESTRICTIONS AT EITHER TERMINAL. HAVE MAINTAINED A TEMPO GROUP OF MVFR VSBYS ASSOCIATED WITH THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY BETWEEN 22-01Z AT BOTH CHS AND SAV TERMINALS. IN ADDITION...STRONG WIND GUSTS WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH 01Z AT BOTH TERMINALS. VFR CIGS/VSBYS WILL LIKELY RETURN AT BOTH TERMINALS OVERNIGHT AND PERSIST INTO LATE MORNING HOURS ON FRIDAY. EXTENDED AVIATION OUTLOOK...BRIEF FLIGHT RESTRICTIONS ARE POSSIBLE IN MAINLY AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. OTHERWISE...VFR CONDITIONS ARE GENERALLY EXPECTED TO PREVAIL. && .MARINE... THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT...ATLANTIC HIGH PRESSURE WILL DOMINATE THE WEATHER PATTERN OVER THE COASTAL WATERS WITH A PIEDMONT TROUGH SITUATED INLAND. IN GENERAL...SOUTH/SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL REMAIN AT OR BELOW 15-20 KTS...HIGHEST NEAR A SEABREEZE CIRCULATION AND DURING NOCTURNAL LOW LEVEL JETTING. SEAS WILL RANGE BETWEEN 2-4 FT. WINDS AND SEAS WILL VARY WITHIN THUNDERSTORMS THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT...ESPECIALLY AS A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS SHIFTS OFFSHORE SHORTLY AFTER NIGHTFALL. A FEW THUNDERSTORMS COULD BE STRONG WITH DAMAGING WINDS BEING THE PRIMARY CONCERN. FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...A PERSISTENT PATTERN FEATURING ATLANTIC HIGH PRESSURE AND AN INLAND SURFACE TROUGH WILL CONTINUE WITH ONLY MINOR FLUCTUATIONS. A TIGHTENED PRESSURE GRADIENT BETWEEN THE TWO FEATURES WILL MAINTAIN ELEVATED WINDS/SEAS THROUGH THE PERIOD. IN FACT...IT APPEARS THAT CONDITIONS COULD REACH MARGINAL SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY CRITERIA OVER A PORTION OF THE WATERS...ESPECIALLY ACROSS AMZ350 AND AMZ374...FRIDAY NIGHT. OTHERWISE...SEA BREEZE CIRCULATIONS AND NOCTURNAL LOW LEVEL JETTING WILL ALLOW SOUTH/SOUTHWEST WINDS TO PEAK NEAR 15-20 KTS. SEAS WILL BE 2-4 FEET ON AVERAGE...BUT COULD REACH 5 FT IN THE OUTER PORTIONS OF THE WATERS DURING NOCTURNAL SURGES. RIP CURRENTS...ELEVATED S/SW WINDS AND ASTRONOMICAL FACTORS WILL CONTINUE ESPECIALLY ALONG THE CHARLESTON COUNTY COAST FRIDAY. THUS...WILL ONCE AGAIN INDICATE A MODERATE RISK FOR RIP CURRENTS HERE FRIDAY. AN ELEVATED RISK FOR RIP CURRENTS COULD THEN PERSIST INTO THE FOURTH OF JULY WEEKEND. && .CHS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... GA...NONE. SC...NONE. MARINE...NONE. && SYNOPSIS... NEAR TERM...DPB SHORT TERM...SPR LONG TERM...JAQ AVIATION...DPB/SPR MARINE...DPB/SPR
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC 358 PM EDT THU JUL 2 2015 AMZ330-GAZ087-088-099>101-114>119-137>141-SCZ040-042>045-047>049-051- 052-032000- CHARLESTON HARBOR-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-COASTAL JASPER- TIDAL BERKELEY- 358 PM EDT THU JUL 2 2015 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 385 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...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING...A FEW THUNDERSTORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE WITH DAMAGING WIND GUSTS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... PLEASE RELAY ANY REPORTS OF HAZARDOUS WEATHER INCLUDING...BUT NOT LIMITED TO LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...AND FLOODING TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHARLESTON AT 1-888-383-2024. AMZ350-352-354-374-032000- 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- WATERS FROM SAVANNAH GA TO ALTAMAHA SOUND GA EXTENDING FROM 20 TO 60 NM- 358 PM EDT THU JUL 2 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR ATLANTIC COASTAL WATERS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. STRONG THUNDERSTORMS...THUNDERSTORMS WITH STRONG WIND GUSTS...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND VERY HEAVY RAIN WILL IMPACT COASTAL WATERS THIS EVENING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. STRONG THUNDERSTORMS...THUNDERSTORMS WITH STRONG WIND GUSTS...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND VERY HEAVY RAIN COULD IMPACT COASTAL WATERS FRIDAY...ESPECIALLY DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... PLEASE RELAY ANY REPORTS OF HAZARDOUS WEATHER INCLUDING...BUT NOT LIMITED TO LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...AND FLOODING TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHARLESTON AT 1-888-383-2024. SCZ050-032000- CHARLESTON- 358 PM EDT THU JUL 2 2015 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 385 IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM EDT THIS EVENING... ...MODERATE RISK FOR RIP CURRENTS IN EFFECT THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR 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. MODERATE RISK FOR RIP CURRENTS. SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. MODERATE RISK FOR RIP CURRENTS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... PLEASE RELAY ANY REPORTS OF HAZARDOUS WEATHER INCLUDING...BUT NOT LIMITED TO LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...AND FLOODING TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHARLESTON AT 1-888-383-2024.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC
1157 AM EDT THU JUL 02 2015
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0300 PM RIP CURRENTS 1 WSW FOLLY BEACH 32.65N 79.94W
07/01/2015 CHARLESTON SC LIFEGUARD
A FOLLY BEACH LIFEGUARD REPORTED 1 RESCUE RELATED TO A
RIP CURRENT NEAR THE FOLLY BEACH PIER.
&&
EVENT NUMBER CHS1500527
DPBPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC
109 PM EDT THU JUL 02 2015
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0103 PM MARINE TSTM WIND 4 ESE CHARLESTON 32.75N 79.87W
07/02/2015 M39 MPH AMZ330 SC MESONET
THE FT. SUMTER WEATHERFLOW SITE MEASURED A 34 KNOT...39
MPH...WIND GUST.
&&
EVENT NUMBER CHS1500528
BSHPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC
130 PM EDT THU JUL 02 2015
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0108 PM MARINE TSTM WIND 4 ESE CHARLESTON 32.75N 79.87W
07/02/2015 M41 MPH AMZ330 SC MESONET
PEAK GUST OF 36 KNOTS...41 MPH...AT THE FT SUMTER
WEATHERFLOW SITE FROM THE PASSING THUNDERSTORM.
&&
EVENT NUMBER CHS1500529
BSHThe Charleston,SC radar (KCLX), 86 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:32 UTC.
13 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Jenkins County dispatch reported numerous large limbs, 10 inches or more in diameter, blown onto power lines on Harvey Street.
Tattnall County dispatch reported a tree down on Kemp Street.
Power lines were reported down in Rocky Ford by law enforcement.
Two trees were blown down along Highway 129 near the Hillview Road intersection.
Screven County dispatch reported a tree down on Buttermilk Road just outside of Sylvania.
Screven County dispatch reported a tree down on Victory Drive.
Screven County dispatch reported numerous trees down along Statesboro Highway near Sylvania.
Tattnall County dispatch reported a tree down across Cyril P Burkhalter Road.
Numerous large pine trees and tree limbs reported down near the East Georgia Regional Medical Center.
Numerous large tree limbs, as large as 6 to 8 inches in diameter, reported down around the town of Ludowici.
A trained spotter reported a tree down near the intersection of Highway 119 and Highway 80, north of Ellabell.
The Liberty County Emergency Manager reported that there were many trees blown down in and around Riceboro, extending to the Long County border. The trees brought down many power lines which resulted in widespread power outages.
The Tybee South Weatherflow site measured a 51 knot wind gust with a passing line of thunderstorms.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Georgia in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in Georgia, July 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: 592973, 592974, 592975, 592976, 592977, 592978, 592979, 592980, 592981, 592982, 592983, 592985, 592987.