Heavy rainfall across the area produced flash flooding and flooding along area creeks and roadways.
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 CAE wrote it up.
Heavy rainfall across the area produced flash flooding and flooding along area creeks and roadways.
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 Dec 22, 6:04 AM EST, 1 hour 21 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA SC 604 AM EST TUE DEC 22 2015 .SYNOPSIS... A WARM AND MOIST SOUTH FLOW WILL DOMINATE THROUGH MUCH OF THE WEEK ASSOCIATED WITH OFFSHORE HIGH PRESSURE AND A STALLED FRONTAL SYSTEM. .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... A MOIST AND WARM SOUTH FLOW BETWEEN HIGH PRESSURE IN THE ATLANTIC AND LOW PRESSURE IN THE CENTRAL PART OF THE NATION WILL CONTINUE THROUGH TONIGHT. UPSTREAM PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES AND MODEL GUIDANCE INDICATES PRECIPITABLE WATER WILL INCREASE TO NEAR CLIMATOLOGICAL MAXIMUM VALUES FOR THE TIME OF YEAR OF AROUND 1.8 OF AN INCH. SHOWERS WERE OCCURRING OVER MUCH OF THE FORECAST AREA EARLY THIS MORNING ASSOCIATED MAINLY WITH AN H85 JET AND H5 SHORTWAVE TROUGH. THE SHOWERS WERE HEAVIEST IN THE WEST PART OF THE FORECAST AREA EARLY THIS MORNING. RADAR TRENDS SUPPORT A PERIOD OF TRAINING THIS MORNING. UPSTREAM RAIN TOTALS HAVE BEEN AROUND 2 INCHES AND BELOW FLASH FLOOD GUIDANCE SO FOR NOW WE HAVE HELD OFF ISSUING A FLOOD WATCH FOR THE WEST PART OF THE FORECAST AREA FOR THIS MORNING. THE HIGH-RESOLUTION MODELS SUGGEST THE BULK OF THE SHOWERS WILL SHIFT EASTWARD AND WEAKEN LATER THIS MORNING MOST LIKELY IN THE WAKE OF A MID-LEVEL SHORTWAVE TROUGH LIFTING NORTHEAST OF THE AREA. THE MODELS SUGGEST SHOWER COVERAGE WILL INCREASE AGAIN TONIGHT AHEAD OF ANOTHER IN THE SERIES OF SHORTWAVE TROUGHS IN THE SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT. WE HAVE FORECASTED GENERAL RAIN TOTALS TODAY AND TONIGHT AROUND 1 INCH CLOSE TO THE AMOUNTS INDICATED BY THE NAM...GFS...ECMWF. THERE MAY BE ENOUGH INSTABILITY FOR A FEW THUNDERSTORMS BUT WITH THE FORECAST SOUNDINGS NEAR MOIST ADIABATIC THE RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS APPEARS LOW DESPITE STRONG SHEAR WITH H85 WINDS AROUND 40 KNOTS. THE GUIDANCE TEMPERATURES WERE CONSISTENT WITH HIGHS AROUND 70. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... A MOIST AND WARM SOUTH FLOW BETWEEN HIGH PRESSURE IN THE ATLANTIC AND LOW PRESSURE IN THE CENTRAL PART OF THE NATION WILL CONTINUE THROUGH TONIGHT. UPSTREAM PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES AND MODEL GUIDANCE INDICATES PRECIPITABLE WATER WILL INCREASE TO NEAR CLIMATOLOGICAL MAXIMUM VALUES FOR THE TIME OF YEAR OF AROUND 1.8 OF AN INCH. SHOWERS WERE OCCURRING OVER MUCH OF THE FORECAST AREA EARLY THIS MORNING ASSOCIATED MAINLY WITH AN H85 JET AND H5 SHORTWAVE TROUGH. THE SHOWERS WERE HEAVIEST IN THE WEST PART OF THE FORECAST AREA EARLY THIS MORNING. RADAR TRENDS SUPPORT A PERIOD OF TRAINING THIS MORNING. UPSTREAM RAIN TOTALS HAVE BEEN AROUND 2 INCHES AND BELOW FLASH FLOOD GUIDANCE SO FOR NOW WE HAVE HELD OFF ISSUING A FLOOD WATCH FOR THE WEST PART OF THE FORECAST AREA FOR THIS MORNING. THE HIGH-RESOLUTION MODELS SUGGEST THE BULK OF THE SHOWERS WILL SHIFT EASTWARD AND WEAKEN LATER THIS MORNING MOST LIKELY IN THE WAKE OF A MID-LEVEL SHORTWAVE TROUGH LIFTING NORTHEAST OF THE AREA. THE MODELS SUGGEST SHOWER COVERAGE WILL INCREASE AGAIN TONIGHT AHEAD OF ANOTHER IN THE SERIES OF SHORTWAVE TROUGHS IN THE SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT. WE HAVE FORECASTED GENERAL RAIN TOTALS TODAY AND TONIGHT AROUND 1 INCH CLOSE TO THE AMOUNTS INDICATED BY THE NAM...GFS...ECMWF. THERE MAY BE ENOUGH INSTABILITY FOR A FEW THUNDERSTORMS BUT WITH THE FORECAST SOUNDINGS NEAR MOIST ADIABATIC THE RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS APPEARS LOW DESPITE STRONG SHEAR WITH H85 WINDS AROUND 40 KNOTS. THE GUIDANCE TEMPERATURES WERE CONSISTENT WITH HIGHS AROUND 70. && .SHORT TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT/... THE WARM AND MOIST SOUTHERLY LOW-LEVEL FLOW WILL CONTINUE WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT. THERE WILL BE A SERIES OF SHORTWAVE TROUGHS IN THE SOUTHWEST MID-LEVEL FLOW. PRECIPITABLE WATER SHOULD REMAIN VERY HIGH. THE NAM AND GFS MOS INDICATE LIKELY OR CATEGORICAL POPS. FORECAST SOUNDINGS INDICATE AN UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE THROUGH THE PERIOD AND WE HAVE INCLUDED A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS. THERE IS A POSSIBILITY OF SEVERE WEATHER WEDNESDAY AND THE SPC HAS PART OF THE FORECAST AREA OUTLOOKED IN A MARGINAL RISK WITH SOME INSTABILITY AND A STRONG H85 JET PRESENT TO SUPPORT ORGANIZED CONVECTION. THE LIMITING FACTOR MAY BE A LACK OF SURFACE-BASED INSTABILITY BECAUSE OF ONGOING SHOWERS AND CLOUD COVER. TEMPERATURES DURING THIS PERIOD WILL BE WELL ABOVE NORMAL. USED THE GUIDANCE CONSENSUS FOR THE TEMPERATURE FORECAST. && .LONG TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY/... THE GFS AND ECMWF GENERALLY INDICATE HIGH PRESSURE IN THE ATLANTIC CIRCULATING WARM AND MOIST AIR INTO THE FORECAST AREA DURING MUCH OF THE MEDIUM-RANGE PERIOD. THE GFS AND ECMWF MOS INDICATE MUCH ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES AND POPS 20 TO 40 PERCENT. && .AVIATION /12Z TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/... MVFR/IFR CONDITIONS EARLY THIS MORNING...WITH SOME POSSIBLE IMPROVEMENT LATER THIS AFTERNOON. HIGH PRESSURE CENTERED WELL OFF THE ATLANTIC COAST WITH A COLD FRONT APPROACHING THE MS RIVER. UPPER IMPULSE AND SURFACE WAVE WILL SHIFT NE FROM THE GULF COAST TO THE CAROLINAS THIS MORNING. RESULTANT INCREASING LOW LEVEL MOISTURE FLUX AND ISENTROPIC LIFT EXPECTED TO BRING RAIN INTO THE REGION...RESULTING IN DETERIORATING CIGS/VSBYS THIS MORNING. LATEST COMPOSITE RADAR SHOWING LIGHT TO OCCASIONAL MODERATE RAIN OVER PORTIONS OF CENTRAL SC AND THE GA CSRA THIS MORNING. MVFR/IFR CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE THIS MORNING...WITH SOME POSSIBLE BRIEF IMPROVEMENT DURING THE AFTERNOON IF THERE ARE BREAKS IN THE PRECIPITATION. HOWEVER...CIGS/VSBYS WILL WORSEN AFTER 00Z WEDNESDAY AS THE CHANCES FOR RAIN INCREASES ONCE AGAIN. EXTENDED AVIATION OUTLOOK...ANOTHER WAVE OF RAIN...WITH RESTRICTIONS LOWERING TO IFR/POSSIBLY LIFR...EXPECTED WEDNESDAY. CHANCE OF RAIN WITH RESTRICTIONS...FAVORED MAINLY LATE NIGHT/EARLY MORNING...THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. && .CAE WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... GA...NONE. SC...NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA SC 451 AM EST TUE DEC 22 2015 GAZ040-063>065-077-SCZ015-016-018-020>022-025>031-035>038-041-231000- LINCOLN-MCDUFFIE-COLUMBIA-RICHMOND-BURKE-LANCASTER-CHESTERFIELD- MCCORMICK-NEWBERRY-FAIRFIELD-KERSHAW-EDGEFIELD-SALUDA-LEXINGTON- RICHLAND-LEE-AIKEN-SUMTER-BARNWELL-ORANGEBURG-CALHOUN-CLARENDON- BAMBERG- 451 AM EST TUE DEC 22 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE MIDLANDS OF SOUTH CAROLINA AND THE CENTRAL SAVANNAH RIVER AREA OF GEORGIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN MAY RESULT IN FLOODING ALONG SMALL STREAMS AND IN URBAN LOCATIONS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN MAY RESULT IN FLOODING ALONG SMALL STREAMS AND IN URBAN LOCATIONS WEDNESDAY. RIVER FLOOD WARNINGS MAY BE NEEDED FOR SOME RIVER FORECAST POINTS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
The Columbia radar (KCAE), 9 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 12:22 UTC.
3 flash flood, 3 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
USGS Gage along Rocky Branch Creek crested at 10.07 feet at 800 am. Flood stage is 7.2 feet. This resulted in the intersection of Main Street and Whaley Street to be closed.
Highway Patrol reported roadway flooding at Three Dog Road and Highway 76.
Highway Patrol reported roadway flooding at John M. Hardee Expressway and Lexington Drive.
Highway Patrol reported roadway flooding at Old Hilton Road and Dutch Fork Road Highway 76.
Local media reported flooding in the Five Points area along Blossom Street.
Public report of portions of Gervais Street at the underpass near Gregg Street was flooded.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in South Carolina in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in South Carolina, December 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: 608306, 608312, 608310, 608314, 608307, 608309.