Scattered thunderstorms produced wind damage and some hail in the Midlands.
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.
Scattered thunderstorms produced wind damage and some hail in the Midlands.
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 Jul 2, 12:51 PM EST, 1 hour 49 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA SC 151 PM EDT THU JUL 2 2015 .SYNOPSIS... AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH...WEAK SURFACE BOUNDARIES...AND PLENTIFUL ATMOSPHERIC MOISTURE WILL REMAIN IN PLACE...PROVIDING A GOOD CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS AND NEAR NORMAL TEMPERATURES THROUGH THE WEEKEND. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... CONVERGENCE INTO A WEAK SURFACE TROUGH SHOULD HELP SUPPORT THUNDERSTORMS. EXPECT GREATER COVERAGE LATE THIS AFTERNOON ASSOCIATED WITH LIFT AHEAD OF A MID-LEVEL SHORTWAVE TROUGH PLUS HEATING. THE MODELS ALSO SHOW INCREASING SHEAR AHEAD OF AN H85 JET. THE NAM IS MOST PRONOUNCED WITH THIS FEATURE WITH H85 WINDS INCREASING TO 40 KNOTS TONIGHT. THERE IS A POSSIBILITY A BOW ECHO WILL DEVELOP AHEAD OF THE JET. THE SPC WRF AND HRRR SUGGEST A WELL ORGANIZED AREA OF STORMS WITH BOW TYPE FEATURES LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. DAMAGING WIND MAY OCCUR. THE H85 JET MAY HELP MAINTAIN SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH MUCH OF TONIGHT ALTHOUGH THERE IS UNCERTAINTY BECAUSE OF THE STABILIZING EFFECTS OF PREVIOUS CONVECTION. PRECIPITABLE WATER INCREASING TO JUST OVER 2 INCHES INDICATES EXCESSIVE RAIN IS POSSIBLE. CLOUDINESS AND MIXING SHOULD HELP HOLD UP TEMPERATURES TONIGHT. USED THE WARMER TEMPERATURE GUIDANCE. && .SHORT TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT/... AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WILL REMAIN OVER THE E CONUS...WITH A SERIES OF EMBEDDED SHORT WAVES PROGGED TO MOVE THROUGH THE REGION. WEAK LEE SIDE SURFACE TROUGH WILL REMAIN OVER THE CENTRAL CAROLINAS FRIDAY. A FRONTAL BOUNDARY TO OUR NORTH APPEARS WILL SLOWLY SLIP SOUTH TO NEAR OUR NORTHERN FORECAST AREA SAT. MODELS MAINTAIN PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES AROUND 1.8 TO 2 INCHES FRIDAY...AND 1.6 TO 1.8 INCHES SAT/SUN. CHANCE TO GOOD CHANCE POPS SEEM REASONABLE. MOST CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY WOULD APPEAR TO BE DIURNALLY FAVORED...THOUGH TIMING OF SHORT WAVES AND PRESENCE OF SURFACE BOUNDARIES COULD PROVIDE AT LEAST A SLIGHT CHANCE AT OTHER TIMES. LATEST VISIBLE SATELLITE IMAGES INDICATES AREA OF SMOKE THAT WAS OVER OUR REGION YESTERDAY HAS PUSHED WELL EAST OF OUR FORECAST AREA...MAINLY OFFSHORE THE MID ATLANTIC COAST. SATELLITE...METARS AND PIREPS DO NOT APPEAR TO INDICATE ANY SIGNIFICANT SMOKE OR HAZE IMMEDIATELY UPSTREAM...BUT THERE IS A LARGE AREA OVER CENTRAL CANADA SOUTH INTO THE NORTHERN PLAINS AND UPPER MIDWEST. WITH AN UPPER TROUGH OVER THE E CONUS...THERE IS SOME CONCERN THAT ADDITIONAL SMOKE COULD DRIFT INTO OUR REGION. HOWEVER...LATEST MODELS INDICATE SHORT WAVE ENERGY WILL SHIFT FROM NORTHERN PLAINS SE INTO THE MIDWEST BY SAT/SUN...WITH TROUGH AXIS STAYING JUST TO OUR N AND NW WHICH APPEARS TO SHIFT THE UPPER FLOW OVER OUR REGION TO MORE WSW OR SW. THIS WOULD SUGGEST SMOKE STAYING TO OUR NORTH...BUT THERE IS UNCERTAINTY ON THAT. BUT FOR NOW...NOT ENOUGH CONFIDENCE TO INCLUDE HAZE MENTION FOR FRI OR SAT. && .LONG TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... BY SUNDAY...MODELS BEGIN TO SHIFT THE MAIN UPPER FLOW TO OUR NORTH WITH WEAK SOUTHERN STREAM UPPER TROUGHINESS REMAINING OVER THE SE CONUS/MID ATLANTIC...WITH SOME INDICATIONS THAT AN UPPER LOW COULD CUT OFF OVER THE CENTRAL APPS/MID ATLANTIC. AT THE SURFACE...WEAK FRONTAL BOUNDARY APPEARS WILL SLIP SOUTH INTO OUR FORECAST AREA AND STALL THRU MON...WITH SUFFICIENT ATMOSPHERIC MOISTURE REMAINING OVER OUR FA. CHANCE TO GOOD CHANCE POPS CONTINUE TO APPEAR REASONABLE. SOME INDICATIONS BY MID WEEK THAT THE UPPER FLOW COULD BECOME LESS AMPLIFIED AND MORE ZONAL THOUGH THE MAIN UPPER FLOW STILL REMAINS TO OUR NORTH. THIS APPEARS WILL ALLOW THE UPPER TROUGH AXIS TO SHIFT EAST SOME...WITH EXPECTATIONS OF SURFACE BOUNDARY BECOMING DIFFUSE AND POSSIBLY OF SOME SLIGHTLY DRIER AIR ENTERING TUE INTO WED. TOO MUCH UNCERTAINTY THIS FAR OUT FOR THAT KIND OF DAY TO DAY DETAIL...BUT WILL TWEAK POPS DOWN JUST A TAD FOR TUE/WED...BUT STILL CHANCE. POSSIBILITIES OF ANOTHER FRONT APPROACHING LATE WED INTO THU. GENERALLY ACCEPTED A BLEND OF LATEST HPC AND MOS GUIDANCE THROUGH THE PERIOD. && .AVIATION /18Z THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... CONVERGENCE INTO A SURFACE TROUGH PLUS UPPER TROUGHING WILL HELP SUPPORT A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH THE TAF PERIOD. EXPECT GREATEST COVERAGE LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND POSSIBLY THROUGH MUCH OF TONIGHT ASSOCIATED WITH AN H5 SHORTWAVE TROUGH AND H85 JET. RADAR TRENDS WITH CONVECTION WELL UPSTREAM AND HRRR TRENDS WOULD SUGGEST THE MOST LIKELY THUNDERSTORM TIMING LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. AN AREA OF WELL ORGANIZED THUNDERSTORMS MAY DEVELOP ASSOCIATED WITH THE UPPER-LEVEL SUPPORT AND AHEAD OF THE LOW- LEVEL JET. DAMAGING WIND WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ASSOCIATED WITH THE LOW-LEVEL JET MAY OCCUR DURING MUCH OF TONIGHT ALTHOUGH THERE IS UNCERTAINTY BECAUSE OF THE STABILIZING EFFECTS OF PREVIOUS CONVECTION. SHEAR ASSOCIATED WITH THE LOW-LEVEL JET MAY BE CLOSE TO MEETING THE LLWS CRITERIA LATE TONIGHT. EXTENDED AVIATION OUTLOOK...THERE IS A CHANCE OF RESTRICTIONS THROUGH THE PERIOD IN MAINLY AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS... AND PERIODS OF MORNING FOG. && .CAE WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... SC...NONE. GA...NONE. && 99
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA SC 1012 AM EDT THU JUL 2 2015 GAZ040-063>065-077-SCZ015-016-018-020>022-025>031-035>038-041- 031415- LINCOLN-MCDUFFIE-COLUMBIA-RICHMOND-BURKE-LANCASTER-CHESTERFIELD- MCCORMICK-NEWBERRY-FAIRFIELD-KERSHAW-EDGEFIELD-SALUDA-LEXINGTON- RICHLAND-LEE-AIKEN-SUMTER-BARNWELL-ORANGEBURG-CALHOUN-CLARENDON- BAMBERG- 1012 AM EDT THU JUL 2 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST CENTRAL GEORGIA AND CENTRAL SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THUNDERSTORMS LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT COULD POSSIBLY CONTAIN DAMAGING WIND. EXCESSIVE RAIN IS POSSIBLE IN SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY THUNDERSTORMS FRIDAY AND SATURDAY COULD POSSIBLY CONTAIN DAMAGING WINDS. EXCESSIVE RAINFALL WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED LATE THIS AFTERNOON OR TONIGHT.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA SC
243 PM EDT THU JUL 2 2015
SCZ025-026-021915-
SALUDA-EDGEFIELD-
243 PM EDT THU JUL 2 2015
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT EASTERN MCCORMICK...CENTRAL
SALUDA AND NORTH CENTRAL EDGEFIELD COUNTIES...
AT 242 PM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS 7 MILES SOUTH OF NINETY SIX
HISTORIC SITE...OR 13 MILES SOUTHEAST OF GREENWOOD...MOVING EAST AT
25 MPH.
WIND GUSTS OF 45 TO 55 MPH AND PEA SIZE HAIL ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS
STORM.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
SALUDA.
LAT...LON 3396 8201 3399 8199 3404 8195 3409 8192
3410 8189 3413 8188 3414 8166 3387 8168
3395 8207
TIME...MOT...LOC 1842Z 274DEG 21KT 3403 8200The Greer radar (KGSP), 70 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:41 UTC.
19 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Highway Patrol reported trees down along I-26 near MM 63.
Highway Patrol reported trees down along Lalapa Road between I-26 and Hwy 76.
Highway Patrol reported trees down near the intersection of Hwy 176 and SC 121.
Highway Patrol reported trees down near the intersection of Mt. Pleasant Road and Ringer Road.
Dispatch reported trees down along Garrett Road.
Public reported penny size hail along Copeland road just north of Heath Springs.
Sheriff reported trees down near the town of Kershaw.
Public reported large branches down near Dutch Fork High School.
Dispatch reported trees down along 9th Street in Winnsboro Mills.
Highway Patrol reported trees down along Old Graniteville Road and along I-20 near Vaucluse.
Dispatch reported trees down along Old River Road.
DOT reported trees down along Whaley Pond Road near Gooseberry Court.
Dispatch reported trees down along White Oak Church Road.
Highway Patrol reported trees down near the intersection of Gardners Terrace Road and Hwy 321.
Public reported a tree fell on a home in the Olympia neighborhood of Columbia.
Highway Patrol reported trees down in North Augusta near the 5th street bridge.
SKYWARN spotter reported several trees down along Gardenia Road.
SKYWARN spotter reported trees down in the town of North and a measured wind gust of 52 mph.
Highway Patrol reported trees down on Plowden Mill Road and Radical Road in Sumter.
Highway Patrol reported trees down near R.E. Davis Elementary School.
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, 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: 575745, 575746, 575747, 575748, 575749, 575744, 575750, 575751, 575752, 575753, 575754, 575755, 575756, 575757, 575758, 575759, 575760, 575761, 575762, 575763.