Isolated severe storm produced wind damage.
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.
Isolated severe storm produced wind damage.
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 May 31, 6:56 PM EST, 1 hour 34 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Columbia SC 756 PM EDT TUE MAY 31 2016 .SYNOPSIS... The remnant circulation center of Bonnie will remain near the North Carolina coast through Thursday. A slow moving cold front will approach the forecast area over the weekend. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM WEDNESDAY MORNING/... Remains of Bonnie currently near Cape Fear and continues to move slowly northeastward with clouds and showers remaining over portions of the eastern Midlands to the coast. Latest radar composite showing showers with a few thunderstorms over portions of the Pee Dee and Lowcountry, with other storms over portions of the Midlands. Latest run of the SPC HRRR indicating that the convection will diminish early this evening with loss of daytime heating. High low-level moisture and nocturnal cooling will likely lead to areas of stratus and fog late tonight. Lows tonight will be in the upper 60s to near 70. && .SHORT TERM /6 AM WEDNESDAY MORNING THROUGH THURSDAY/... The models display a weak trough in or just south of the forecast area through Thursday. This trough extends southwestward from the remnant tropical system Bonnie which is forecast to remain near the North Carolina coast through Thursday. High low-level moisture associated with this system will continue. Nocturnal cooling combined with this moisture will likely lead to the development of areas of stratus and fog during the early morning hours. Heating and mixing should help dissipate the stratus and fog later in the morning. The models indicate weak upper ridging but with h5 temperatures -8 to -9 C and strong heating expect moderate instability will occur during the days. The NAM indicates surface- based LI's -6 to -7. Expect mainly diurnal thunderstorms with coverage limited by shallow moisture. Forecasted chance pops as supported by the guidance consensus. The temperature guidance was consistent. && .LONG TERM /THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY/... The GFS and ECMWF display a front slowly moving toward the forecast area over the weekend. The models depict the deepest moisture Sunday night ahead of the front with the front moving through the area Monday. It may be dry behind the front for Tuesday. Followed the guidance consensus for the pops and temperatures during the medium-range period. Forecasted chance pops with temperatures a little above normal. && .AVIATION /00Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... Current radar indicates scattered to isolated convection across the forecast area. Isolated pulse thunderstorms will be slow moving due to the weak wind field. Development will die down after sunset. Continued high level moisture is expected to result in some fog or stratus late tonight/early Wednesday morning. Favored the NAM guidance which has restrictions similar to last night. Included MVFR CIGS and visibilities at CAE/CUB/OGB however CIGS may go down to IFR early Wednesday morning. Fog may be a concern at fog-prone AGS with less cloud cover expected over the CSRA tonight. Wednesday, expect light winds throughout the day, generally out of the north but variable at times. Without much change in the moisture profile, scattered to isolated afternoon showers and thunderstorms may develop. EXTENDED AVIATION OUTLOOK...Chance of diurnal convection through Friday. A cold front will approach the area over the weekend bringing associated restrictions. && .CAE WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... GA...None. SC...None. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA SC 413 AM EDT TUE MAY 31 2016 GAZ040-063>065-077-SCZ015-016-018-020>022-025>031-035>038-041-010815- LINCOLN-MCDUFFIE-COLUMBIA-RICHMOND-BURKE-LANCASTER-CHESTERFIELD- MCCORMICK-NEWBERRY-FAIRFIELD-KERSHAW-EDGEFIELD-SALUDA-LEXINGTON- RICHLAND-LEE-AIKEN-SUMTER-BARNWELL-ORANGEBURG-CALHOUN-CLARENDON- BAMBERG- 413 AM EDT TUE MAY 31 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE MIDLANDS OF SOUTH CAROLINA AND THE CENTRAL SAVANNAH RIVER AREA OF GEORGIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA SC
722 PM EDT TUE MAY 31 2016
SCZ027-028-030-036-037-010015-
LEXINGTON-RICHLAND-CALHOUN-ORANGEBURG-AIKEN-
722 PM EDT TUE MAY 31 2016
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHWESTERN ORANGEBURG...
NORTHWESTERN CALHOUN...SOUTHERN RICHLAND...SOUTHEASTERN LEXINGTON AND
EAST CENTRAL AIKEN COUNTIES...
AT 722 PM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS NEAR GASTON...OR 14 MILES
SOUTH OF CAYCE...WAS DRIFTING SLOWLY SOUTH.
WIND GUSTS OF 35 TO 40 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
GASTON...SWANSEA...NORTH...PELION AND WOODFORD.
LAT...LON 3383 8109 3380 8084 3372 8076 3359 8116
3375 8133
TIME...MOT...LOC 2322Z 012DEG 7KT 3375 8102
AWPSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA SC 819 PM EDT TUE MAY 31 2016 SCZ036-041-010115- ORANGEBURG-BAMBERG- 819 PM EDT TUE MAY 31 2016 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT CENTRAL ORANGEBURG AND SOUTHEASTERN BAMBERG COUNTIES... AT 819 PM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS OVER ORANGEBURG...MOVING SOUTH AT 20 MPH. WIND GUSTS OF 35 TO 45 MPH AND PEA SIZE HAIL ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... ORANGEBURG...BAMBERG...BROOKDALE...BRANCHVILLE...BOWMAN...NEESES... ROWESVILLE...CORDOVA...LIVINGSTON...COPE...WILKINSON HEIGHTS AND EDISTO. LAT...LON 3355 8113 3358 8080 3325 8065 3311 8092 TIME...MOT...LOC 0019Z 343DEG 16KT 3348 8088 AWP
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA SC
854 PM EDT TUE MAY 31 2016
SCZ035-036-041-010200-
BARNWELL-ORANGEBURG-BAMBERG-
854 PM EDT TUE MAY 31 2016
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT WEST CENTRAL ORANGEBURG...
EASTERN BARNWELL AND NORTHWESTERN BAMBERG COUNTIES...
AT 854 PM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS OVER BLACKVILLE...OR 10
MILES NORTH OF BARNWELL...MOVING SOUTH AT 10 MPH.
WIND GUSTS OF 35 TO 45 MPH AND PEA SIZE HAIL ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS
STORM.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
BARNWELL...WILLISTON...BLACKVILLE...HILDA...SNELLING...OLAR...KLINE...ELKO
AND GOVAN.
LAT...LON 3312 8119 3312 8124 3314 8147 3315 8150
3345 8141 3346 8119 3311 8117
TIME...MOT...LOC 0054Z 006DEG 10KT 3339 8131
AWPThe Charleston,SC radar (KCLX), 66 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 01:29 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
County sheriff reported trees down at Govan Highway and Friendship Road.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in South Carolina in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in South Carolina, May 2016
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: 631973.