South Carolina, 2017

Damaging Winds in South Carolina, July 20, 2017

July 20, 2017 · NWS CAE · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

Daytime heating allowed isolated severe thunderstorms to develop.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
2

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS CAE wrote it up.

Daytime heating allowed isolated severe thunderstorms to develop.

What forecasters said that day

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 20, 3:00 PM EST, 58 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 20, 3:00 PM EST, 58 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 20, 2:39 PM EST, 1 hour 19 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Columbia SC
Issued by National Weather Service CHARLESTON SC
339 PM EDT Thu Jul 20 2017

GAZ040-063>065-077-SCZ015-016-018-020>022-025>031-035>038-041-211945-
Lincoln-McDuffie-Columbia-Richmond-Burke-Lancaster-Chesterfield-
McCormick-Newberry-Fairfield-Kershaw-Edgefield-Saluda-Lexington-
Richland-Lee-Aiken-Sumter-Barnwell-Orangeburg-Calhoun-Clarendon-
Bamberg-
339 PM EDT Thu Jul 20 2017

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for the Midlands of South Carolina
and the Central Savannah River area of Georgia.

.DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight.

The probability for widespread hazardous weather is low.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday.

The probability for widespread hazardous weather is low.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not expected at this time.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 20, 1:14 PM EST, 2 hours 44 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Jul 20, 2:12 PM EST, 1 hour 46 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Jul 20, 3:14 PM EST, 44 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Jul 20, 3:41 PM EST, 17 minutes before
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The radar

The Columbia radar (KCAE), 46 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:58 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Orangeburg

When
July 20, 3:58 PM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where
Orangeburg County, 4.42 mi SW of Wolfton
Measured
60 kt (69 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
33.540, -81.040

Public reported 2 trees down and very strong winds.

Thunderstorm Wind, Barnwell

When
July 20, 4:44 PM EST to 4:45 PM EST
Where
Barnwell County, 2.15 mi SSE of Blackville
Measured
60 kt (69 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
911 Call Center
Coordinates
33.320, -81.260

Barnwell Co dispatch reported trees down on power lines on Hwy 304 outside of Blackville.

What these are

Thunderstorm Wind
Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in South Carolina in 2017Every state in 2017This day in weather historyWarnings in South Carolina, July 2017

Sources

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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 714622, 714623.