Isolated thunderstorms developed along the southeast Georgia coast in the afternoon. These thunderstorms produced lightning strikes with one such strike causing a fire in the attic of a home near Savannah.
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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.
Isolated thunderstorms developed along the southeast Georgia coast in the afternoon. These thunderstorms produced lightning strikes with one such strike causing a fire in the attic of a home near Savannah.
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 28, 2:35 PM EST, 55 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Charleston SC 335 PM EDT Sat Jul 28 2018 .SYNOPSIS... Atlantic high pressure will prevail through late next week while low pressure persists inland. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... Convection has been limited by the amount of dry air noted on GOES-E water vapor imagery this afternoon. The deepest moisture currently resides south of the I-16 corridor where scattered convection is already starting to pop. Expect activity to gradually transition inland over the next few hours with the sea breeze, but the dry air will tend to temper both coverage and updraft strength. Convection will gradually wind down as sunset approaches. Low-level convergence will gradually shift back into the Atlantic and along the coast after midnight as the boundary layer decouples inland and the sea breeze circulation dissipates. This could support isolated shower to perhaps scattered shower/tstm activity redeveloping over the coastal waters early Sunday some of which could brush the coast. Lows will range from the lower 70s inland to around 80 at the beaches. && .SHORT TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... Surface high pressure will prevail over the western Atlantic while low pressure resides inland. Aloft, ridging will remain to the east while a longwave trough amplifies to the west through the period. A persistent stream of moisture coming into the area between these two features will keep rain chances fairly high - peaking in the likely range Sunday and Monday, then some areas featuring categorical PoPs on Tuesday. Bouts of heavy rain will be possible and given antecedent conditions, this could pose a threat for localized flooding. Overall severe threat looks to be low given high moisture content through the column and low DCAPEs, but as always, couldn't rule out a couple strong to marginally severe storms where boundaries interact. Temperatures will be near normal, maybe even a degree or two cooler given abundant cloud cover and anticipated precipitation coverage. && .LONG TERM /TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY/... Upper troughing looks to persist near the Mississippi Valley into the Great Lakes through the period keeping deep moisture across the Deep South. Thus, rain chances should remain higher than normal, including at night. Temperatures should generally be near normal, around 90 for highs and low/mid 70s for lows. && .AVIATION /19Z SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... VFR. Guidance is trending convection west of the terminals and may be able to pull all mention of TSRA from both KCHS and KSAV. Last minute radar trends will dictate this. Low chance for stratus reaching the terminals prior to daybreak, so will keep conditions VFR for now. Should see scattered convection develop over the coastal waters after midnight. This activity should remain east of the terminals, but could get a little close to KCHS by daybreak. This will have to be monitored closely. Extended Aviation Outlook: Unsettled pattern through mid week with higher than normal chances for restrictions from showers and thunderstorms, including at night. && .MARINE... Tonight: Southerly wind regime will prevail with speeds 10-15 kt and seas 2-3 ft. Nocturnal convection is possible over the waters after midnight. Light wind fields could support a risk for waterspouts closer to daybreak. Sunday through Thursday: The pattern will change very little through the period, with high pressure persisting to the east and low pressure to the west. The winds will predominantly be coming from the south with speeds 10-15 knots on average. A tightened pressure gradient will result in a brief uptick in speeds late Tuesday, but will remain below small craft advisory criteria levels. Seas will build up to 5 ft near the Gulf Stream, possibly reaching marginal Advisory levels of 6 ft, Tue night mainly across the SC waters and offshore GA waters. && .CHS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... GA...None. SC...None. MARINE...None. &&
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Charleston SC 323 AM EDT Sat Jul 28 2018 AMZ330-350-352-354-374-GAZ087-088-099>101-114>119-137>141-SCZ040- 042>045-047>052-290730- Charleston Harbor- 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-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-Charleston-Coastal Jasper- Tidal Berkeley- 323 AM EDT Sat Jul 28 2018 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for Atlantic coastal waters, southeast Georgia and southeast South Carolina. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight. The probability for widespread hazardous weather is low. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday. The probability for widespread hazardous weather is low. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter assistance is not anticipated at this time.
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Charleston SC
341 PM EDT SAT JUL 28 2018
GAZ139>141-282030-
Inland McIntosh-Coastal Liberty-Coastal McIntosh-
341 PM EDT SAT JUL 28 2018
...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL IMPACT PORTIONS OF MCINTOSH COUNTY...
At 341 PM EDT, National Weather Service doppler radar indicated
strong thunderstorms along a line extending from Pine Harbor to near
Cox. These storms were nearly stationary.
HAZARD...strong winds 45 to 55 mph and excessive cloud to ground
lightning.
IMPACT...Expect minor damage to tree limbs and blowing around of
light, unsecured objects. All outdoor activities should
cease. Move indoors immediately.
Some locations in the path of these storms include...
Darien, Wolf Island, Eulonia, Valona, Little Saint Simons Island,
Meridian, Crescent and Carnigan.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Torrential rainfall is also occurring with these storms and may lead
to flooding of low lying and poor drainage areas. Do not drive your
vehicle through flooded roadways.
Excessive cloud to ground lightning is occurring with these storms.
Lightning can strike 15 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek safe
shelter inside a building or vehicle.
&&
LAT...LON 3128 8132 3130 8135 3132 8144 3133 8144
3133 8146 3134 8147 3133 8148 3135 8152
3142 8160 3161 8140 3157 8113 3146 8119
TIME...MOT...LOC 1941Z 260DEG 2KT 3154 8137 3145 8149Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Charleston SC
415 PM EDT SAT JUL 28 2018
GAZ119-SCZ051-282100-
Coastal Chatham-Coastal Jasper-
415 PM EDT SAT JUL 28 2018
...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL IMPACT PORTIONS OF CHATHAM AND JASPER
COUNTIES...
At 415 PM EDT, National Weather Service doppler radar indicated
strong thunderstorms along a line extending from near Whitemarsh
Island to Sandfly. These storms were nearly stationary.
HAZARD...strong winds 45 to 55 mph and excessive cloud to ground
lightning.
IMPACT...Expect minor damage to tree limbs and blowing around of
light, unsecured objects. All outdoor activities should
cease. Move indoors immediately.
Some locations in the path of these storms include...
Savannah, Wilmington Island, Fort Pulaski National Monument,
Montgomery, Tybee Island, Thunderbolt, Vernonburg and Skidaway
Island.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Torrential rainfall is also occurring with these storms and may lead
to flooding of low lying and poor drainage areas. Do not drive your
vehicle through flooded roadways.
Excessive cloud to ground lightning is occurring with these storms.
Lightning can strike 15 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek safe
shelter inside a building or vehicle.
&&
LAT...LON 3200 8115 3202 8113 3208 8095 3203 8082
3202 8081 3201 8082 3191 8106
TIME...MOT...LOC 2015Z 287DEG 2KT 3205 8097 3200 8109The Charleston,SC radar (KCLX), 70 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:27 UTC.
1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Savannah Fire Department reported an attic fire due to a lightning strike on East 60th Street.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Georgia in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in Georgia, July 2018
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: 777216.