An upper disturbance and daytime heating produced scattered thunderstorms, some of which were severe.
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.
An upper disturbance and daytime heating produced scattered thunderstorms, some of which were severe.
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 Aug 9, 1:49 PM EST, 2 hours 53 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Columbia SC 249 PM EDT Thu Aug 9 2018 .SYNOPSIS... An upper ridge will extend westward from the Atlantic into our region through today. Then an upper-level trough digs into the eastern US for the weekend bringing above normal chances for rainfall through Monday. The trough exits to the northeast by mid-week favoring a more typical pattern of diurnal convection. Temperatures will be near or above normal with highs in the low to mid 90s and lows in the low 70s. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... Models and wv show a weak s/w across cntrl GA that will move east-southeast across the area during the evening hours. Afternoon mesoanalysis shows best moisture and instability will remain south of I-20 through the remainder of the afternoon/evening. Expect widely scattered/scattered showers and thunderstorms to move across mainly the central/southern Midlands and CSRA. Regional radar shows convection that has fired over the past couple of hours across AL/GA beginning to move into the western portion of the CWA. Downdraft Cape values remain blo 1000, but PW values 1.8 + across much of the CWA. Expect main threat would be locally heavy rainfall, but storms are moving at between 20 and 25 mph which will decrease the chances, unless storms train across the same area. Temperatures will remain in the low/mid 90s with heat index values around 100 degrees. As s/w moves east of the area overnight and loss of daytime heating, expect convective activity to decrease during the evening hours with little chance for shra/tsra after midnight. Overnight lows will once again be in the low/mid 70s. && .SHORT TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT/... Friday, a 500 mb trough will move east of the Mississippi but remain west of the forecast area, where weak ridging will persist. At the surface, a weak lee-side trough will provide some convergence for diurnal convection. Subsidence associated with the ridge aloft should keep thunderstorm coverage isolated to scattered during the afternoon. Expect high temperatures in the low to mid 90s with light WSW winds. Overnight the 500 mb trough continues eastward with shortwave energy moving into the forecast area towards daybreak. Models show moisture increasing Friday evening ahead of the shortwave which may increase thunderstorm coverage. Severe weather appears unlikely with only tall, skinny CAPE profiles in forecast soundings. Lows overnight will be in the low to mid 70s. && .LONG TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... An upper level trough will dig into the Great Lakes region/Northeast over the weekend, cutting off from the main flow. This will direct warm, moist flow into the Southeast through Monday. A weak surface boundary will be across the Southeast and mid-Atlantic providing some convergence each day. This pattern supports above normal chances for rainfall. The upper-level low will track to the northeast and off the east coast by mid-week with ridging building into the Southeast. This will bring back a more typical pattern of isolated to scattered diurnal convection through the remainder of the long term. Temperatures will be near or above normal during the period. Highs should be in the low to mid 90s with lows in the low 70s. && .AVIATION /19Z THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... VFR conditions at all taf sites currently this afternoon. A weak s/w is moving across cntrl GA and then acrs SC during the evening/overnight hours. Have included vcsh/vcts at all taf sites through the evening. Will continue to monitor and adjust as convection moves into the region from the west and also develops across the region. Do not expect much fog late tonight into early friday morning. Models indicate a 15 to 20 kt low level jet that should help prevent and fog formation. Otherwise, expect VFR conditions with diurnal cumulus and scattered mainly afternoon/evening SH/TSRA. Due to drier air entering the northern FA, better threat of TS may be at DNL/AGS/OGB. Will mention VCTS at those sites, otherwise VCSH. EXTENDED AVIATION OUTLOOK...Scattered mainly diurnal convection expected each day as well as late night/early morning fog and stratus. && .CAE WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... GA...None. SC...None. &&
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Columbia SC 230 AM EDT Thu Aug 9 2018 GAZ040-063>065-077-SCZ015-016-018-020>022-025>031-035>038-041-100630- Lincoln-McDuffie-Columbia-Richmond-Burke-Lancaster-Chesterfield- McCormick-Newberry-Fairfield-Kershaw-Edgefield-Saluda-Lexington- Richland-Lee-Aiken-Sumter-Barnwell-Orangeburg-Calhoun-Clarendon- Bamberg- 230 AM EDT Thu Aug 9 2018 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for the Midlands of South Carolina and the Central Savannah River area of Georgia. .DAY ONE...Today 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.
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Columbia SC
413 PM EDT THU AUG 9 2018
GAZ064-092045-
Columbia GA-
413 PM EDT THU AUG 9 2018
...Strong Thunderstorms Will Impact Portions of northwestern Columbia
County Through 445 PM EDT....
At 412 PM EDT...National Weather Service doppler radar indicated a
strong thunderstorm 12 miles southeast of Lincolnton, or 14 miles
northwest of Evans, moving east at 15 mph.
HAZARD...strong winds 45 to 55 mph.
IMPACT...expect minor damage to tree limbs and blowing around of
light, unsecured objects.
This storm will remain over mainly rural areas of northwestern
Columbia County.
LAT...LON 3367 8240 3368 8236 3369 8235 3370 8229
3368 8227 3369 8224 3369 8222 3363 8220
3358 8215 3354 8240 3355 8243 3356 8244
3360 8242 3363 8244
TIME...MOT...LOC 2012Z 279DEG 11KT 3365 8235Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Columbia SC
518 PM EDT THU AUG 9 2018
GAZ064-065-SCZ030-092145-
Richmond GA-Columbia GA-Aiken SC-
518 PM EDT THU AUG 9 2018
...Strong Thunderstorms Will Impact Portions of Richmond...central
Columbia and southwestern Aiken Counties Through 545 PM EDT....
At 515 PM EDT...National Weather Service doppler radar indicated
strong thunderstorms extending through southern Richmond County into
southern Aiken County. This includes the Augusta area. The strongest
storms were near the Beach Island area of Aiken County. Movement was
southeast near 20 mph.
HAZARD...strong winds 45 to 55 mph.
IMPACT...expect minor damage to tree limbs and blowing around of
light, unsecured objects. Heavy downpours will lead to
ponding of water in poor-drainage areas.
Some locations in the path of this storm include... North Augusta,
Grovetown, Evans, Augusta, Martinez, Clearwater, Fort Gordon,
Belvedere, Hephzibah, Harlem, New Ellenton, Jackson, Gloverville,
Burnettown, Beach Island and Windsor.
This includes the following highways...
Interstate 20 in Georgia between mile markers 181 and 201.
Interstate 20 in South Carolina between mile markers 0 and 1.
Interstate 520 in Georgia between mile markers 1 and 15.
Interstate 520 in South Carolina between mile markers 16 and 20.
LAT...LON 3359 8239 3355 8203 3353 8202 3354 8200
3347 8140 3321 8174 3339 8230
TIME...MOT...LOC 2115Z 317DEG 21KT 3341 8181The Columbia radar (KCAE), 87 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:42 UTC.
6 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Trees down near the intersection of Pine Log Rd and Storm Branch Rd. Time estimated.
Spotter relayed a report of a couple of trees down near Jackson.
Several large limbs down on the roadway near the intersection of Hughey Ferry Rd and New Hope Rd.
Trees down between the towns of Pomaria and Peak along Hwy 213.
Public report, via social media, of large limbs down along Shady Grove Rd near the intersection with Kennerly Rd.
Trees down blocking roadway on Long Sumpit Rd near Milner Rd. Time estimated.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in South Carolina in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in South Carolina, August 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: 767497, 767498, 767499, 767500, 767501, 767502.