An upper disturbance and sufficient atmospheric moisture and instability led to scattered showers and thunderstorms across the region in the afternoon and evening, a few of which were strong.
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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 CAE wrote it up.
An upper disturbance and sufficient atmospheric moisture and instability led to scattered showers and thunderstorms across the region in the afternoon and evening, a few of which were strong.
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 4, 11:34 AM EST, 2 hours 59 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Columbia SC 1234 PM EDT Sat May 4 2019 .SYNOPSIS... Warm, moist advection over the Southeast will support shower and thunderstorm development into this evening. Some thunderstorms may produce damaging wind gusts. Another round of showers and thunderstorms will be possible late tonight as a shortwave moves over the area. The front will move through the region by Sunday evening with drier air spreading into the region for early next week. Temperatures will remain above normal into next week with dry conditions after the frontal passage. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... Today: Not much change in the current thinking for this afternoon. There remains a slight risk of severe weather this afternoon across much of central South Carolina and the CSRA of Georgia. The main threat will be damaging wind gusts from thunderstorm line segments. Highs will be in the 80s. Many of the near term convective models continue to show shower and thunderstorm development across the cwa beginning this afternoon and lasting into the early evening. Continued warm and moist advection will lead to moderate instability. An upper level shortwave moving towards the region from the west and southwest will help to trigger the convection this afternoon. Regional radars currently showing some light shower development just west of the cwa, with thunderstorms in progress over northern GA. This activity will continue to push east. With 0-6 km wind shear values from 20 to 30 kts there is potential for organized thunderstorm lines to develop. Steep mid-level lapse rates over the area and moderate instability increases the threat of damaging wind gusts and possibly a few storms that produce severe hail. Tonight: Much of the convective activity is expected to move east of the forecast area during the late evening. However, an additional shortwave currently associated with convection over southern MS will move across the forecast area overnight and may support additional convection late tonight. Overnight lows in the mid 60s. && .SHORT TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... A cold front and upper trough will push through the region Sunday morning and early afternoon with a chance of showers and thunderstorms. SPC moved the Marginal Risk of severe weather closer to the coast last night, therefore the risk of damaging winds is minimal. The severe weather parameters such as Lifted Index and CAPE decrease during the day as drier air pushes into the region. The pattern transitions to a dry zonal flow aloft Sunday Night through Monday. High pressure aloft establishes itself over the region on Tuesday. Expect dry weather and very warm temperatures for early May. && .LONG TERM /TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY/... Medium range forecast models diverge starting Wednesday in terms of the suppression of high pressure aloft over the Southeast U.S. The GFS aggressively breaks down the ridge axis while the ECMWF and Canadian models keep it in place through Thursday. This model divergence impacts the timing of convection in the forecast late next week. Will split the middle and remain consistent with previous forecasts to start forecasting a chance of showers and thunderstorms on Thursday. A southwest flow aloft will bring a series of disturbances into the region Friday through Saturday with a chance of showers and thunderstorms on both days. && .AVIATION /18Z SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... VFR conditions will prevail through the afternoon hours. There will be scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms this afternoon along with associated restrictions during periods of heavy rain. The afternoon convection should move east of the TAF sites in the evening with another round of showers and possibly thunderstorms moving in overnight. There is less confidence in rainfall at terminals overnight and therefore have still kept mention of it out of the TAFs at this time. With moderate low level mixing tonight, do not expect widespread dense fog to develop. However, redevelopment of low-level stratus deck remains possible late tonight into Sunday morning. EXTENDED AVIATION OUTLOOK..The pattern of showers and thunderstorms will continue Sunday. Fair weather expected Monday through Wednesday. && .CAE WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... GA...None. SC...None. &&
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Columbia SC 931 AM EDT Sat May 4 2019 GAZ040-063>065-077-SCZ016-018-020>022-025>031-035>038-041-115-116- 051345- Lincoln-McDuffie-Columbia-Richmond-Burke-Chesterfield-McCormick- Newberry-Fairfield-Kershaw-Edgefield-Saluda-Lexington-Richland-Lee- Aiken-Sumter-Barnwell-Orangeburg-Calhoun-Clarendon-Bamberg- Northern Lancaster-Southern Lancaster- 931 AM EDT Sat May 4 2019 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for the Midlands of South Carolina and the Central Savannah River area of Georgia. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight. There is a slight risk of severe weather this afternoon. Numerous showers and thunderstorms will develop some of which could produce damaging wind gusts and hail. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday. Hazardous weather is not expected at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation may be needed.
The Greer radar (KGSP), 125 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:32 UTC.
2 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
COOP Observer on The Lewis Family Rd reported pea size hail.
Lincoln Co EM reported hail slightly smaller than dime size in the town of Lincolnton. Time estimated.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Georgia in 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyWarnings in Georgia, May 2019
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: 819169, 819168.