Deep moisture and strong instability led to an isolated severe thunderstorm during afternoon hours.
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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.
Deep moisture and strong instability led to an isolated severe thunderstorm during afternoon hours.
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 Aug 22, 12:47 PM EST, 1 hour 40 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Charleston SC 147 PM EDT Thu Aug 22 2019 .SYNOPSIS... Atlantic high pressure and an inland trough will prevail through late week. A cold front will then push into the area this weekend before stalling over or just to the south. Low pressure may develop offshore along the front but should move quickly to the northeast away from the area by mid week. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... Deep layered ridging will continue to extend along and just north of 30W into the coastal southeast states. The synoptic pattern is relatively unchanged from yesterday and typical late August weather is on tap with hot and humid conditions with isolated to scattered diurnal convection developing across the region once again. We suspect showers and tstms will develop in the axis of the highest 850 MB theta-e air which should extend along the I-95 corridor in SC down southward into inland SE GA during the mid/late afternoon hours. Sufficiently deep moisture and typical late summer diurnal instability suggest slow moving pulse tstms with locally heavy downpours. Similar to Wednesday, a few stronger storms are possible but risk of severe weather remains low. Temps will reach the mid 90s many areas this afternoon with heat indices in the 104-106 degree range. Tonight: Any lingering evening convection will wane with the loss of surface heating, resulting in thinning clouds overnight with lows in the mid 70s most areas. && .SHORT TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... Moderate confidence this period. Surface troughing inland and high pressure offshore will persist into Saturday before a cold front sags south toward the area, likely pushing through southeast SC/GA Saturday night. Expect fairly typical summertime weather through Saturday with mainly afternoon/evening scattered showers and thunderstorms before cooler and wetter conditions kick in for the later half of the weekend as low pressure possibly develops offshore along the front. At this point any low looks to remain well enough offshore and weak and thus little to no impacts are expected across our forecast area. Otherwise, the severe storm risk will remain low (mainly just through Saturday) with a heavy rain threat mainly from late Saturday through Sunday. Temperatures should stay above normal through Saturday with heat indices peaking in the low to mid 100s each afternoon for most areas away from the beaches before temps likely fall below normal Sunday as rain/cloud coverage increase. && .LONG TERM /SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY/... Low confidence this period. There is a bit better agreement amongst the latest GFS/ECMWF that any weak low pressure system should remain well offshore as it tracks to the northeast and away from the forecast area Monday. However, the lingering front and upper level energy will remain along with deep moisture so it looks to remain more unsettled than normal through at least Wednesday. At this time it appears as though heavy rain is the main concern with localized flooding possible, especially near the coast around the times of high tide. && .AVIATION /18Z THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... 18Z TAFs: Mainly VFR. Thunderstorms are possible near the airports this afternoon. Brief flight restrictions are possible if they directly impact the airports. Amendments may be needed to add TEMPO groups once better radar trends develop. Extended Aviation Outlook: Periodic restrictions at KCHS/KSAV each day through Saturday, mainly from afternoon/evening showers and thunderstorms. More significant restrictions are likely Saturday night through early next week due to increased moisture/rain coverage. && .MARINE... Through Tonight: Little change to our persistence forecast with south to southwest flow below 15 kt and seas 1-3 ft. Friday through Monday: Atlantic high pressure and an inland trough will result in mainly south/southwest winds around 15 knots or less until a cold front likely moves through the waters Saturday night. Weak low pressure is likely to develop at some point offshore to the east of the local waters and shift to the northeast late in the period. Overall the strongest winds will likely occur near the SC coast, including Charleston Harbor, where the best pressure gradient should set up. Seas will likely stay 4 feet or less, although there is more uncertainty early next week as much depends on the strength of the winds. At this point we are not expecting Small Craft Advisory conditions for any of our waters. && .TIDES/COASTAL FLOODING... Astronomical tides will be running close to minor Coastal Flood Advisory levels next week and onshore winds could lead to even higher tides, mainly during the evening high tide cycles starting Sunday. In addition, there is the potential for some heavy rain around the times of high tide which could exacerbate any flooding issues. && .CHS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... GA...None. SC...None. MARINE...None. && NEAR TERM... SHORT TERM...RJB LONG TERM...RJB AVIATION... MARINE... TIDES/COASTAL FLOODING...
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Charleston SC 337 AM EDT Thu Aug 22 2019 AMZ330-350-352-354-374-GAZ087-088-099>101-114>116-118-137-138-140- SCZ040-042>045-047-052-230900- 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 from 20 to 60 NM- Jenkins-Screven-Candler-Bulloch-Effingham-Tattnall-Evans- Inland Bryan-Inland Chatham-Long-Inland Liberty-Inland McIntosh- Allendale-Hampton-Inland Colleton-Dorchester-Inland Berkeley- Inland Jasper-Tidal Berkeley- 337 AM EDT Thu Aug 22 2019 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...Friday through Wednesday. The probability for widespread hazardous weather is low. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter assistance is not anticipated at this time. GAZ117-119-139-141-SCZ048>051-230900- Coastal Bryan-Coastal Chatham-Coastal Liberty-Coastal McIntosh- Beaufort-Coastal Colleton-Charleston-Coastal Jasper- 337 AM EDT Thu Aug 22 2019 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for southeast Georgia and southeast South Carolina. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight. The probability for widespread hazardous weather is low. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday. Coastal Flooding...Astronomical tides will be running close to minor Coastal Flood Advisory levels next week and onshore winds could lead to even higher tides, mainly during the evening high tide cycles starting Sunday. In addition, there is the potential for some heavy rain around the times of high tide which could exacerbate any flooding issues. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter assistance is not anticipated at this time.
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Charleston SC
221 PM EDT Thu Aug 22 2019
SCZ042-047-221900-
Inland Jasper-Hampton-
221 PM EDT Thu Aug 22 2019
...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL IMPACT PORTIONS OF HAMPTON AND JASPER
COUNTIES...
At 220 PM EDT, National Weather Service doppler radar indicated
strong thunderstorms along a line extending from Hampton to near
Garnett, and moving east at 10 mph.
HAZARD...strong winds 45 to 55 mph and up to nickel sized hail.
IMPACT...Expect minor damage to tree limbs and blowing around of
light, unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to plants,
trees and crops is possible. Damage to windshields is
unlikely.
Some locations in the path of these storms include...
Hampton, Lake Warren State Park, Varnville, Estill, Furman, Scotia,
Luray and Crocketville.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Report damage directly to the Charleston National Weather Service at
1-888-383-2024 when it is safe to do so. You can also email your
report to nws.charlestonsc@noaa.gov.
&&
LAT...LON 3294 8101 3290 8099 3288 8096 3252 8118
3254 8128 3256 8128 3256 8129 3255 8129
3256 8130 3257 8134 3259 8138 3297 8113
TIME...MOT...LOC 1820Z 255DEG 9KT 3285 8112 3260 8128
DPBThe Charleston,SC radar (KCLX), 26 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:25 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The South Carolina Highway Patrol reported a tree down along Highway 462 near Old House Road.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in South Carolina in 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyWarnings in South Carolina, August 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: 853001.