Scattered thunderstorms developed across portions of southeast Georgia in the afternoon hours, producing damaging wind gusts.
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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.
Scattered thunderstorms developed across portions of southeast Georgia in the afternoon hours, producing damaging wind gusts.
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, 2:13 PM EST, 1 hour 17 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Charleston SC Issued by National Weather Service Wilmington NC 313 PM EDT Tue Jul 28 2020 .SYNOPSIS... The area will remain between high pressure to the east and low pressure inland through next weekend. && .UPDATE/... No changes to the forecast at this time. Although storm coverage has slightly underperformed there does seem to be some very near term possibility for increased coverage/intensity. This is due to the inland-bound sea breeze as well as outflow boundaries converging from both the north and south. .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... Today: Aloft, not much to hang your hat on today as the forecast area will sit west of the main subtropical ridge over the Atlantic, and well south of the large upper low and associated trough centered near Hudson Bay. At the surface, lee troughing will be present to the north and northwest of the forecast area while there is good model agreement that a smaller scale trough will develop near the Georgia coast this afternoon. We will see warm westerly flow prevail this morning, then the aforementioned trough near the Georgia coast will take shape coincident with the development of the diurnal sea breeze. We expect to be mostly precipitation free until the early afternoon hours when convection initiates. With the orientation of the surface trough and the sea breeze, the best thunderstorm coverage is expected up along the southeast Georgia coast, north across the lower Savannah River valley, and then east into the Charleston Tri- County region. Have held rain chances in the 50 percent range, but locally higher chances will likely be needed with later updates. The least amount of coverage is expected across interior southeast Georgia which will be west of the convergence zone within the surface trough. The severe weather potential isn't particularly interesting, but there will be the opportunity for a couple of stronger storms where mesoscale boundaries interact. Precipitable water values will be around 2 inches so locally heavy rainfall is possible, but with the recent run of dry weather there should be plenty of capacity for rain such that the minor flood threat is low. Temperatures are expected to top out in the mid 90s for the most part, thanks to the low level westerly flow. There could even be a few upper 90s inland. Tonight: Convection could linger to some degree into the evening depending on how outflow boundaries evolve. Any lingering activity should diminish by the late evening with little or no coverage through the rest of the night. Expect typical lows for this time of year, mid to upper 70s with a few low 70s possible inland. && .SHORT TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... Wednesday through Thursday are expected to feature greater coverage of showers and tstms due to a flurry of shortwaves moving through the area in concert with above-normal PWATs around 2.4". Locally heavy rainfall will be possible with some of the storms. An upper ridge will start to rebuild on Friday while the lee trough weakens, resulting in a return to more typical coverage of diurnal showers and tstms. Highs in the mid 90s and mid 70s dewpoints across the eastern half of the area will yield a few hours of 105-109F heat indices in the afternoon. && .LONG TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY/... A deep layered ridge will prevail over the eastern United States and western Atlantic this weekend before an upper trough begins to approach from the west. Hot and muggy conditions are in store, with highs 94-99 over the weekend and 92-95 Monday and Tuesday. Heat indices likely to range from 105-110 both Saturday and Sunday with the possibility of Heat Advisories in coastal zones. Isolated to scattered showers and tstms expected each day. && .AVIATION /18Z TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... VFR through the period. Thunderstorms will be fairly transient in coverage today though a bit higher than yesterday. Have maintained it at KCHS from 20-23z and at KSAV from 19-23z. Confidence is higher at KSAV for direct impacts so a TEMPO for MVFR visibility in TSRA has been introduced from 20-23z. Extended Aviation Outlook: The primary concern will continue to be scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms, mainly during the afternoon/evening. && .MARINE... Today through Tonight: Westerly flow will prevail this morning, transitioning to become more southerly this afternoon. Wind speeds will increase this afternoon with 15-20 knots becoming common into the evening. Through the overnight, winds will turn back to more westerly with time. Wind speeds will reach their peak by the late evening, then drop off to become 10-15 knots by sunrise Wednesday. Seas will average 2-4 feet. Slightly stronger marine winds expected Wednesday through Friday due to a tighter gradient between Atlantic high pressure and a strong lee trough. Some gusts to 20 kt possible, especially along the coast with the afternoon sea breeze. Weaker winds will return over the weekend as a deep layered ridge builds in. && .CHS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... GA...None. SC...None. MARINE...None. && UPDATE...ILM NEAR TERM...BSH SHORT TERM...JRL LONG TERM...JRL AVIATION...ILM MARINE...BSH/JRL
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Charleston SC 341 AM EDT Tue Jul 28 2020 AMZ330-350-352-354-374-GAZ087-088-099>101-114>119-137>141-SCZ040- 042>045-047>052-290745- 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-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- 341 AM EDT Tue Jul 28 2020 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...Wednesday through Monday. 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
Issued by National Weather Service Wilmington NC
430 PM EDT Tue Jul 28 2020
SCZ044-045-050-052-282115-
Inland Berkeley-Tidal Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester-
430 PM EDT Tue Jul 28 2020
...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL IMPACT PORTIONS OF CENTRAL CHARLESTON...
SOUTH CENTRAL BERKELEY AND SOUTHEASTERN DORCHESTER COUNTIES...
At 430 PM EDT, National Weather Service doppler radar indicated a
strong thunderstorm over Hanahan, moving east at 20 mph.
HAZARD...strong winds 45 to 55 mph.
IMPACT...Expect minor damage to tree limbs and blowing around of
light, unsecured objects.
Some locations in the path of this storm include...
Charleston, North Charleston, Mount Pleasant, Summerville, Goose
Creek, Hanahan, Middleton Place and Naval Weapons Station Charleston.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Excessive cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm.
Lightning can strike 15 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek safe
shelter inside a building or vehicle.
&&
LAT...LON 3285 7975 3284 8003 3285 8004 3284 8004
3283 8027 3297 8028 3302 7973
TIME...MOT...LOC 2030Z 270DEG 16KT 3290 7999The Charleston,SC radar (KCLX), 44 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:27 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
The media reported trees down in the Rincon, GA area.
The media reported a fire at the Hammocks View apartment complex on Whitemarsh Island, which likely began from a lightning strike.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Georgia in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in Georgia, July 2020
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: 913458, 913462.