South Carolina, 2020

Damaging Wind in South Carolina, December 24, 2020

December 24, 2020 · NWS ILM · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Strong low pressure along a frontal boundary produced a strong thunderstorm.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$5,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS ILM wrote it up.

Strong low pressure along a frontal boundary produced a strong thunderstorm.

What forecasters said that day

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 Wilmington, NC wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 24, 7:23 PM EST, 1 hour 42 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 24, 7:23 PM EST, 1 hour 42 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 24, 2:29 PM EST, 6 hours 36 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Wilmington NC
229 PM EST Thu Dec 24 2020

AMZ250-252-254-256-251930-
Coastal waters from Surf City to Cape Fear NC out 20 nm-
Coastal waters from Cape Fear NC to Little River Inlet SC out 20 nm-
Coastal waters from Little River Inlet to Murrells Inlet SC out
20 nm-
Coastal waters from Murrells Inlet to South Santee River SC out
20 nm-
229 PM EST Thu Dec 24 2020

...GALE WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM EST FRIDAY...
...TORNADO WATCH 518 IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM EST THIS EVENING...

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for the adjacent Coastal Waters.

.DAY ONE...This afternoon and tonight.

Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the
Internet for more information about the following hazards.

   Gale Warning.
   Tornado Watch.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday.

Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the
Internet for more information about the following hazards.

   Gale Warning.

A small craft advisory will likely be required Friday morning
through Saturday.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not expected at this time.

NCZ105>110-251930-
Inland Pender-Coastal Pender-Inland New Hanover-Coastal New Hanover-
Inland Brunswick-Coastal Brunswick-
229 PM EST Thu Dec 24 2020

...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 3 AM EST FRIDAY...
...TORNADO WATCH 518 IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM EST THIS EVENING...

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for southeast North Carolina.

.DAY ONE...This afternoon and tonight.

Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the
Internet for more information about the following hazards.

   Wind Advisory.
   Tornado Watch.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday.

Hazardous weather is not expected at this time.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation will likely be needed.

SCZ054-056-251930-
Coastal Horry-Coastal Georgetown-
229 PM EST Thu Dec 24 2020

...TORNADO WATCH 518 IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM EST THIS EVENING...

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for northeast South Carolina.

.DAY ONE...This afternoon and tonight.

Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the
Internet for more information about the following hazards.

   Tornado Watch.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday.

Hazardous weather is not expected at this time.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation will likely be needed.

NCZ087-096-099-SCZ024-032-033-039-055-058-059-251930-
Robeson-Bladen-Columbus-Dillon-Florence-Marion-Williamsburg-
Inland Georgetown-Central Horry-Northern Horry-
229 PM EST Thu Dec 24 2020

...TORNADO WATCH 518 IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM EST THIS EVENING...

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for southeast North Carolina and
northeast South Carolina.

.DAY ONE...This afternoon and tonight.

Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the
Internet for more information about the following hazards.

   Tornado Watch.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday.

Hazardous weather is not expected at this time.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation will likely be needed.

SCZ017-023-251930-
Marlboro-Darlington-
229 PM EST Thu Dec 24 2020

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for northeast South Carolina.

.DAY ONE...This afternoon and tonight.

Strong to isolated severe thunderstorms are possible this afternoon
and early evening. Some of these storms may produce damaging wind
gusts and isolated tornadoes.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday.

Hazardous weather is not expected at this time.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation will likely be needed.

dch

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Dec 24, 7:08 PM EST, 1 hour 57 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Dec 24, 7:22 PM EST, 1 hour 43 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Dec 24, 7:56 PM EST, 1 hour 9 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Dec 24, 8:06 PM EST, 59 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Dec 24, 8:43 PM EST, 22 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Dec 24, 8:45 PM EST, 20 minutes before
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The radar

The Wilmington radar (KLTX), 45 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 02:06 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Horry

When
December 24, 9:05 PM EST to 9:07 PM EST
Where
Horry County, 3.64 mi NNW of Shell
Measured
56 kt (64 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$5,000
Reported by
NWS Employee
Coordinates
33.950, -78.920

Straightline winds removed several pieces of metal roofing from one home, and deposited them 20 to 30 yards away. Minor damage to aluminum trim occurred to a neighboring home. NWS storm survey estimated wind gusts of 60 to 65 mph.

What these are

Thunderstorm Wind
Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in South Carolina in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in South Carolina, December 2020

Sources

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 933437.