The combination of warm and moist conditions along with forcing associated with a weak mid-level shortwave aloft and an inland moving sea breeze circulation, led to strong to severe thunderstorms 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.
The combination of warm and moist conditions along with forcing associated with a weak mid-level shortwave aloft and an inland moving sea breeze circulation, led to strong to severe thunderstorms 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 Jun 5, 1:03 PM EST, 1 hour 23 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Charleston SC 203 PM EDT Sat Jun 5 2021 .SYNOPSIS... Atlantic high pressure will prevail through late next week. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... This Afternoon: Aloft, weak ridging will be in place across the Southeast while a low remains centered across the South Central United States. At the sfc, the area will remain positioned along the western periphery of Atlantic high pressure and to the east of weak troughing well inland. The setup will help produce another day of warm and moist conditions with showers and thunderstorms developing across the area early this afternoon as a sea breeze shifts inland and mid-lvl shortwave energy ripples across the area. Despite some clouds throughout the day, high temps should peak in the upper 80s-lower 90s inland and mid 80s near the coast. Hires guidance suggests convective activity will continue to develop along an early afternoon sea breeze closer to the South Carolina coast, then trend inland with the sea breeze mid to late afternoon. Precip coverage could be somewhat less compared to yesterday given less pronounced shortwave energy rippling across inland areas, but scattered showers and thunderstorms remain in the forecast this afternoon into early evening (highest coverage inland). SBCAPE between 3000-4000 J/kg, Lifted Index values around -6C, 0-6km bulk shear around 20 kt, and poor mid-lvl lapse rates suggest most convection will be pulse type in nature, but a few stronger and/or marginally severe thunderstorms can not be ruled out with gusty winds and heavy downpours, mainly during peak diurnal heating across inland zones. Soundings do indicate deep saturated moisture profiles (PWATS around 2.0 inches) and weak steering flow in place today. Water vapor imagery along with sfc dewpts in the lower 70s also support an atmosphere prime for heavier showers and thunderstorms, especially if convection becomes enhanced with outflow/boundary interactions. Should this scenario unfold later today, a Flood Advisory or two could eventually be needed. Tonight: Convection could linger inland for much of the evening before diminishing. Weak convection could develop at just about any time through the overnight, so we have maintained a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms for much of the area. Convection could be a bit more prevalent over the coastal waters, and rain chances are modestly higher there. Lows will again range from the upper 60s to the low 70s. && .SHORT TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... High pressure over the western Atlantic will remain the primary surface feature early next week. Expect mainly diurnally driven showers and thunderstorms, with highest rain chances focused across the interior. Convection will generally wane in the evenings with loss of heating, although some activity could linger into the overnight with any remnant boundaries. Tuesday should feature a bit less coverage than previous days as mid level ridging builds overhead. The threat for organized severe weather is low. High temperatures will average within a few degrees of normal, topping out in the mid to upper 80s away from the immediate coast. Lows will mainly be in the upper 60s and lower 70s. && .LONG TERM /TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY/... A fairly typical summertime regime expected for mid to late week. High pressure will reside over the western Atlantic while weak troughing sits inland. Isolated to perhaps scattered showers and thunderstorms are possible each day, with highest coverage in the afternoons when instability is maximized. Temperatures will be near to slightly above normal through the period. && .AVIATION /18Z SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... Scattered showers and thunderstorms are expected to develop and/or continue across the area this afternoon, with greatest chances occurring at the CHS and SAV terminals during the next few hours (18Z-21Z). Brief flight restrictions are possible during showers/thunderstorms, potentially resulting in MVFR/IFR conditions at times. Expect VFR conditions to return at all terminals early evening and persist through much of the night. There is a small risk for flight restrictions at the terminals late tonight and heading into daybreak due to low clouds and/or fog, but confidence remains too low to include at the terminals at this time. Scattered showers/thunderstorms should also return across the early Sunday afternoon, and could need to be included in later taf issuances. Extended Aviation Outlook: Brief flight restrictions are possible due to low clouds during overnight periods and low vsbys during afternoon showers/thunderstorms each day. && .MARINE... Today and Tonight: Southerly flow will prevail across local waters as the area remains positioned along the western periphery of Atlantic high pressure and to the east of weak troughing well inland. In general, wind speeds should remain around 10-15 kt or less, highest near the coast early this afternoon as a sea breeze develops, then shifts inland. Seas should average between 2-4 ft, largest across offshore Georgia waters. Sunday through Thursday: The coastal waters will remain on the backside of surface high pressure through late next week. Outside of any showers/thunderstorms, no marine concerns are expected with southerly flow averaging 10-15 knots and seas 2-4 feet, highest in the outer Georgia waters. && .EQUIPMENT... The KSAV ASOS remains out of service until further notice. Manual observations are being taken except between the hours of midnight and 6 AM EDT. Observations will not be available during these hours. Climate information for the site will be diminished or not available. && .CHS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... GA...None. SC...None. MARINE...None. && NEAR TERM...DPB SHORT TERM...ETM LONG TERM...ETM AVIATION...DPB/ETM MARINE...DPB/ETM EQUIPMENT...
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Charleston SC 320 AM EDT Sat Jun 5 2021 AMZ330-350-352-354-374-GAZ087-088-099>101-114>119-137>141-SCZ040- 042>045-047>052-060730- 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- 320 AM EDT Sat Jun 5 2021 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for Atlantic coastal waters, southeast Georgia and southeast South Carolina. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight. No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday. No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter assistance is not anticipated at this time.
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Charleston SC
317 PM EDT Sat Jun 5 2021
SCZ044-045-050-052-051945-
Inland Berkeley-Tidal Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester-
317 PM EDT Sat Jun 5 2021
...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL IMPACT PORTIONS OF CHARLESTON, BERKELEY
AND DORCHESTER COUNTIES...
At 316 PM EDT, National Weather Service doppler radar indicated
strong thunderstorms along a line extending from near Goose Creek to
Knightsville. These storms were nearly stationary.
HAZARD...strong winds 45 to 55 mph and up to penny sized hail.
SOURCE...Radar Indicated.
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...
North Charleston, Summerville, Goose Creek, Hanahan, Ladson,
Sangaree, Crowfield Plantation and Jedburg.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
These storms may intensify. Be certain to monitor local radio and TV
stations as well as local cable TV outlets for additional information
and possible warnings from the National Weather Service.
&&
LAT...LON 3312 7991 3306 8028 3292 8026 3299 7986
TIME...MOT...LOC 1916Z 223DEG 1KT 3303 7993 3298 8023
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.75 IN
MAX WIND GUST...55 MPHThe Charleston,SC radar (KCLX), 102 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:28 UTC.
2 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
A trained spotter reported quarter size hail on Central Avenue in Goose Creek, South Carolina.
The public reported nickel size hail.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in South Carolina in 2021Every state in 2021This day in weather historyWarnings in South Carolina, June 2021
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: 965507, 965511.