South Carolina, 2022

High Wind and Strong Wind in South Carolina, January 3, 2022

January 3, 2022 · NWS CHS · 9 events in 9 counties and zones

A strong cold front moved across southeast South Carolina in the early morning hours, producing very strong winds across the area. The strong winds first occurred in the southerly flow immediately ahead of the front, and then also in the westerly flow in the wake of the front.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 4 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
9

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 CHS wrote it up.

A strong cold front moved across southeast South Carolina in the early morning hours, producing very strong winds across the area. The strong winds first occurred in the southerly flow immediately ahead of the front, and then also in the westerly flow in the wake of the front. The period of strong winds lasted for several hours and produced damage across several counties.

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 Charleston, SC wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 3, 3:45 AM EST, 15 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 3, 3:45 AM EST, 15 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 3, 3:48 AM EST, 12 minutes before
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In the hours before

Local storm report, Jan 2, 11:50 PM EST, 4 hours 10 minutes before
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Local storm report, Jan 3, 3:02 AM EST, 58 minutes before
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Local storm report, Jan 3, 3:10 AM EST, 50 minutes before
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Local storm report, Jan 3, 3:14 AM EST, 46 minutes before
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Local storm report, Jan 3, 3:19 AM EST, 41 minutes before
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Local storm report, Jan 3, 3:32 AM EST, 28 minutes before
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The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

7 strong wind, 2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Strong Wind, Jasper

When
January 3, 4:00 AM EST to 6:00 AM EST
Where
Jasper forecast zone
Measured
45 kt (52 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Law Enforcement

South Carolina Highway Patrol reported several trees down across Jasper County due to strong winds.

Strong Wind, Hampton

When
January 3, 4:00 AM EST to 6:00 AM EST
Where
Hampton forecast zone
Measured
45 kt (52 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Law Enforcement
Coordinates
32.776, -81.141 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

South Carolina Highway Patrol reported several trees down across Hampton County due to strong winds.

Strong Wind, Coastal Jasper

When
January 3, 4:00 AM EST to 6:00 AM EST
Where
Coastal Jasper forecast zone
Measured
45 kt (52 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Law Enforcement

South Carolina Highway Patrol reported several trees down across Jasper County due to strong winds.

High Wind, Beaufort

When
January 3, 4:30 AM EST to 9:00 AM EST
Where
Beaufort forecast zone
Measured
55 kt (63 mph) measured gust
Reported by
Law Enforcement

South Carolina Highway Patrol reported several trees down across Beaufort County due to strong winds. Also, a report was received via social media of a tree falling onto a mobile home which displaced the occupants. Measured wind gusts around the county during the period of strong winds included 66 mph measured at the Weatherflow station in Calibogue Sound and 63 mph measured at the Beaufort Marine Corps Air Station (KNBC).

Strong Wind, Northern Colleton

When
January 3, 4:30 AM EST to 6:30 AM EST
Where
Northern Colleton forecast zone
Measured
45 kt (52 mph) measured gust
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
32.843, -80.650 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Colleton County Emergency Management reported numerous trees and a few power lines down across much of the county. Approximately 27 trees were reported down, with most of them being in and around Walterboro. Trees were also reported down around Cottageville, Williams, Smoaks, Lodge, Ritter, Islandton, Hendersonville, and Moselle. Also, South Carolina Highway Patrol reported numerous trees down across all of Colleton County. During the time of the strongest winds, the RAWS site in Walterboro measured a 52 mph wind gust.

Strong Wind, Southern Colleton

When
January 3, 4:30 AM EST to 6:30 AM EST
Where
Southern Colleton forecast zone
Measured
45 kt (52 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Law Enforcement

South Carolina Highway Patrol reported numerous trees down across Colleton County due to strong winds.

Strong Wind, Dorchester

When
January 3, 5:00 AM EST to 11:00 AM EST
Where
Dorchester forecast zone
Measured
45 kt (52 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Law Enforcement
Coordinates
33.080, -80.406 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

South Carolina Highway Patrol reported several trees down across Dorchester County due to strong winds. Other reports included a large tree blown down with part of it hitting a house causing minor damage near the intersection of Hickory Street and W Luke Avenue. Also, the public reported that wind gusts broke off 3 inch diameter tree limbs and also damaged some power poles.

High Wind, Charleston

When
January 3, 5:00 AM EST to 12:00 PM EST
Where
Charleston forecast zone
Measured
55 kt (63 mph) measured gust
Reported by
Law Enforcement

Charleston Police Department reported that traffic lights were out at several intersections across the city due to blown transformers caused by strong wind gusts. Wind damage occurred in numerous locations across the county, including a tree down on a mobile home in the Ravenel area. A social media post showed pictures of the steeple blown off Cooper River Baptist Church. A tree was reported down near the intersection of Prominent Way and Park Avenue Boulevard. Another tree was down in a driveway in the Shadowmoss subdivision. A telephone pole was broken and blown into other power lines, with reports of power outages at Folly Beach. Two boats were flipped into the water with some beach erosion near Dewees Inlet. Finally, scaffolding on an apartment building was blown down by strong winds in Downtown Charleston. The strongest winds measured in and around Charleston County included 62 mph at the Charleston International Airport (KCHS), 58 mph at the Weatherflow site at Folly Beach County Park, 63 mph at the Weatherflow site at Fort Sumter, and 60 mph at the Weatherflow site at Shutes Folly.

Strong Wind, Inland Berkeley

When
January 3, 7:00 AM EST to 12:00 PM EST
Where
Inland Berkeley forecast zone
Measured
45 kt (52 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
33.198, -79.951 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A trained spotter reported a 12 inch diameter pine tree down along Interstate 26 between mile marker 201 and 202.

What these are

Strong Wind
Non-thunderstorm winds below high wind criteria that nonetheless caused damage or casualties.
High Wind
Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in South Carolina in 2022Every state in 2022This day in weather historyWarnings in South Carolina, January 2022

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: 1001990, 1001991, 1001992, 1001989, 1001993, 1001994, 1001995, 1002001, 1001997.