Slow moving thunderstorms developed across eastern GA and pushed into central SC during the afternoon and evening hours of May 29th. These produced flash flooding north of Augusta and thunderstorm wind damage in the Midlands of SC.
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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 CAE wrote it up.
Slow moving thunderstorms developed across eastern GA and pushed into central SC during the afternoon and evening hours of May 29th. These produced flash flooding north of Augusta and thunderstorm wind damage in the Midlands of SC.
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 Columbia, SC wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 29, 12:34 PM EST, 1 hour 21 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Columbia SC 134 PM EDT Thu May 29 2025 .SYNOPSIS... Temperatures returning to more seasonal values for rest of the week. Showers and stronger storms possible this afternoon and again Friday, followed by a return to drier weather through the weekend. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... Key Message(s): - Scattered strong to severe thunderstorms this afternoon and evening, particularly in the southern/Eastern Midlands and CSRA. An active afternoon and evening looks to be on tap across a good portion of the forecast area. A period of strong to severe thunderstorms, along with a heavy rainfall threat, is poised to move through the CSRA and the southern/eastern Midlands this afternoon and into the evening hours. Some breaks in the cloud cover across those areas have allow instability to increase early this afternoon. Regional radars showing a MCV moving up through south-central Ga, with most guidance showing activity ahead of it increasing in coverage and intensifying as it moves into the CSRA. Additional development across the eastern Midlands and into the coastal plains will also occur in advance of this MCV. Strong to damaging winds, and even an isolated tornado, will become possible as the afternoon progresses. SPC maintains a Slight Risk in that area, with the remainder of the forecast area in a Marginal Risk. In addition, with high pwat values, these storms will be capable of producing periods of heavy rainfall as they move through, so there will be a threat of flooding. Areas that are north of I-20 will have a lower threat of seeing any severe storms, but periods of rainfall will still occur through this evening at the very least. Later tonight as the shortwave trough moves east, activity will diminish, especially after midnight. Can not completely rule out an isolated shower overnight, but majority of the period after midnight should be dry. Overnight lows only fall into the mid to upper 60s again. && .SHORT TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT/... Key Message(s): - Strong to severe thunderstorms expected as a front slides across the area Friday afternoon. There has been little change in the overall thinking for Friday, with the threat of damaging winds and an isolated tornado or two still in the cards. The slow moving long wave trough will dig southeast down into Appalachians throughout Friday morning, with an associated prefrontal surface trough out ahead. This prefrontal trough will be the focus for a line of afternoon convection that develops and dives southeast out of the Upstate. HREF guidance continues to be fairly consistent in developing a strong line of deep convection by early afternoon within a robust CAPE-shear environment; SCP and STP are both favorable for all hazards, but given an expected linear convective mode, wind and tor are the main threats at this time. There is some disagreement over the extent of this convective line however in the HREF members, with some showing a scattered-broken line and others, like the HRRR, more organized and aggressive. From a climatological standpoint, it is easy to side with the more aggressive solutions given a lack of substantial 500-700mb dry air which would inhibit convective growth, the 99th percentile height falls and PWATs (over 1.8"), and 99th percentile jet associated with this shortwave based on the NAEFS. So, its fairly robust synoptic setup with notable mesoscale favorability. Some morning stratus and low level moisture could limit instability development, but at least modest ML CAPE development is expected even in the coolest- driest model solutions. Timing is consistent with the prefrontal trough (since there will not be a strong cold pool in place until early afternoon), moving into the western Midlands around 1-3pm, central Midlands-CSRA 2-4 pm, and eastern Midlands 3-6pm. A Slight Risk continues for the entire area, again for damaging winds but given the high 0-3km CAPE and 0-3km shear in the afternoon, a couple QLCS mesovortice-style tornadoes are possible. && .LONG TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... Key Message(s): - Drier and calmer conditions expected in the extended with near average temperatures and limited rain chances into next week. NAEFS and EC ensemble guidance is in good agreement that the troughing over the eastern CONUS is slowly replaced by upper riding into next week. PWAT's generally look to be near or under 1" for much of the period and thus mostly dry conditions are expected each day in the extended. NAEFS and EC EFI highlight the lack of any anomalous weather through this period with near average temps, heights, and moisture. The main chance for low end PoPs appear to be late Sunday and into Monday as guidance has picked up on a potential shortwave rounding the base of the upper trough before it departs. After this, strong ridging and surface high pressure slide into the region, maintaining the expected mostly dry conditions. Temperatures over the weekend stick to near average, but may rise to just above average into early next week. && .AVIATION /17Z THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY/... A mixture of mid and upper level cloudiness will continue through much of the taf period at all locations. A strong shortwave will move into the forecast region this afternoon, with periods of rainfall and strong to possibly severe thunderstorms possible at all locations. Most areas will see VCTS around the start of the 18z taf period, with several hours of needing a tempo group for periods of TSRA impacting each terminal through the early evening hours at the very least. Outside of any storms, vfr conditions expected into this evening, with mvfr or lower conditions possible in thunderstorms. By 04z all activity should be east of all taf locations, so will remove mention of vcts/vcsh by then. A return of mvfr/ifr conditions then possible as the rainfall exits, with ceilings lowering to mvfr around 02z, then into ifr after 04z at many locations. Improvement back to vfr after 15z on Friday ahead of the next line of convection that will be possible by Friday afternoon. EXTENDED AVIATION OUTLOOK...Chances of diurnal showers and thunderstorms through Friday with the potential for periodic restrictions. VFR expected this weekend into early next week. && .CAE WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... SC...None. GA...None. && SYNOPSIS... NEAR TERM... SHORT TERM... LONG TERM... AVIATION...
The Columbia radar (KCAE), 103 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:56 UTC.
5 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Social media report with video showing swiftly flowing water from overflowing Uchee Creek onto Barnsley Dr flooding the road with trash bins floating down the street and causing property damage.
Social media report with video showing significant flooding of property in back yard of residence from Mt Enna Branch out of its banks. Swiftly moving water level was up to the jumping surface of a trampoline (around 4 ft).
Columbia County EM reported water rising in the yard of a residence approaching the home.
Columbia County EM reported water over the road on Furys Ferry Rd near Southern Pines Drive at Jones Creek.
Multiple social media reports of significant water flowing across Furys Ferry Rd from Jones Creek out of its banks. Reports of water 2-3 ft high at the headlights of cars driving through the water.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Georgia in 2025Every state in 2025This day in weather historyWarnings in Georgia, May 2025
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: 1253649, 1253650, 1253653, 1253654, 1253651.