EF0 tornado, Ropers Xrds, South Carolina, August 17, 2021

1. EF065 to 85 mphthis tornado

   Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.

2. EF186 to 110 mph

   Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.

3. EF2111 to 135 mph

   Considerable damage. Roofs torn off well-built houses, frame homes shifted on their foundations, mobile homes destroyed, large trees snapped or uprooted, cars lifted off the ground.

4. EF3136 to 165 mph

   Severe damage. Whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, trees debarked, heavy cars lifted and thrown.

5. EF4166 to 200 mph

   Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.

6. EF5over 200 mph

   Incredible damage. Strong frame houses swept off their foundations, car-sized missiles thrown more than 100 meters, steel-reinforced concrete badly damaged, high-rise buildings deformed.

7. Unrated

   The survey recorded a tornado but could not put a number on it, most often because it crossed open country and damaged nothing a rating can be read from.

Rating

EF0

Date

August 17, 2021

Touchdown

1:03 PM EDT (17:03 UTC)

Lifted

1:07 PM EDT (17:07 UTC)

On the ground

4 minutes

Path length

1.5 miles (2.4 km)

Path width

100 yards (91 m)

Deaths

0

Injuries

0

County

Edgefield County

Touchdown point

33.626, -82.010

Lift-off point

33.647, -82.001

Record number

2108171103-01

5 damage points were recorded along this path by NWS CAE, in the Damage Assessment Toolkit the survey teams carry. The strongest indicator was rated EF1. The highest wind the damage implies is 88 mph.

• Numerous trees snapped. Generally same direction but unclear. North-northwest.
• Single large pine down facing west.
• Several rotted trees down facing east.
• Single large pine down facing southwest.

Survey points are preliminary and are the raw material the published rating was built from. Source: NWS Damage Assessment Toolkit.

Remnants of Tropical Storm Fred, which became Tropical Depression Fred, tracked NE through northern Georgia into the Upstate South Carolina. The system provided enough rotation to develop a few tornadoes across the Midlands. A rain band compromised of showers and thunderstorms moved north-northeast across central South Carolina during the afternoon of the 17th. A second band moved through during the evening of the 17th. These bands spawned a total of 5 tornadoes across central South Carolina.

A National Weather Service Storm Survey team confirmed an EF1|tornado, with peak winds of 90 mph, west-northwest of Murphys|Estates in Edgefield County, SC.||The tornado began near Briggs Road, where it snapped and uprooted|multiple trees and destroyed a small shed. The tornado then|continued north-northeast, crossing Big Branch Court and Moore|Road, where it snapped multiple softwood trees. The survey team|was not able to confirm any additional damage north of this|immediate area due to a lack of access from the ground. However,|the South Carolina Forestry Commission assisted the survey using a|fixed wing aircraft and was not able to determine any additional|areas with significant damage. The survey team did note isolated|tree damage along Dry Bridge Road and Republican Road, but there|is not enough evidence that this was the result of a tornado.

From NOAA NCEI's Storm Events Database, the narrative the local forecast office wrote for Storm Data.

NWS Columbia, SC wrote its last area forecast discussion before the tornado touched down at Aug 17, 10:53 AM EDT, 2 hours 10 minutes earlier.

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Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Columbia SC
449 AM EDT Tue Aug 17 2021

GAZ040-063>065-077-SCZ016-018-020>022-025>031-035-037-038-041-115-
116-135>137-180900-
Lincoln-McDuffie-Columbia-Richmond-Burke-Chesterfield-McCormick-
Newberry-Fairfield-Kershaw-Edgefield-Saluda-Lexington-Richland-Lee-
Aiken-Sumter-Barnwell-Calhoun-Clarendon-Bamberg-Northern Lancaster-
Southern Lancaster-Northwestern Orangeburg-Central Orangeburg-
Southeastern Orangeburg-
449 AM EDT Tue Aug 17 2021

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for the Midlands of South Carolina
and the Central Savannah River area of Georgia.

.DAY ONE...Today and tonight.

Periods of heavy rainfall may be possible today and tonight due to
slow moving showers and thunderstorms associated with the remnants of
Fred. Depending on how heavy the rainfall is, there may be some
localized flash flooding of small streams and low-lying areas.

There is also a threat for isolated tornadoes as the remnants of Fred
pass west of the area this morning and through this evening.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday.

The probability for widespread hazardous weather is low.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation may be required at some point today.

In the hours before

Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Columbia SC
1132 AM EDT Tue Aug 17 2021

GAZ040-064-SCZ018-171615-
Lincoln GA-Columbia GA-McCormick SC-
1132 AM EDT Tue Aug 17 2021

...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of Columbia,
southeastern Lincoln, northwestern Richmond, and southeastern
McCormick Counties through 1215 PM EDT...

At 1131 AM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near
Appling, or near Grovetown, moving north at 25 mph.

...Boaters on Lake Strom Thurmond Should Seek Safe Harbor...

HAZARD...Winds in excess of 40 mph.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
         unsecured objects.

Locations impacted include...
Grovetown, Evans, Harlem, Appling, Clarks Hill Recreation Area, J.
Strom Thurmond Dam, Riverwood, Mistletoe State Park, Hamilton Branch
State Park, Parksville, Plum Branch, Liberty Park Community Center,
Winfield, Modoc, Scott's Landing, Knox Scout Reservation, Double
Branches, Columbia County Jail, Wildwood Park and Modoc Boat Ramp.

This includes Interstate 20 in Georgia between mile markers 179 and
191.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 700 PM EDT for east central
Georgia...and central South Carolina.

&&

LAT...LON 3389 8238 3386 8214 3383 8212 3376 8217
      3375 8216 3373 8218 3369 8217 3369 8214
      3365 8212 3342 8219 3340 8222 3342 8234
      3349 8240 3353 8239 3354 8241
TIME...MOT...LOC 1531Z 189DEG 24KT 3349 8230

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN
MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH

The radiosonde launches on either side of the tornado, from the nearest station that was launching then, drawn and analyzed the way Storm Lab does: the same diagram, the same parcel and shear definitions SPC's mesoanalysis uses.

Augusta (DNL), 19 km from the path, in the two hours either side.

From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of airport observations.

The Columbia radar (KCAE), 89 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 17:01 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment, over the track

Reflectivity and velocity, decoded from the Level II archive in the browser. Volumes take a few seconds to open the first time.

The live radar over the trackEvery 2021 tornado in South CarolinaEvery tornado in South Carolina since 1950Warnings in force in South Carolina nowThe forecast where you are

21 more were confirmed in the United States that day.

Ratings are the survey's, read off the damage rather than measured; the rating scale is above. Tornado counts rise through the record as reporting improved, so a year in the 1950s is not comparable with one today except for the strongest tornadoes, which were always noticed.

NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, the official record kept by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.