Johns Island, SC Tornado - September 25, 2015

Radar Imagery

Click on images to enlarge

KCLX Base (0.5 Degree) Reflectivity

(Sep 25, 2015 - 1250 AM EDT )

KCLX Base (0.5 Degree) Storm-Relative Velocity

(Sep 25, 2015 - 1250 AM EDT)

KCLX Base (0.5 Degree) Correlation Coefficient

(Sep 25, 2015 - 1250 AM EDT)

Damage Pictures

Images courtesy of NWS Charleston, SC (row 1) and The Chart Group, Inc. (row 2); Click on images to enlarge

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC
451 PM EDT FRI SEP 25 2015

...TORNADO CONFIRMED IN JOHNS ISLAND IN CHARLESTON COUNTY SOUTH
CAROLINA...

LOCATION...JOHNS ISLAND IN CHARLESTON COUNTY SOUTH CAROLINA
DATE...9/25/2015
ESTIMATED TIME...1242 AM EDT
MAXIMUM EF-SCALE RATING...EF-2
ESTIMATED MAXIMUM WIND SPEED...130 MPH
MAXIMUM PATH WIDTH....0.5 MILES
PATH LENGTH...6.9 MILES
BEGINNING LAT/LON...32.72 / -80.06W
ENDING LAT/LON...32.80 /-80.11W
* FATALITIES...0
* INJURIES...0

* THE INFORMATION IN THIS STATEMENT IS PRELIMINARY AND SUBJECT TO
CHANGE PENDING FINAL REVIEW OF THE EVENT(S) AND PUBLICATION IN
NWS STORM DATA.

...SUMMARY...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHARLESTON SC HAS CONFIRMED A
TORNADO NEAR JOHNS ISLAND IN CHARLESTON COUNTY SOUTH CAROLINA ON
9/25/2015.

THE TORNADO FORMED ABOUT 1242 AM EDT JUST OFF OF CANE SLASH ROAD
ON JOHNS ISLAND AND DISSIPATED ABOUT 1259 AM EDT NEAR HIGHWAY 17
BETWEEN MAIN ROAD AND BEES FERRY ROAD. THE TORNADO TRACKED NORTH-
NORTHWEST FOR ABOUT 4 MILES UNTIL IT APPROACHED THE STONO RIVER
WHERE IT TURNED MORE NORTHWEST. THE TOTAL TRACK WAS ABOUT 6.9
MILES.

THE TORNADO PRODUCED UPPER END EF-2 DAMAGE AT TWO RESIDENCES ON SONNY
BOY LANE. AT ONE RESIDENCE...OTHER THAN A SMALL PORTION OF ROOF
LEFT INTACT...THE REST OF THE ROOF AND MOST EXTERIOR WALLS OF A
WELL BUILT BRICK HOME WERE KNOCKED DOWN. A LARGE PORTION OF THIS
ROOF AND A GROUND LEVEL AIR CONDITION UNIT WERE HURLED ABOUT 150
YARDS. AT ANOTHER WELL BUILT HOUSE ACROSS THE STREET...THE ENTIRE
BACK PORTION OF THE TWO STORY HOUSE WAS RIPPED OFF.

A HOME ON CANE SLASH ROAD HAD A PORTION OF THE ROOF RIPPED OFF.
TWO BUSINESSES NEAR THE END OF THE PATH HAD PORTIONS OF THEIR
ROOFS RIPPED OFF.

IN ALL...THERE WERE AN ESTIMATED 70 T0 80 HOMES THAT SUFFERED
MAINLY MINOR DAMAGE TO SHINGLES...SIDING...GUTTERS. THOUSANDS AND
THOUSANDS OF TREES WERE UPROOTED OR SNAPPED OFF...SOME FALLING ON
OR LANDING ON STRUCTURES/VEHICLES.

SEVERAL PEOPLE IN THE WORST HIT AREA GOT TO A SAFE PLACE AFTER
RECEIVING WARNING ON THEIR CELL PHONES THROUGH THE WIRELESS
EMERGENCY ALERTS(WEA).

THE NWS IS APPRECIATIVE OF THE ASSISTANCE PROVIDED BY THE
CHARLESTON COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY AND THE JOHNS
ISLAND FIRE DEPARTMENT WITH THE DAMAGE SURVEY.

THIS INFORMATION CAN ALSO BE FOUND ON OUR WEBSITE AT
WEATHER.GOV/CHS.

FOR REFERENCE...THE ENHANCED FUJITA SCALE CLASSIFIES TORNADOES
INTO THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES:

EF0...WIND SPEEDS 65 TO 85 MPH.
EF1...WIND SPEEDS 86 TO 110 MPH.
EF2...WIND SPEEDS 111 TO 135 MPH.
EF3...WIND SPEEDS 136 TO 165 MPH.
EF4...WIND SPEEDS 166 TO 200 MPH.
EF5...WIND SPEEDS GREATER THAN 200 MPH.

$$