Thunderstorm and Tornado Alerts Hit Columbia, SC

News Summary

Columbia, South Carolina, faced a tumultuous Sunday morning as severe thunderstorm and tornado warnings were issued, causing residents to stay alert. The National Weather Service warned of strong winds and potential flooding, with a variance of alerts impacting not only Richland County but also surrounding areas. Rainfall is expected to be significant, and residents are urged to prepare for hazardous conditions throughout the day.

Thunderstorm and Tornado Alerts Shake Up Columbia, South Carolina

This Sunday morning, residents of Columbia, South Carolina, were greeted with quite the weather wake-up call as both severe thunderstorm and tornado warnings were issued. While many have braved storms before, this one has a little extra buzz, given that tornado warnings were in effect until 8:15 a.m. and severe thunderstorms would ramp up until about 8:30 a.m. Talk about a morning surprise!

Weather Warnings for the Midlands

The National Weather Service has been keeping a close eye on the skies, confirming that the potential for severe weather is expected to linger throughout the day, especially with conditions projected to last until around 3 p.m. It’s essential for residents to stay alert, as a tornado watch remains in effect until 2 p.m.

Areas like Richland County and Lexington County are right in the heart of this stormy weather, but don’t stop there! The tornado watch stretches across nearly all of the Midlands, affecting neighboring counties such as Kershaw, Sumter, Calhoun, Clarendon, Lee, and Orangeburg. If you’re in these areas, you’ll want to keep one eye on the skies and the other on the weather reports.

Scary Sightings and Strong Winds

Early risers might have experienced a jolt when a tornado was spotted near Dreher Island, ominously moving toward the Lake Murray dam just after 7:43 a.m. As if that wasn’t enough, the cold front that’s making its way through the area is also stirring up strong-to-severe thunderstorms along with the promise of localized flash flooding and gusty winds.

Residents are advised to brace themselves as wind speeds could reach a staggering 60 mph in the Columbia area, which brings with it the potential for damage that nobody wants to deal with – think downed trees and branches, roofs, mobile homes, outbuildings, and yes, even vehicles. With all of that flying around, there’s a significant risk of downed power lines that can lead to outages.

Lake Wind Warnings and Rain Forecast

On top of everything else, a lake wind advisory is in place for the Midlands until 8 p.m., encouraging anyone near the water to be cautious as wind speeds could reach around 25 mph with gusts up to 40 mph. This might create hazardous conditions for small craft on the area’s lakes, so if you were considering a lazy day of fishing or boating, you may want to rethink those plans.

As for the rain, Columbia is facing a 90% chance of precipitation today, with expected rainfall amounting to up to half an inch. And looking at the forecast, some areas might even see higher totals. So if you had plans to head out, don’t forget your umbrella!

Looking Ahead to Warmer Days

On a brighter note, once we ride out today’s stormy weather, it looks like Columbia will experience a warming trend over the next few days. Temperatures are expected to rise, reaching the 60s and potentially hitting 78 degrees by Wednesday. That’s the kind of weather we can eagerly look forward to!

The situation is ongoing and updates will continue to roll in as more details become available. So stay alert, stay safe, and hang in there – we’ll get through this storm together!

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HERE Resources

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Additional Resources

• The State: Thunderstorm and Tornado Alerts
• Lexington Sheriff: Drug Arrests
• WTVQ: Super League Game Rescheduled
• Wikipedia: Columbia, South Carolina
• Barr-Price: Vermelle Lawson Obituary