NOUS42 KCHS 301638
PNSCHS
GAZ087-088-099>101-114>119-137>141-SCZ040-042>045-047>052-011445-

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT...RESEND
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC
1037 AM EDT FRI SEP 30 2011

...A REVIEW OF THE 1938 CHARLESTON AREA TORNADOES...

FIVE TORNADOES RAKED THE SOUTH CAROLINA LOWCOUNTRY ON THE MORNING
OF SEPTEMBER 29 1938. THEY WERE LIKELY SPAWNED BY A TROPICAL
DEPRESSION THAT FORMED IN THE GULF OF MEXICO ON SEPTEMBER 27 AND
MOVE UP THE SOUTHEAST COAST OF THE UNITED STATES ON THE 29TH.
THREE OF THE TORNADOES RAVAGED PARTS OF JAMES ISLAND...DOWNTOWN
CHARLESTON AND SULLIVANS ISLAND...WHILE THE OTHER TWO STRUCK
OUTLYING AREAS. EXACERBATING THE PROBLEMS WERE HIGHER THAN NORMAL
TIDES AND HEAVY RAINS OVERNIGHT...WHICH RESULTED IN SIGNIFICANT
STREET FLOODING. THE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM THEN MOVED UP THE U.S.
EAST COAST...DUMPING 9.4 INCHES OF RAIN IN WILMINGTON NC...WHICH
FLOODED MOST OF THE CITY AND BROUGHT STRONG WINDS AND HEAVY RAIN
TO THE NORTHEAST STATES.

-- CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS -- 
750 AM EDT...AN F2 TORNADO MOVED FROM SEABROOK ISLAND NORTH NORTHEAST
ACROSS THE ASHLEY RIVER ONTO THE CHARLESTON PENINSULA NEAR THE
ASHLEY RIVER BRIDGE. IT AFFECTED THE UPPER SECTIONS OF THE CITY
DESTROYING MOST POORLY CONSTRUCTED HOUSED IN THE FIDDLERS GREEN
SECTION. FIVE FATALITIES AND 20 INJURIES RESULTED.

800 AM EDT...ANOTHER F2 TORNADO FORMED NEAR JAMES ISLAND...CROSSED
THE CHARLESTON HARBOR...THEN HIT THE PENINSULA JUST WEST OF THE
FORT SUMTER HOTEL ON THE BATTERY. IT MOVED ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST
PORTION OF THE CITY...CAUSING THE MOST DAMAGE ON MARKET AND BROAD
STREETS...THEN EXITED NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF CALHOUN STREET AND
EAST BAY STREET. TWENTY SEVEN FATALITIES AND 8 INJURIES WERE
ATTRIBUTED...MAINLY FROM COLLAPSING BUILDINGS. THE TORNADO PASSED
JUST WEST OF THE UNITED STATES CUSTOMS HOUSE AT 810 AM WHICH WAS
HOME TO THE UNITED STATES WEATHER BUREAU AT THE TIME.

830 AM EDT...AN F1 TORNADO STRUCK SULLIVANS ISLAND FROM STATIONS
26.5 TO 28. FIFTEEN HOMES WERE DESTROYED WITH MANY OTHERS DAMAGED.
NO SERIOUS INJURIES OR DEATHS OCCURRED...WHICH WAS MOST LIKELY DUE
TO HOME BEING VACANT AFTER THE SUMMER TOURIST SEASON.

-- EARLY TORNADO DETECTION --
SEVERE WEATHER DETECTION WAS VERY DIFFERENT IN THE 1930S. WEATHER
RADAR WAS NOT DEVELOPED UNTIL THE 1950S...WHILE THE FIRST WEATHER
SATELLITE WAS NOT LAUNCHED UNTIL 1959. THEREFORE...METEOROLOGISTS
OF THE DAY HAD ONLY A BAROMETER TO MONITOR FOR ATMOSPHERIC
PRESSURE FALLS AND AN ANEMOMETER AND WIND VANE TO MEASURE WIND
SPEED AND DIRECTION. 

IN THE 1930S...THE UNITED STATES WEATHER BUREAU OFFICE WAS LOCATED
IN THE CUSTOMS HOUSE IN DOWNTOWN CHARLESTON. DURING THE FIRST
TORNADO THAT STRUCK THE NORTHERN PARTS OF THE CITY...NOTHING
UNUSUAL WAS DETECTED. HOWEVER...THE SECOND TORNADO MOVED VERY NEAR
THE CUSTOMS HOUSE. THE WEATHER BUREAU REPORTED A PRESSURE DROP FROM 
29.73 INCHES TO 29.30 INCHES AND A PEAK WIND GUST OF 72 MPH 
WHEN IT PASSED. 

-- TORNADO STATISTICS --
# TORNADOES.... 5 
EF RATINGS..... 2 F-2
                3 F-1
FATALITIES... 32
INJURIES..... 100
DAMAGES...... APPROXIMATELY 2 MILLION DOLLARS
BUILDINGS DESTROYED... 196
BUILDING DAMAGED...... APPROXIMATELY 100

$$

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