This alert expired on 16 March 2026 at 19:00 UTC. It is kept here as a record.
It is the 2nd strongest of the 33 detections recorded within 20 km of this point since 12 March 2026. Another comparable one was recorded here earlier the same day. 5 more were recorded here in the fortnight before it.
What the source measured
NOAA reported: Tornado Watch issued March 16 at 1:50PM EDT until March 16 at 2:00PM EDT by NWS Columbia SC
An estimated 214,909 people live within 50 km of this point.
Nearby, since 12 March 2026
- July 29, 2026 · score 43 · 0.0 km
- July 28, 2026 · score 43 · 0.0 km
- July 13, 2026 · score 43 · 0.0 km
How we know
One source: NOAA. Not yet confirmed by a second, independent source.
Our own score for this event is 55 out of 100, at 76 % confidence.
The score is ours, computed from intensity, exposed population and local history — not the source’s.
Event Data
| Type | Severe weather |
| Severity | high |
| Calamity Score (ours) | 55 / 100 |
| Our confidence | 76% |
| Coordinates | 33.8000, -81.2000 |
| Nearest City | Lexington (20 km) |
| Population Exposed | 214.9K within 50 km |
| Impact Tier | severe |
| Timestamp | 2026-03-16T17:50:00.000Z |
Score Breakdown
Technical Details
| Event | Tornado Watch |
| Urgency | Future |
| Certainty | Possible |
| AreaDesc | Bamberg, SC; Calhoun, SC; Chesterfield, SC; Clarendon, SC; Kershaw, SC; Lee, SC; Orangeburg, SC; Sumter, SC |
| Headline | Tornado Watch issued March 16 at 1:50PM EDT until March 16 at 2:00PM EDT by NWS Columbia SC |
| Expires | 2026-03-16T15:00:00-04:00 |
| SenderName | NWS Columbia SC |
| HasExactCoords | false |
Safety Information
If a tornado warning is issued: go to a basement or an interior room on the lowest floor, away from windows. A vehicle and a mobile home are not shelter. Cover your head and neck. Wait for the official all-clear before going outside, and watch for downed power lines and gas leaks afterwards.
Series begins 10 February 2026. Comparisons refer to that period only. Collection gap: 14-26 August 2026.
This data is aggregated algorithmically from scientific sources. Not a replacement for official emergency warnings.
Calamity.live data shows a weather event with CalamityScore 55/100, near Lexington (United States), based on data from noaa. Source: Calamity.live, a platform aggregating real-time data from 188 scientific monitoring sources.