Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in South Carolina, April 13, 2020

SCHP reported trees down blocking roadway on Scott Ferry Rd. Time estimated.

COOP observer reported numerous trees and power lines down throughout the county. Time estimated.

Trees and power lines down on Bush River Rd near Newberry. Photos shared via social media. Time estimated.

SC DOT reported multiple trees down on Trinity Springs Rd. Time estimated.

Reports of multiple trees and power lines down in Indian Land. Time estimated.

A strong, long-track tornado began in Aiken Co SC, within the boundaries of the Savannah River Site southeast of Jackson, SC, then moved in a general northeast direction. While in Aiken Co, the tornado was rated EF-3, with peak wind speeds of 140 mph.

Based off of high resolution imagery, radar data (including the height debris was detected), and correspondence with Savannah River Site officials, it was determined that the tornado became strong within the Savannah River Site boundaries as it moved to the northeast. As the tornado moved out of the Savannah River Site, it produced significant damage near Williston Rd and Jaywood Rd west of Williston. In this area, significant roof damage and a partial wall collapse to a brick house occurred, with a small cinder block workshop destroyed. The tornado then destroyed a vacant cinder block store building, and removed the roof and some of the walls of a metal auto shop building. Nearby trees were all snapped near the base. A mobile home was shifted about 6-10 feet off its foundation along Cherry Tree Rd. Along Tinker Creek Rd, the tornado destroyed a brick shed and removed most of the roof off a home, |completely destroyed a manufactured home near Charleston Hwy (US Hwy 78), and based on aerial photographs blew down a large swath of trees east of the roadway. The tornado then crossed Charleston Hwy, removing a large portion of the roof and collapsing an exterior wall of a business.

The tornado then crossed into Barnwell Co SC, NW of the town of Williston near Davis Bridge Rd, and continued moving NE across N Barnwell Co, and crossed into Orangeburg Co SC, where it dissipated just before reaching the town limits of Neeses, east of Ninety Six Rd.

ASOS unit at Orangeburg Municipal Airport measured a wind gust of 51 mph.

Thunderstorm downburst winds knocked down numerous trees along a swath across Lexington Co SC from south of Leesville to the Lake Murray vicinity. Trees were downed on Pond Branch Rd and Davis Hite Place, on Windy Rd, on US Hwy 378 and Beaver Creek Rd, and on Shull Island near Larry Koon Landing. The roof of a structure collapsed on Bickley View Ct.

Numerous trees down throughout the county. Time estimated.

Chesterfield Co dispatch reported numerous trees and power lines down throughout the county, including along Hwy 102, Hwy 145, and SC 9, in addition to several other side roads. Time estimated.

SCHP reported trees down on SC 213 at Anderson Quarry Rd. Time estimated.

Sentinel Satellite Data from April 13, 2020 clearly showed a damage scar beginning at the western edge of Parr Pond in the Savannah River Site and ending near the intersection of Highway 278 and State Road 21. A tornadic debris signature detected by the KCAE radar aligns with the damage scar. A ground survey also indicated a few trees down just off a field on the eastern side of Fellowship Road as the tornado dissipated. Based off of the above information and correspondence with a Savannah River Site official, it is estimated that winds reached EF-3 strength, with speeds up to 138 mph.

SCHP reported trees down in roadway US Hwy 321 and Cowhorn Rd. Time estimated.

Thunderstorm downburst winds downed numerous trees along a swath from the White Rock and Ballentine vicinity southeast across the Irmo and St. Andrews vicinities. At least two homes were damaged from fallen trees.

RCWINDS gage near Lake Murray Dam measured a wind gust of 52 MPH.

A strong, long-track tornado began just south of the town of Elko in Barnwell Co SC, then moved in a general northeast direction through Orangeburg Co SC, where it reached EF-3 intensity and caused 2 fatalities. The tornado dissipated shortly after crossing into Calhoun Co SC southwest of St. Matthews before reaching I-26.

While in Barnwell Co, the tornado was rated as EF-1. The tornado began near Orchard Rd and SC Hwy 37. Along its entire path, there was widespread tree damage. The tornado snapped 7 wood power poles near US Hwy 78 and Turkey Creek. The tornado strengthened as it approached SC Hwy 3 and Gardenia Rd, where it destroyed and tossed a wood framed home anchored to the ground, lifted a significant portion of a roof on a brick home, destroyed a fifth wheel camper, and knocked over a pivot irrigation system. The tornado continued moving to the NE and crossed into Orangeburg Co.

A strong, long-track tornado began in Aiken Co SC, within the boundaries of the Savannah River Site, then moved in a general northeast direction. While in Aiken Co, the tornado was rated EF-3. The tornado then crossed into Barnwell Co SC, NW of the town of Williston near Davis Bridge Rd. In Barnwell Co, the tornado was rated as EF-1. The tornado continued to snap and uproot countless trees as it crossed Davis Bridge Rd, and New Forest Rd in N Barnwell Co. The tornado continued moving NE and crossed into Orangeburg Co SC.

Thunderstorm downburst winds downed numerous trees along a swath generally across the northern part of the city of Columbia. Numerous homes and other structures were damaged by fallen trees and numerous roads were blocked.

A tornado started just south of Blackville, SC east of Whitehall Drive near Toby Creek. The tornado damaged several chicken houses by causing the walls to collapse in a few places. The tornado then moved northeast crossing a large empty field, before intensifying as it approached a fiberglass coating facility near Lake Cynthia Road. The tornado collapsed a large segment of a 75 ft tall, 150 ft x 150 ft warehouse, with large steel support beams twisted. Thirty cylindrical containers weighing up to 20- 25 thousand pounds each lifted out of their u-shaped saddles and rolled throughout the facility. There was evidence of minimal tree damage east of Blackville but not enough damage to suggest the tornado track continued that far north. As a result, the tornado likely lifted prior to reaching Highway 3. The tornado path length was just under 1.5 miles and had a width of about 40 yards. The tornado was rated EF-3, with peak winds of 140 mph.

A strong, long-track tornado began in Aiken Co SC, within the boundaries of the Savannah River Site, then moved in a general northeast direction. While in Aiken Co, the tornado was rated EF-3. The tornado then crossed into N Barnwell Co SC. While in Barnwell Co, the tornado was rated as EF-1. The tornado continued moving NE and crossed into Orangeburg Co SC, where it dissipated near the town of Neeses.

While in Orangeburg Co, the tornado was rated as EF-1. The tornado uprooted many large trees in the town of Springfield, some of which fell on homes and one on a church. The tornado then crossed the path of another tornado near Fire Tower Rd and Starwood Dr. Several homes along Fire Tower Rd had extensive roof and front porch damage. Multiple trees were down along Ninety Six Rd, with one of them falling on a house. The tornado finally dissipated east of Ninety Six Rd just before reaching the Neeses town limits.

A tornado touched down in far southeast Barnwell moving northeastward toward the Bamberg county line southeast of the town of Hilda, briefly intensifying to a strong tornado along Hartzog Road. The tornado length was 5.5 miles and had a width of 800 yards at its widest point. The tornado was rated EF-3, with peak winds of 145 mph.

The tornado began just north of Highway 64 at Green Branch Road near Indigo Road. The tornado moved northeast across Hercules Creek and caused significant tree damage at a residence on Friendship Road. Several oak and pine trees were uprooted and snapped. A cinder block garage had its metal roofing peeled off and the wind stress shifted the cinder blocks about half way up the wall. Along its northeastward path, there was continued tree damage but the tornado strengthened rapidly as it crossed Hartzog Road just south of November Road. A well built bolted down metal |building structure and tin tractor shed was completely destroyed. Further north along Hartzog Road, a residence had part of its roof lifted off and behind the residence, a two story wood frame building was shifted off its foundation and destroyed an unanchored log cabin was destroyed. As the tornado moved northeast toward Huckleberry Bay Road there were multiple hardwood trees snapped near the base of the trees. The tornado began to weaken as it crossed Old Salem Road continuing to damage trees along its path before dissipating just north of Huttos Chapel |Road.

A strong, long-track tornado began just south of the town of Elko in Barnwell Co SC where it was rated as EF-1, then moved in a general northeast direction through Orangeburg Co SC, where it reached EF-3 intensity and caused 2 fatalities and 7 injuries. The tornado dissipated shortly after crossing into Calhoun Co SC southwest of St. Matthews before reaching I-26.

The tornado downed numerous trees along its path. It crossed Norway Rd where it snapped multiple power poles. As the tornado reached Fire Tower Rd west of Neeses, it intensified further, destroying 3 anchored manufactured homes on Preserver Rd near Ninety Six Rd. It was in this area that the 2 known fatalities occurred to residents in a double-wide manufactured home.

The tornado then turned more eastward, crossing Savannah Hwy (US Hwy 321) and Dragstrip Rd north of Livingston. There were several homes or manufactured homes that were heavily damaged or destroyed in this area. The tornado gradually weakened as it crossed North Rd (US Hwy 178) and crossed into Calhoun Co.

A strong EF-1 tornado began near the intersection of Lee Road and Trowbridge Road. The tornado continued northeast for just under 5 miles. The tornado crossed Hard Scrabble Road, Kelly Mill Road, Langford Road and dissipated near Heins Road. The maximum estimated wind speed associated with the tornado was 105 mph.

Much of the damage along the path of the tornado was tree damage. There were numerous trees that had been snapped, uprooted or suffered damage to branches. There were several homes that suffered minor roof damage to roofing materials, such as shingles, along with damage to soffit and fascia on the exterior of structures. Some of the most extensive tree damage occurred just off Langford Road near the Hunters Run neighborhood. There were also several large trees, both hardwood and softwood, that were snapped and uprooted along Kelly Mill Road near the Crickentree neighborhood. This is across the street from Lake Carolina Elementary Upper Campus. Along Ejw Road, across the street from Lake Carolina Elementary Lower Campus, there were several trees that has fallen across the roadway and been cleared. Additionally, along Ejw Road, there were a few trees either snapped, uprooted or with significant branch damage before the road crossed Round Top Branch. Several trees were uprooted along the entrance to Crickentree on Crickentree Drive.

Trees down along Hwy 522 on Cimmeron Rd and also near the intersection of Hwy 522 and Hwy 9. Photos shared via social media. Time estimated.

A strong, long-track tornado began just south of the town of Elko in Barnwell Co SC where it was rated as EF-1, then moved in a general northeast direction through Orangeburg Co SC, where it reached EF-3 intensity and caused 2 fatalities. The tornado dissipated shortly after crossing into Calhoun Co SC southwest of St. Matthews before reaching I-26.

Trained spotter observed a 66 mph wind gust. Tree limbs down.

A tornado touched down in Orangeburg Co SC about 4 miles northeast of Rowesville and tracked northeastward across Interstate 26 and Highway 301. EF0 damage occurred from the intersection of Garland and Bethel Forest Road, where the tornado started, to just prior to crossing I-26. The tornado strengthened producing EF-1 damage across agricultural fields and in the Orangeburg Industrial Park. As the tornado crossed I-26 it further strengthened to EF-2 then crossed Highway 301. The tornado rapidly weakened to EF-1 then just north of Highway 301 and further to EF-0 as it moved into the Middle Pen Swamp. Through the remainder of the tornado path it cycled between EF-1 and EF-0 then crossed into Calhoun Co SC where it finally lifted just north of the intersection of Houcks Gin Road and Old State Road.

The tornado caused numerous hardwood and softwood trees to be snapped along the path and overturned multiple pivot irrigation systems. Damage was done to a tractor dealership with the front windows being shattered and the overhead doors being blown in by the wind. Several of the snapped and uprooted trees were blown onto structures causing roof damage to residential and industrial structures. Damage to grain silos and outbuildings on the north side of Highway 301 was estimated by the owner to be $1 million.

SCHP reported trees down at Howells Mill Rd and Hunters Chapel Rd. Time estimated.

The tornado touched down in Orangeburg Co SC, where it was rated as EF-2. The tornado crossed into Calhoun Co near Four Holes Rd and moved to the northeast and dissipated near Old State Rd and Houcks Gin Rd. In Calhoun Co, the tornado was rated EF-1, knocking down numerous trees.

A pine tree and several large tree limbs were downed at Hwy 341 and Edwin Hall Rd.

Thunderstorm downburst winds downed numerous trees from Rembert to Sumter. Time estimated.