The National Weather Service (NWS) office in Columbia confirmed that two tornadoes touched down in Barnwell County on Saturday. Survey teams have been deployed to evaluate additional paths of damage.
According to NWS, two EF1 tornadoes touched down near Kline and Barnwell, creating a path over eighteen miles long with winds topping one hundred five miles per hour. No injuries were reported from the twisters.
NWS meteorologist Dr. Matt Gropp said a final, short-lived EF2 tornado spun up in extreme eastern Newberry County near the Broad River, producing intense pine tree damage.
In the Lowcountry, the NWS office in Charleston confirmed that five tornadoes touched down across southeast South Carolina and southeast Georgia on Saturday. The strongest storm in the area occurred in western Allendale County, where an EF1 tornado generated estimated peak winds of 110 mph along a 3.2-mile path. Northern Allendale County was also struck by an EF1 twister with 105 mph winds.
The storm also brought three to six inches of rain across the Central Savannah River Area, with half an inch to two inches reported across the Midlands. Since the region has been exceptionally dry prior to the weather event, the NWS says the rainfall acted as a largely beneficial drought-relief measure with minimal flooding and only minor roadway washouts.
Dr. Gropp said that real-time video and ground reports from storm chasers and the public played a vital role in helping meteorologists track debris signatures and issue accurate warnings.
Despite multiple structural impacts and significant tree damage, no injuries or fatalities were reported across the state from the tornadoes.
One death, however, has been attributed to Hurricane Isaias in South Carolina.
