COLUMBIA, S.C. — The National Weather Service in Charleston upgraded the April 13th Hampton County tornado to an EF-4, making it the most powerful tornado to strike the state in 25 years.
This is the first F or EF-4 tornado recorded in South Carolina since the Marion County F-4 tornado on November 7, 1995.
Tornadoes this strong in South Carolina are a very rare event. The Hampton County tornado last week is only the 11th F or EF-4 tornado recorded in South Carolina since 1950.
According to the National Weather Service, the tornado had maximum winds of 175 mph. There were 5 deaths and 60 injuries from this one tornado.
Here is the update from the National Weather Service in Charleston on this tornado:
Tornado: Long Track Tornado in Hampton County, SC, Update to increase rating to EF-4
Start Location: 3 WNW Scotia in Hampton County SC
End Location: 5 NNE Fechtig in Hampton County SC
Date: 04/13/2020
Estimated Time: 06:10 AM EDT
Maximum EF-Scale Rating: EF4
Estimated Maximum Wind Speed: 175 mph
Maximum Path Width: 1300.0 yards
Path Length: 24.03 miles
Fatalities: 5 Injuries: 60
Summary:
Update for upgrade to EF-4 rating: Upon further review of data gathered during the damage survey, and consultation with subject matter experts, the Hampton County tornado has been upgraded to an EF-4.
The most intense damage occurred along Lento Road where the roof and all of the exterior and interior walls of a two story home were removed and dispersed across the yard. This has been added to the survey summary below.
This unusually long track and wide tornado damaged and destroyed many residences, including mobile and single family homes. In addition, the tornado, which reached a maximum width of about 0.75 mile, caused extensive damage to trees and powerlines along its path, which stretched more than 24 miles from southwest of Estill, to near the Colleton County line.
The most significant structural damage occurred just south of Estill and across Nixville. At least six residences were destroyed in the hardest hit areas, but there were many others that sustained various levels of damage along the entire path.
The tornado strengthened shortly after crossing Highway 321 south of Estill with EF-2 to EF-3 damage done to residences along Sprayfield Road and Lena Expressway.
The tornado reached peak intensity (EF-4) along Lento Road where the roof and all of the exterior and interior walls of a two story home were removed and dispersed across the yard.
The tornado then began a weakening trend. Tragically, five people lost their lives in the hardest hit areas just south of Estill and in Nixville.
The damage pattern suggested that this tornado may have consisted of multiple vortices, which can occur with stronger tornadoes.
According to the South Carolina State Climate Office, there were 25 confirmed tornadoes across the state on April 13.
They also reported, 1549 homes were affected by the storms, 182 with major damage and 209 homes were destroyed.
There were nine total deaths from the tornado outbreak.