BAMBERG, S.C. — The National Weather Service said a strong tornado touched down in Bamberg and another twister was confirmed near Lake Murray during Tuesday's storm outbreak.
The agency gave a briefing Wednesday from downtown Bamberg, the site of some of the worst damage from the tornado that came through there.
John Quagliariello with the National Weather Service said the Bamberg tornado struck around 2:45 p.m. Tuesday. It hit first at a barrel company on the edge of town, causing heavy damage to that structure. The twister then came down in the downtown area, causing significant damage to at least two buildings, with bricks strewn across the main road in the town.
Survey teams looked at storm damage Wednesday to determine how strong it was.
The tornado has been rated b EF2 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, the third highest rating on the scale which measures tornado intensity. Quagliariello said it's believed the storm had winds between 120 and 125 miles an hour, which he said makes it a strong tornado.
The tornado's width is estimated to be between 300 and 400 yards. He said more details on the path would come out later.
The weather service also confirmed there was a tornado on the north side of Lake Murray near Chapin. It started as a waterspout and then moved ashore and was rated an EF1, which means it had wind speeds between 86 and 110 miles an hour. More details are expected to come out later.
A series of severe thunderstorms moved through the region Tuesday leaving behind heavy rain, winds, and damage. Multiple areas reported trees down. While there were power outages in most counties, they were spotty, affecting some areas but not others in the same region.