COLUMBIA, S.C. — All tornado warnings have expired in the Midlands of South Carolina after a large outbreak of severe weather that spawned tornadoes and caused flash flooding.
Much of the Midlands spent several hours under a tornado, severe thunderstorm, or flash flood warning, as cell after cell of storms rushed through the region.
The worst of the weather appears to have been a large tornado that struck in Allendale County. It led the National Weather Service to declare a tornado emergency in the area. The South Carolina Emergency Management Division said there was one injury, but that was said to be non life-threatening.
There are reports of possible touchdowns in Orangeburg County as well.
A tornado warning was also issued for Richland, Calhoun, and Lexington County, that was triggered after a trained spotter reported seeing a funnel cloud near St. Matthews. There is no confirmation if that tornado struck the ground.
A warning had been issued for parts of Newberry County. The Newberry Airport reported seeing a tornado in the area at the time of the warning.
A tornado warning means a tornado has been observed on the ground or has been indicated by radar.
Twisters weren't the only problem created by the storm. There were pockets of heavy rain that led to flash flooding, including in parts of Columbia.
A rapidly moving cluster of thunderstorms was responsible for the severe weather outbreak. In anticipation of severe weather, the Storm Prediction Center has placed the southern Midlands in an enhanced risk of severe weather, and that turned out to be the area that saw the worst of the storms.
Historically, South Carolina's greatest risk for tornadoes is the month of April.