ORANGEBURG COUNTY, S.C. — An Orangeburg County husband and wife were the victims of a powerful tornado that moved through the county early Monday morning.
Orangeburg County Coroner Samuetta Marshall identifed the couple who died in as 63-year-old Gerald Chavis and his wife Doris Chavis, 68. Both died as a result of blunt force trauma.
The area where the couple lived is located on Preserver Road near the towns of Neeses and Livingston on the western side of the county. Seven other people nearby were also injured.
The National Weather Service said the storm was a powerful EF-3 tornado with 140 mile an hour winds. The winds have lifted the home off its foundations.
The storm moved that area around 6 a.m. While it's not known exactly how long it was on the ground, forecasters called it a "long-track" tornado. The agency will continue to survey the area and determine the storm's physical size and how long a path it took.
The South Carolina governor's office said a total of 9 people have died so far from the tornado: 2 in Orangeburg County, 5 in Hampton County, 1 in Oconee County, and 1 in Colleton County.
It's the deadliest day in South Carolina from tornadoes since an outbreak back in March of 1984.