EF0 tornado in Sumter County, South Carolina

A brief, but wide, EF-0 tornado associated with Hurricane Helene

began near Squaw Valley Road north of Wedgefield in Sumter County

at 532 AM. The tornado uprooted multiple trees and snapped large

branches as it moved north across Cane Savannah Rd and eventually

Route 76/378. It continued into a neighborhood causing additional

large tree damage, with a tree falling across Brookland Drive.

One home on Brookland Drive suffered damage from a large

tree falling on it, while other yards had multiple large limbs

snapped and/or trees uprooted. The tornado continued northwest

causing a large tree to uproot and fall across powerlines and

North Kings Highway which caused traffic delays. The tornado

turned slightly more northward where it uprooted trees and

snapped large limbs near the Beech Creek Golf Club before it

lifted around 538 AM.

Tropical Storm Helene formed in the NW Caribbean Sea on September 24. Helene moved northward into the Gulf of Mexico where it strengthened into a hurricane on September 25. Helene made landfall as a major hurricane in the Big Bend area of Florida the night of September 26 before quickly moving inland into east central Georgia by early morning on September 27. Helene weakened to a strong tropical storm and produced widespread significant wind damage, including wind gusts above 100 mph across east central Georgia and central South Carolina as well as numerous tornadoes. Numerous fatalities and injuries were reported associated with the passage of Helene.