Tropical Storm — Fairfield, South Carolina

2024-09-27 · Fairfield, South Carolina

Event narrative

Many trees and power lines down. Some roads closed. Sections of the county without power. Falling trees caused damage to homes across the county. At least 11 homes sustained some level of damage including 2 destroyed and 3 with major damage. Maximum wind measured at the Winnsboro Airport (KFDW) was 26 knots sustained (30 mph) with a max gust of 38 knots (44 mph). NWS analysis estimated that maximum wind gusts were between 60-70 mph. Minimum MSLP at KFDW was 991.5 mb. Areas of flooding with maximum rainfall observed in Winnsboro with a CoCoRaHS gage measuring 5.74 inches.

Wider weather episode

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.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1210506. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.