Tropical Storm — Newberry, South Carolina

2024-09-27 · Newberry, South Carolina

Event narrative

Widespread trees and power lines downed. Many roads closed, some for an extended period of time. Large sections of the county were without power. Falling trees damaged numerous structures across the county. At least 128 homes sustained some level of damage including 10 destroyed and 41 with major damage. South Carolina Forestry estimated 1.4 million dollars in timber loss. A maximum wind gust of 32 knots (37 mph) was measured at Newberry County Airport before the site stopped reporting. NWS analysis estimated that maximum gusts were between 70-90 mph. Ten homes were destroyed with over one hundred structures damaged by falling trees and wind. Two individuals were killed when a tree fell on their vehicle. In addition, three indirect fatalities occurred. Flooding occurred in areas across the county with numerous observations of between 5 to 7 inches of rainfall total. Highest measurement came from a CoCoRaHS gage near Whitmire which measured 7.17 inches of rain.

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 1210803. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.