EF0 tornado in Beaufort County, South Carolina

A National Weather Service storm survey team confirmed that an EF-0 tornado with estimated peak winds of 80 mph and associated with an outer band of Hurricane Helene, started on Daufuskie Island near Driftwood Cottage Lane. The tornado then continued northward across Daufuskie Island, snapping trees on Stoddard Court and on Martinangel Lane near Captain Monroe Lane. The tornado then crossed over the marsh between Daufuskie Island and Palmetto Bluff. Trees were snapped between Corley Street and Maritime Road near Old Moreland Road. Trees were also snapped on Amaranth Road at Moreland Road. The tornado then dissipated just north of Big House Plantation Road.

Helene first developed into a tropical storm in the northwest Caribbean Sea in the late morning of September 24, and strengthened into a hurricane near the Yucatan peninsula about 24 hours later. Helene continued to strengthen and became a major hurricane as it moved to the north-northeast across the eastern Gulf of Mexico. Helene made landfall in the Big Bend region of Florida in the late evening hours of September 26 as a category 4 hurricane. Once inland, Helene moved quickly northward through the state of Georgia and produced widespread significant impacts across multiple states.

The very large wind field associated with Helen produced widespread tropical storm force winds across southeast South Carolina during the evening and overnight hours of September 26-27. The peak observed wind gust in southeast South Carolina was 75 mph at the Beaufort Marine Corps Air Station (KNBC). Wind impacts due to Helene were significant including widespread tree damage and power outages with several counties reporting near 100 percent power outages. Conditions along the east side of the track of Helene were very conducive to tropical tornadoes, and 8 tornadoes were confirmed across southeast South Carolina. Fortunately, there were no injuries or fatalities due to the tornadoes or strong winds associated with Helene.

Helene also produced heavy rainfall across southeast South Carolina. Rainfall amounts ranged from 2-5 inches in most areas, with the heaviest swath of rain occurring across Jasper, Hampton, Allendale, and Colleton counties where amounts were more on the order of 5-8 inches. However, no significant flooding or flash flooding was observed due to heavy rainfall.

Helene did produce modest storm surge along the southeast South Carolina coast, resulting in a peak observed tide level of 2.26 ft MHHW (8.02 ft MLLW) at the Charleston Harbor National Ocean Service (NOS) tide gage.