TornadoLookup

Home / South Carolina / Edgefield

EF2 tornado in Edgefield County, South Carolina

Tornado March 3, 2019 · Edgefield County, South Carolina

EF2
Rating
5.0 mi
Path length
200 yd
Path width
8
Injuries
EF0EF1EF2EF3EF4EF5Unrated

The path drawn at its surveyed width of 200 yards (0.11 mi) — zoom in and the swath grows to true scale. Other tornadoes recorded nearby that day are shown faint.

What EF2 means. On the Enhanced Fujita scale, EF2 is considerable damage: roofs torn off well-built houses, mobile homes destroyed, large trees snapped or uprooted, consistent with estimated gusts of 111–135 mph. The rating comes from a survey of the worst damage after the storm, not from a wind measurement, so it says as much about what the tornado hit as about how strong it was.

What the National Weather Service wrote

Extensive tree damage occurred along the track of the tornado which paralleled Woodlawn Rd to Briggs Rd and then across Sweetwater Rd. Trees all along the path were either uprooted or snapped. The tornado touched down near the intersection

of Woodlawn Rd and Reedy Branch Rd. The tornado continued to the ENE along Woodlawn Rd. At the intersection of Woodlawn Rd and Highway 230 there was damage to a convenience store. A couple of the gas pumps were blown over and there was

damage to the gas station awning. The tornado continued ENE producing extensive tree damage and just east of the intersection of Briggs Rd and Sweetwater Rd.

The most extensive damage to structures occurred near the Morgana Community along Woodlawn Rd. Several structures were impacted by fallen trees and large branches. Several homes had damage to roof including shingles, fascia and trim. A tree fell across a pick-up truck crushing the truck bed. Numerous power lines were downed along Woodlawn Rd, Highway 230 and Briggs Rd.

The wider storm

An upper trough and strong surface cold front moved through the Central Savannah River Area of GA and Midlands of SC in the late afternoon and evening. Strong thunderstorms developed along and ahead of the front. Sufficient atmospheric instability and shear contributed to the development of seven tornadoes across the region, one EF-0, four EF-1's and two EF-2's.

Began near Morgana (33.6098, -82.0529).

Other tornadoes from the same storm system

6 more tornadoes the National Weather Service filed under this storm episode.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event 801831. Narratives are written by the National Weather Service forecast office that issued the report.

Tornadoes near your address

See every tornado that passed near a place you know, measured to its path.