EF1 Tornado — Spartanburg, South Carolina

2020-02-06 · near Clevedale, Spartanburg, South Carolina

Event narrative

NWS storm survey found the path of an EF1 tornado that began in the west Spartanburg/Clevedale area, near the intersection of Willis Rd and Harvest Brook Way. Damage was primarily limited to downed trees in this residential area, although one tree fell on and damaged a home. Structural damage increased as the tornado moved through the Westgate Mall and Dorman Center areas near the Highway 29/I-26 intersection, with business signs being damaged and roof damage occurring to several homes and apartment buildings just east of Westgate Mall. This same neighborhood was impacted by another EF1 tornado in October 2017. The tornado strengthened as it moved east of this area, along West Main St toward downtown. Businesses lost roof panels, and at least one small outbuilding was destroyed. Tree damage was observed in downtown Spartanburg and in the Converse Heights neighborhood east of downtown. Though the tornado was not as intense by that time, trees continued to be uprooted along the path of the tornado until it dissipated near Zion Hill Rd on the eastern outskirts of the city. In all, more than 400 homes and businesses were damaged, either directly by wind or by falling trees.

Wider weather episode

Unusually high levels of moisture for early February combined with a slow-moving frontal system to produce an extended period of moderate to heavy rainfall across Upstate South Carolina from the morning of the 5th until the early morning hours of the 7th. Intense rain rates associated with bands of heavy rain showers and embedded thunderstorms developing along the front during the morning and afternoon of the 7th resulted in rather widespread flash flooding. A tornado also developed during this time in the Spartanburg area. Total rainfall of 3 to 6 inches resulted in flooding persisting along some main stem rivers and larger streams well into the 7th.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (34.9260, -82.0300)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 874596. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.