Severe Weather Forces Shelter in Place in Greenwood County

News Summary

Greenwood County is experiencing severe weather, including tornadoes, prompting officials to issue a shelter in place order. The area faced substantial damage, particularly from two tornadoes, EF-1 and EF-2, causing substantial tree and property damage. Power outages affected over 1,200 customers, though efforts are underway to restore electricity. The weather forecast indicates improvement in conditions, allowing residents to hope for a swift return to safety and normalcy.

Severe Weather and Tornadoes Lead to Shelter in Place in Greenwood County

Greenwood County is facing some challenging and quite severe weather conditions that have prompted officials to issue a shelter in place order for residents. The roads are in very dangerous conditions, and staying indoors is the best advice for everyone in the area until further notice.

As the weather situation unfolds, the FOX Carolina First Alert Weather team is keeping a close watch on Hurricane Helene. But in addition to the hurricane, Greenwood County experienced significant severe weather earlier this week as thunderstorms rolled through Kansas, resulting in at least three tornadoes, including two that touched down in Greenwood County itself.

Luckily, there have been no reported injuries from these storms, which is good news for the residents. The first tornado, rated as an EF-1, hit the area at 4:21 a.m. It formed about four miles south of Eureka and dissipated just 16 minutes later, around 4:37 a.m., about four miles northeast of the town. This tornado had wind speeds peaking at a robust 107 mph, causing damage primarily to large trees. Many of these trees were either snapped or uprooted, particularly south of Fall River and southeast of Eureka.

Then, just a few short hours later, another tornado struck Greenwood County, this time rated as an EF-2. This tornado made landfall at 7:34 a.m., around four-and-a-half miles south of Virgil, and it wrapped up its whirlwind journey at 7:42 a.m., about three miles southeast of the town. With maximum wind speeds reaching 118 mph, this storm caused a fair bit of havoc. It damaged farm equipment and an outbuilding, with bent steel purlins being reported and an outbuilding completely ripped from its foundation.

As if that weren’t enough trouble, following these storms, thousands of residents in Greenwood County found themselves without power. Duke Energy announced power outages affecting over 1,200 customers at 2:45 a.m. Thursday. The areas hit hardest lay along Highways 246 and 248 and down Highway 25 past Callison. Thankfully, by around 11:30 a.m. Thursday, the number of customers without power had decreased significantly to 788.

In another reported outage, around 1,199 customers located from Highway 34 at South Main Street to Ninety Six also experienced power loss. Restoration for these areas is not expected to be completed until 2 p.m. on Friday. Greenwood CPW reported some damage caused by fallen limbs on power lines, which initially affected around 100 customers, but these problems have been resolved.

By the time the clock struck 9:45 a.m. on Thursday, only one major outage remained, affecting parts of the Greenwood Metropolitan District properties. It’s a good sign that efforts to restore power and get things back to normal are well underway.

As for the weather forecast, good news is on the horizon! The National Weather Service has indicated a tapering off of the rain by midday, and it seems that hazardous weather is not expected to continue through the upcoming week. If you’re in Greenwood County, it’s time to keep fingers crossed and hope for a speedy return to calm and safe conditions for all.

For now, it’s wise for everyone to take the precautions seriously, stay tucked away at home, and enjoy the cozy indoors until the stormy weather leaves us for good!