Newberry County, S.C. — An EF2 tornado with winds of up to 115 mph touched down early Sunday in a sparsely populated corner of northeastern Newberry County, and no injuries were reported.
The National Weather Service rated the twister after a damage survey. It touched down near the intersection of Old Blair Road and Henderson Ferry Road at 06:05 AM EDT and stayed on the ground for about four minutes. Its path length was 1.47 miles, with a path width of 450 yards at its widest.
The storm hit an area that borders Fairfield County near the Broad River. That stretch includes game-management land and part of the Sumter National Forest. A Department of Natural Resources wildlife officer first reported what looked like tornado damage to the Newberry County Sheriff’s Office, and Sheriff Lee Foster saw the damage in person.
Damage included snapped and uprooted trees, minor damage to one home and a camper trailer that was turned over. Much of the forested area along Old Blair Road was destroyed, and falling trees brought down several power poles. The tornado lifted just before reaching the Broad River.
Heavy rain also soaked the county over the weekend, with totals of 5 to 7 inches in some spots. One person drove into a flooded creek and was rescued by Little Mountain Fire and Rescue without injury. Newberry County public works crews cleared trees and branches from county-maintained roads in the area.
