The Good Friday Severe Weather Outbreak of April 10, 2009

Heat Continues for the East and South-Central U.S.; Strong to Severe Storms Across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast

The extremely dangerous heat wave continues across the East Coast and much of the South-Central U.S. today. Record high temperatures are expected for some areas especially across the Mid-Atlantic where extreme heat risk conditions reside. There is a Slight Risk (level 2 of 5) of severe thunderstorms today for the northern Mid-Atlantic into portions of southern New England. Read More >

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 943 PM EDT SUN APR 12 2009 ...TORNADO CONFIRMED IN ABBEVILLE SC... LOCATION...ABBEVILLE...ABBEVILLE COUNTY SC DATE...APRIL 10TH 2009 ESTIMATED TIME...835 TO 846 PM EDT MAXIMUM EF-SCALE RATING/CAUSE...EF2 ESTIMATED MAXIMUM WIND SPEED...125 MPH MAXIMUM PATH WIDTH...300 YARDS PATH LENGTH...8 MILES ...SUMMARY... A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DAMAGE ASSESSMENT FOUND AN AREA OF TORNADO DAMAGE IN ABBEVILLE COUNTY THAT BEGAN ABOUT 3 MILES WEST/NORTHWEST OF ABBEVILLE NEAR HIGHWAY 71 AND ROCK HILL ROAD. THE TORNADO TRAVELED EAST/SOUTHEAST...MOVING INTO THE CITY OF ABBEVILLE ACROSS BYPASS 28 AND OAK GROVE ROAD...ACROSS WOODLAWN DRIVE...HAIGLER STREET...CHURCH STREET...AND ALONG MAIN STREET AND SECESSION AVENUE BEFORE LIFTING ABOUT A MILE EAST/SOUTHEAST OF TOWN. NUMEROUS LARGE HARDWOOD AND PINE TREES WERE UPROOTED AND SNAPPED OFF ALONG THE PATH. STRUCTURAL DAMAGE WAS CONSIDERABLE WITH THE ENTIRE ROOF STRUCTURE COMPLETELY BLOWN OFF ABOUT A HALF DOZEN HOMES... NUMEROUS TRAILERS COMPLETELY DESTROYED AND EXTENSIVE STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO MANY BUILDINGS ALONG THE TRACK. THE DAMAGE OBSERVED WAS CONSISTENT WITH WIND SPEEDS OF 12-130 MPH...MAKING THIS AN EF2 TORNADO ON THE ENHANCED FUJITA SCALE. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WOULD LIKE TO EXTEND THEIR GRATITUDE TO THE ABBEVILLE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND EMERGENCY PERSONNEL FOR THEIR ASSISTANCE IN THIS DAMAGE SURVEY. $$