Tornadoes confirmed in the Upstate on Sunday, October 8

Note:  The information in these statements are preliminary and subject to change pending final review of the events and publication in NWS Storm Data.

EF2 TORNADO CONFIRMED IN PICKENS COUNTY, SOUTH CAROLINA

Location...From Norris to just west of Pickens, in Pickens County, South Carolina.

Date...October 08 2017
Estimated Time...435 PM to 449 PM EDT
Maximum EF-Scale Rating...EF2
Estimated Maximum Wind Speed...130 mph
Maximum Path Width...300 yards
Path Length...8.43 miles

Beginning Lat/Lon...34.76N / 82.76W
Ending Lat/Lon...34.88N / 82.73W

* Fatalities...0
* Injuries...0

Summary

The National Weather Service in Greenville-Spartanburg SC has confirmed a tornado in Pickens County. The path is a combination of a 3-mile long nearly continuous track and three separate brief touchdowns. The initial tornado touchdown occurred at Maxey Dr. in Norris, where several trees were snapped or uprooted and at least one home sustained roof damage. Then the tornado continued toward Robinson Bridge Rd., where one brick home had front-wall and total-roof failure and two mobile homes were completely destroyed. Maximum winds at this time were estimated to be 130 mph, which is equivalent to the EF2 category. The nearly continuous track ended near Liberty Hwy. and Tammy Dr., where multiple trees were snapped or uprooted and at least one outbuilding was destroyed. Also, mobile homes sustained roof and underpinning damage. The width of the tornado was approximately 200-300 yards throughout the nearly continuous path.

Thereafter, three additional, brief touchdowns occurred on on Belle Shoals Rd., Allgood Bridge Rd., and Shady Grove Rd., respectively. The damage at each touchdown was rated EF0 or EF1 and mostly consisted of snapped and uprooted trees.

In summary, a total of 20 homes, both stick-built and mobile, sustained structural damage with 5 homes experiencing major damage. Several outbuildings and sheds were damaged or destroyed. A communications tower was also damaged. Numerous trees were snapped or uprooted.

EF2 TORNADO CONFIRMED IN LAURENS AND SPARTANBURG COUNTIES, SOUTH CAROLINA

Location...From near Cross Hill, SC to Glenn Springs, SC

Date...October 08 2017
Estimated Time...410 PM to 520 PM EDT
Maximum EF-Scale Rating...EF2
Estimated Maximum Wind Speed...115 to 120 mph
Maximum Path Width...100 yards
Path Length...38 miles

Beginning Lat/Lon...34.29N / 82.04W
Ending Lat/Lon...34.82N / 81.84W

* Fatalities...0
* Injuries...1

Summary

A tornado initially touched down approximately 2 miles west of Cross Hill, South Carolina, and tracked north-northeast to Glenn Springs, South Carolina. Damage was intermittent for most of the path, but was fairly continuous from I-385 to just west of Tylersville. The tornado was responsible for a large number of large hardwood trees being snapped or uprooted, and damage to numerous outbuildings, houses, and manufactured homes. There was a great deal of EF0 and a lot of EF1 damage in both Laurens and Spartanburg counties as evidenced by large trees being snapped, damage to roofs and the exterior of buildings, and the destruction of small outbuildings. A trailer park east of Laurens received severe damage with several trailers destroyed and one injury being reported. The strongest damage occurred to a well-constructed house northeast of Laurens in Laurens County which was 50% destroyed with several strong cinder-block walls being blown-out and the roof being removed, along with nearby brick walls being blown over. Damage at this location justifies an EF-2 rating for the tornado. Convergent and overlapping damage paths at multiple locations confirms that damage was caused by a tornado. The damage path was widest at the end of the swath at Glenn Springs, which received considerable tree and building damage.

EF0 TORNADO CONFIRMED IN UNION COUNTY, SOUTH CAROLINA

Location...3 miles west-southwest of Buffalo

Date...October 08 2017
Estimated Time...530 PM to 540 PM EDT
Maximum EF-Scale Rating...EF0
Estimated Maximum Wind Speed...75 mph
Maximum Path Width...50 yards
Path Length...0.24 miles

Beginning Lat/Lon...34.72N / 81.74W
Ending Lat/Lon...34.73N / 81.75W

* Fatalities...0
* Injuries...0

Summary

A tornado touched down around 5:35 PM on October 8 several miles west-southwest of Buffalo in Union County, South Carolina. Damage to numerous trees, tree falls, and some building damage resulted with some loss of roof panels to a home and to an outbuilding. Highly variable damage paths of debris and eye witness evidence confirms a brief tornado.

EF1 TORNADO CONFIRMED NEAR TRYON IN POLK COUNTY NORTH  
CAROLINA AND GREENVILLE COUNTY SOUTH CAROLINA

Location...Tryon in Polk County North Carolina

Date...October 8 2017
Estimated Time...5:40 to 5:42 pm EDT
Maximum EF-Scale Rating...EF1
Estimated Maximum Wind Speed...95 MPH
Maximum Path Width...200 yards
Path Length...1.5 miles
Beginning Lat/Lon...35.19 / 82.24W
Ending lat/Lon...35.21 / 82.24W
* Fatalities...0
* Injuries...0

* The information in this statement is preliminary and subject to
change pending final review of the event(s) and publication in
NWS Storm Data.

Summary

The National Weather Service in Greenville-Spartanburg SC 
has confirmed a tornado in and near Tryon in Polk County North 
Carolina on October 8 2017. The tornado first touched-down on the 
west side of Lake Lanier in Greenville County South Carolina near 
West Lakeshore Drive. It tracked north-northeast from there for 
1/4 to 1/2 mile before lifting with a path width of 100 to 200 
yards. Many trees were uprooted or snapped, a roof was blown off a
house, trees fell on cars, and some items were blown into the 
lake. Witnesses also reported seeing rotation. There was also 
damage in the area from non-tornadic winds associated with the 
development of the tornado as it moved off to the north. The 
tornado then touched down in Tryon, North Carolina on Melrose Ave.
a block west of Pacolet Street. and continued moving to the 
north-northeast with continuous damage for a distance of 1/2 to 
3/4 miles and a path width of 150 to 200 yards. With this second 
touchdown, there were hundreds of snapped or uprooted trees, homes
with damaged shingles and siding, homes with damaged roofs, homes
damged by falling trees, and damage to vehicles. One company had 
6 generators damaged with one 2400 pound generated moved 30 feet. 
Winds were estimated at 95 mph at both touchdown locations.

This information can also be found on our website at
weather.gov/gsp.

For reference: the Enhanced Fujita Scale classifies tornadoes into the following categories:

EF0...Wind speeds 65 to 85 mph
EF1...Wind speeds 86 to 110 mph
EF2...Wind speeds 111 to 135 mph
EF3...Wind speeds 136 to 165 mph
EF4...Wind speeds 166 to 200 mph
EF5...Wind speeds greater than 200 mph