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Images courtesy of NWS Charleston, SC (row 1) and The Chart Group, Inc. (row 2); Click on images to enlarge
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC 451 PM EDT FRI SEP 25 2015 ...TORNADO CONFIRMED IN JOHNS ISLAND IN CHARLESTON COUNTY SOUTH CAROLINA... LOCATION...JOHNS ISLAND IN CHARLESTON COUNTY SOUTH CAROLINA DATE...9/25/2015 ESTIMATED TIME...1242 AM EDT MAXIMUM EF-SCALE RATING...EF-2 ESTIMATED MAXIMUM WIND SPEED...130 MPH MAXIMUM PATH WIDTH....0.5 MILES PATH LENGTH...6.9 MILES BEGINNING LAT/LON...32.72 / -80.06W ENDING LAT/LON...32.80 /-80.11W * 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 CHARLESTON SC HAS CONFIRMED A TORNADO NEAR JOHNS ISLAND IN CHARLESTON COUNTY SOUTH CAROLINA ON 9/25/2015. THE TORNADO FORMED ABOUT 1242 AM EDT JUST OFF OF CANE SLASH ROAD ON JOHNS ISLAND AND DISSIPATED ABOUT 1259 AM EDT NEAR HIGHWAY 17 BETWEEN MAIN ROAD AND BEES FERRY ROAD. THE TORNADO TRACKED NORTH- NORTHWEST FOR ABOUT 4 MILES UNTIL IT APPROACHED THE STONO RIVER WHERE IT TURNED MORE NORTHWEST. THE TOTAL TRACK WAS ABOUT 6.9 MILES. THE TORNADO PRODUCED UPPER END EF-2 DAMAGE AT TWO RESIDENCES ON SONNY BOY LANE. AT ONE RESIDENCE...OTHER THAN A SMALL PORTION OF ROOF LEFT INTACT...THE REST OF THE ROOF AND MOST EXTERIOR WALLS OF A WELL BUILT BRICK HOME WERE KNOCKED DOWN. A LARGE PORTION OF THIS ROOF AND A GROUND LEVEL AIR CONDITION UNIT WERE HURLED ABOUT 150 YARDS. AT ANOTHER WELL BUILT HOUSE ACROSS THE STREET...THE ENTIRE BACK PORTION OF THE TWO STORY HOUSE WAS RIPPED OFF. A HOME ON CANE SLASH ROAD HAD A PORTION OF THE ROOF RIPPED OFF. TWO BUSINESSES NEAR THE END OF THE PATH HAD PORTIONS OF THEIR ROOFS RIPPED OFF. IN ALL...THERE WERE AN ESTIMATED 70 T0 80 HOMES THAT SUFFERED MAINLY MINOR DAMAGE TO SHINGLES...SIDING...GUTTERS. THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF TREES WERE UPROOTED OR SNAPPED OFF...SOME FALLING ON OR LANDING ON STRUCTURES/VEHICLES. SEVERAL PEOPLE IN THE WORST HIT AREA GOT TO A SAFE PLACE AFTER RECEIVING WARNING ON THEIR CELL PHONES THROUGH THE WIRELESS EMERGENCY ALERTS(WEA). THE NWS IS APPRECIATIVE OF THE ASSISTANCE PROVIDED BY THE CHARLESTON COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY AND THE JOHNS ISLAND FIRE DEPARTMENT WITH THE DAMAGE SURVEY. THIS INFORMATION CAN ALSO BE FOUND ON OUR WEBSITE AT WEATHER.GOV/CHS. 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. $$