The Good Friday Severe Weather Outbreak of April 10, 2009

Severe Thunderstorms Likely Across the Ozarks and Lower Ohio Valley

Severe thunderstorms capable of producing damaging wind gusts, large hail, and a few tornadoes, are likely to develop this afternoon from parts of the lower Ohio Valley into the southern Plains. An Enhanced Risk (Level 3 of 5) outlook has been issued. Further north, widespread rain showers are expected across portions of the Great Lakes and Northeast U.S. Read More >

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 1016 PM EDT SAT APR 10 2009 ...TORNADO CONFIRMED NEAR TOWNVILLE SC... LOCATION...5 S TOWNVILLE...ANDERSON COUNTY SC DATE...APRIL 10TH 2009 ESTIMATED TIME...730 TO 735 PM MAXIMUM EF-SCALE RATING/CAUSE...EF1 ESTIMATED MAXIMUM WIND SPEED...105 MPH MAXIMUM PATH WIDTH...400 YARDS PATH LENGTH...4 MILES A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DAMAGE ASSESSMENT TEAM FOUND AN AREA OF TORNADO DAMAGE SOUTH OF TOWNVILLE IN ANDERSON COUNTY. THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM THAT PRODUCED THIS TORNADO ALSO PRODUCED AN EF1 TORNADO IN NORTHERN FRANKLIN COUNTY GA AT AROUND 7 PM. ALTHOUGH IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE ANDERSON COUNTY TORNADO BEGAN OVER LAKE HARTWELL NEAR THE GEORGIA STATE LINE...DAMAGE WAS FIRST OBSERVED ON DRY ROCK RD NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF ANDERSONVILLE RD. THE TORNADO THEN TRACKED ALMOST DUE EAST TO THE SNYDER ROAD AREA BEFORE CROSSING AN INLET OF LAKE HARTWELL AND RE-EMERGING IN THE SANDY SHORES DRIVE AREA. THE TORNADO THEN CROSSED DOUBLE SPRINGS RD BEFORE MOVING OUT OVER LAKE HARTWELL AGAIN...WHERE IT APPARENTLY DISSIPATED. NUMEROUS TREES WERE UPROOTED OR SNAPPED OFF ALONG THE PATH...WITH THE MOST CONCENTRATED DAMAGE OCCURRING IN THE SNYDER ROAD AREA. SEVERAL HOMES RECEIVED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE DUE TO FALLING TREES. THE DAMAGE OBSERVED WAS CONSISTENT WITH WIND SPEEDS OF 100-110 MPH...MAKING THIS A STRONG EF1 TORNADO ON THE ENHANCED FUJITA SCALE. FURTHER DETAILS ON THIS TORNADO WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE ON SUNDAY AND MONDAY. ANOTHER AREA OF DAMAGE WAS INVESTIGATED ALONG HIGHWAY 29 IN EASTERN ANDERSON COUNTY NEAR THE JOCKEY LOT. FURTHER ANALYSIS OF THIS DAMAGE WILL BE REQUIRED BEFORE A PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT CAN BE MADE. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALSO PLANS TO ASSESS THE DAMAGE IN THE ABBEVILLE AREA ON SUNDAY OR MONDAY. $$ LANE