Longest-tracked tornado in Upstate since 1994 blew through Monday
Longest-tracked tornado in Upstate since 1994 blew through Monday
The longest-tracked tornado in the Upstate since 1994 blew through Abbeville and Greenwood counties on Monday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.
HOW COOL YOUR TOWN WILL GET THISWEEK AND WHAT YOUR MOTHER'S DAYWEEKEND LOOKS LIKE.AN F-2 TORE THROUGH AS WE WEREWALKING YOU THROUGH THE STORMMINUTE-BY-MINUTE AND NOW THECLCLEANUP IS UNDER WAY.NOW THE PATH OF THAT TORNADOWITH THE FIRST-HAND LOOK INABBEVILLE.HI YOU, CEDRIC.CEDRIC CHRIS, THIS DAMAGE ISEXTENSIVE ACROSS THE AREA ANDYOU CAN LOOK BEHIND ME AND SEE ACOUPLE THINGS.FIRST, YOU CAN SEE THIS HUGETREE THAT WAS UPROOTED STRAIGHTFROM THE ROOTS OUT OF THEGROUND, LEANING ON ITS SIDE.WE HAVE OTHER TREES THAT AREKIND OF TWISTED IN DIFFERENTDIRECTIONS HERE.OF COURSE, LOTS OF DEBRIS AROUNDHERE.SOMETHING ELSE I WANT TO SHOWYOU THAT'S INTERESTING WHEN YOUHAVE TORNADO DAMAGE, THIS BIGGERTREE HAS NOT ONLY SNAPPED ANDLEANING OVER.NOTICE, LOOK HOW CLEAN THE BARKWAS PEELED COMPLETELY OFF OFTHIS TREE HERE.SO YOU CAN SEE THIS DAMAGE.THOSE WINDS UP TO 125 MILES PERHOUR.LEADING TO SOME VERY SERIOUS ANDEXTENSIVE DAMAGE.THE TORNADO CROSSED THE STREET.I CAN'T SHOW YOU BUT ACROSS THESTREET ON THE OTHER SIDE, WE GOTTREES LEANING IN ANOTHERDIRECTION AS THE PATH OF THISSTORM CONTINUED TO MOVE ONTHROUGH.NOW, ON MONDAY AFTERNOON, OFCOURSE, A LOT OF EMOTIONS, A LOTOF PEOPLE WERE QUITE, YOU KNOW,INTERESTED IN WHAT WAS GOING ONWITH THE WEATHER.AND HAD A CHANCE TO CATCH UPWITH DAVID GARNER TO TALK TO USMORE WHAT HIS FEELINGS WERE ASTHE TORNADO WARNING WAS ISSUEDAND WHAT WAS GOING THROUGH HISMIND, SPECIFICALLY, PERSONALLYFOR HIM.DAVID: I HAD CHILDREN AT SCHOOLLOCALLY AND ALSO FAMILY AT HOME.AND I'VE BEEN IN THIS COUNTY FORABOUT FIVE YEARS NOW.AND WE'RE ALL TALKING ON THISHALLWAY THAT THIS ESCALATED SOQUICKLY, THIS WAS THE WORSTWEATHER EVENT THAT WE HAD SEENIN THIS BUILDING SINCE WE'VEBEEN HERE.THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE HAD TOPULL PEOPLE OFF ONE FLOOR TOANOTHER.BECAUSE OF THE SERIOUSNESS OFIT.SO IT WAS ONE OF THOSESITUATIONS.WE KNOW WE'RE VERY SAFE IN THISBUILDING.THIS IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOSTHARDENED, SAFEST STRUCTURES INTHE COUNTY HERE.BUT NONETHELESS, IT WAS STILL AVERY CONCERNING SITUATION WITHHOW QUICKLY IT ESCALATED.CEDRIC: AND, OF COURSE, HERE,LOOK AT THIS, FOLKS.WE WERE ABLE TO FIND THAT BARKHERE COMPLETELY PEELED OFF ANDSTRIP OFF THAT TREE HERE AMONGMANY ITEMS HERE.GOOD NEWS, MOSTLY TREE DAMAGE,PROPERTY DAMAGE.WE HAD ONE INJURY.NO FATALITIES.AND THAT'S ALWAYS GOOD NEWS ASWELL.THANKFULLY THE WARNING GOT OUTAND PEOPLE WERE ABLE TO TAKESHELTER THERE.BUT REPORTING LIVE NOW FROMSTEVENS ROAD HER
