A week after deadly storms, forecast shows strong tornadoes heading for the Midlands
A week after violent storms turned deadly, more tornadoes and damaging straight-line winds are possible for the Midlands on Monday, according to the latest forecast from the National Weather Service in Columbia.
A severe weather briefing shows the powerful storms will move across South Carolina on Sunday and Monday and will cover the entire Columbia area and neighboring counties.
The new forecast has expanded the reach of the severe weather from only the southern portion of the Midlands to the entire region. For the Midlands, there are enhanced chances of strong (EF2) tornadoes.
“The highest risk is expected to be in areas hit very hard by the April 13 outbreak,” NWS said on Twitter, referring to the last week’s storms, where at least 20 tornadoes touched down in the state.
The severe weather is expected to impact the Midlands from 1 a.m. -10 a.m. Monday, according to the NWS.
“Our time period of greatest concern is from 3 a.m. to 9 a.m. Monday morning,” NWS officials tweeted.
The greatest threats are posed by the life-threatening winds, but thunderstorms and heavy rainfall — which could cause flash flooding and river flooding — are other severe weather effects the NWS warned are possibilities.
Areas hit hard during the April 13 storms are at the greatest risk for damaging winds and strong tornadoes.
The NWS issued a flash flood watch for the Southeastern Midlands until 7 p.m. The greatest chance of flooding is expected in the southeast portion of the Midlands, where 3-4 inches of rainfall is possible.
There is also a possibility of large hail, one inch or greater.
The NWS said the worst effects of the storm are expected to cause considerable damage to trees and branches, which pose a threat to power lines. In last week’s storms, more than 280,000 South Carolina power customers reported outages.
Additionally, damage to mobile homes, roofs and outbuildings is possible, while businesses and vehicles would also be under siege in the case of a tornado.
While everyone is asked to continue to follow coronavirus-related social distancing mandates, the South Carolina Emergency Management Division said the severe weather should take precedence as the greatest immediate threat.
“If you are concerned about contracting or possibly transmitting the COVID-19 virus while taking tornado safety precautions, the imminent danger of a tornado is a greater, immediate threat to your personal safety than COVID-19,” SCEMD tweeted. “Certainly, wherever you choose to protect yourself from a tornado, you should use as many precautions as possible to limit the spread of COVID-19 as best as you can.”
On April 13, severe weather in the early morning caused nine deaths, more injuries, in addition to damaged and destroyed property.
Of the 20 confirmed tornadoes, one was an EF0; seven were EF1s; five were EF2s and seven were EF3s, NWS meteorologist Whitney Smith told The State.
It’s not uncommon at this time of year for separate storms and tornadoes to form in the Columbia area, according to the NWS. April is annually the peak month in South Carolina for twisters, and May is also active.
What is unusual is the number of tornadoes recorded earlier in the week.
The 20 tornadoes are the most documented since 32 were confirmed on March 15, 2008, NWS official Frank Alsheimer told The State.
The storms prompted Gov. Henry McMaster to declare a second state of emergency for South Carolina on top of the emergency declaration in place due to the coronavirus.
Alsheimer said people who live areas affected by last week’s storms should be prepared for the possibility of more severe weather.
“We have a lot of people who were displaced from their homes and they need to be in a safe location,” he added. “The threat is there.”
After the new round of storms pass Monday, the rest of the day is expected to be dry, according to the NWS. The forecast shows temperatures in the mid-70s for the rest of the week, with showers returning Wednesday night of Thursday.
EF SCALE
The Enhanced Fujita Scale classifies tornadoes into the following categories:
▪ EF0...Weak......65 to 85 mph
▪ EF1...Weak......86 to 110 mph
▪ EF2...Strong....111 to 135 mph
▪ EF3...Strong....136 to 165 mph
▪ EF4...Violent...166 to 200 mph
▪ EF5...Violent...>200 mph
SOURCE: National Weather Service
This story was originally published April 19, 2020 at 10:10 AM.
