Tornado watch issued for Richland, Lexington counties Wednesday afternoon
A tornado watch has been issued for the South Carolina Midlands, including Richland and Lexington counties, Wednesday afternoon and evening, lasting until 11 p.m.
The National Weather Service issued the alert shortly before 4:30 p.m. for Aiken, Bamberg, Barnwell, Calhoun, Edgefield, Lexington, McCormick, Orangeburg, Richland and Saluda counties.
A tornado watch is issued when severe thunderstorms — with winds of 58 mph or more or with hail measuring 1 inch or larger — and tornadoes are possible in and near the watch area, according to the National Weather Service. It does not mean that tornadoes will certainly occur.
The alert comes just one day after severe storms swept through South Carolina. At least three tornadoes were confirmed by the National Weather Service amid Tuesday’s storms, touching down in Clarendon, Lexington, Calhoun and Aiken counties. Another apparent tornado, which has not yet officially been confirmed by the weather service, caused considerable damage in Allendale, where at least 15 homes were damaged in the storm.
This story was originally published April 6, 2022 at 4:31 PM.
