Tornado causes damage near Columbia-area state park during Tuesday thunderstorm

A tornado touched down in Lake Murray by Dreher Island State Park Tuesday afternoon during a thunderstorm.

The National Weather Service alerted Columbia-area residents of a tornado watch as the storm neared.

Dan Miller, a meteorologist with the NWS, said damage was reported near Dreher Island State Park along State Park Road and Grassy Meadow Court after the tornado crossed the lake. He said a team is currently accessing the damage and looking to find more.

He said the recent tropical storm, Fred, caused the perfect mixture of moisture, winds and instability to craft the tornado. Another one was cited in Barnwell County on Tuesday, he added.

Local residents captured the action on video.

Nearly 500 people have shared a post from Eddie Martin, who lives in Prosperity, South Carolina.

#SouthCarolina

This story was originally published August 18, 2021 at 10:22 AM.

Andrew Caplan

The State

803-771-8390

Andrew Caplan is a watchdog journalist who hails from Florida. He comes to The State Media Company after winning several statewide awards for investigations on elected officials and government entities. He holds a master’s degree from the University of South Florida.