The National Weather Service Greenville-Spartanburg said a severe thunderstorm Sunday night produced a tornado and winds of 100 mph in Simpsonville.
The tornado touched down in a residential area a half mile east of West Georgia Road near Brittle Creek Lane and traveled northeast through more subdivisions off Marker Road, the National Weather Service said. Meteorologists were in Simpsonville Monday to assess the storm damage.
About 800 Simpsonville residents in the Alder Park area remained without power Monday afternoon, according to a press release from the city.
Simpsonville Fire Chief Wesley Williams said power outages could last one to two days.
“The power will be out for a while,” Williams said in a statement. “Fire crews are working to make sure everything is safe and roadways are clear of power lines, so the power in those areas has to be cut off. People should avoid downed power lines and call 911 if they come across any.”
Alder Park saw the most severe damage as the storm intensified in the residential area.
“Dozens of large diameter trees were uprooted and large branches and trunks were snapped,” a release from the National Weather Service stated. “One tree fell on a home and a trampoline was lifted hundreds of feet into the park from an adjacent home.”
The tornado, which was classified as an EF1, reached speeds of 100 mph and reached a maximum width of 100 yards from SC 14 to Poinsetta Drive to East Curtis Street where a large tree was uprooted and fell on a home, according to the National Weather Service.
Simpsonville public works crews were also out Monday clearing roadways. Crews will begin clearing limbs and debris that residents put on the roadside on Wednesday, according to a city spokesman.
“Trees have fallen on houses, and roofs have been torn off,” Public Works Director Jay Crawford said in a statement. “Cleanup could take up to a month.”
Simpsonville Mayor Janice Curtis also issued a statement on the storm recovery Monday.
“Those residents who were affected by the storm are in our thoughts and prayers, and our hearts go out to them,” Curtis said. “The safety of our roadways and necessity for motorists to travel their normal routes are of the utmost concern to city officials.”
Haley Walters (2019, Apr 15) The Greenville News
