2020 Tornado Outbreak Impacts Edisto, Seabrook and Kiawah

In the early morning hours of April 13, 2020 a severe weather system brought multiple tornados to South Carolina and the Lowcountry, right after Easter Sunday. The long-track path of some of those tornadoes are historical in nature for coastal South Carolina. Colletonians in the vicinity of Walterboro can see first-hand the power of the long-track twister that passed through, running from Nixville to Murrells Inlet. Another supercell skirted the coast, touching down in St. Helena Sound before coming ashore at Edisto Beach near the 3300 block of Palmetto Blvd. before skipping across to Seabrook and Kiawah.

            

Approximate track of tornado that hit Edisto Beach,
coming ashore from St. Helena Sound

The National Weather Service office in Charleston conducts damage surveys after severe weather outbreaks in order to confirm the existence and strength of tornadoes. The tornado at Edisto Beach was confirmed as an EF-2 category with wind speeds around 125 miles per hour, traveling 1.16-miles. The same storm that produced a tornado at Edisto Beach also produced a tornado on Seabrook Island near Camp St. Christopher Lane in the EF-1 category with winds around 105 miles per hour, traveling 1.25-miles. The same storm produced a tornado on Kiawah Island in the EF-1 category with winds around 105 miles per hour, travelling .30-miles. The Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale lists EF-1 tornadoes in the Weak category and EF-2 tornadoes in the Strong category.

            

Data from April 13, 2020 severe weather outbreak

An outdoors correspondent learns over time to be weather-wise in order to stay safe, and today keeping an eye to the sky is made easier with the application of modern technology and smart phones. Longtime readers of the Colletonian may recall when Storm Team 2 came to Walterboro on March 28, 2012 to conduct their Weather 101 class and to broadcast the weather news live with Mayor Bill Young. Anchorman Rob Fowler talked about the upcoming hurricane season and meteorologist Kyle Dennis spoke about the 2012 tornado that hit Islandton. In more recent years Western Colleton County saw an EF-1 tornado on May 4, 2017 and a severe weather storm on April 19, 2019 which was Good Friday. 

To view the entire feature article in the newspaper click on Colletonian.

To view past blog entries about weather click 2019 Good Friday Severe Weather - 2018 May Rainfall Record - 2018 Cold Saltwater Temps - 2017 Tornado Colleton County - 2017 Tornado / Barnwell State Park - 2016 Hurricane Matthew - 2015 Flooding -  2014 Ice Storm Story - 2014 Ice Storm Photos - 2014 Drought - 2013 Wet Weather - 2012 T.S. Alberto - 2012 Storm Team 2 - 2011 Drought - 2009 Drought