AIKEN COUNTY, S.C. — Multiple tornadoes were reported across South Carolina on Saturday, Oct. 10, as remnants of Hurricane Isaias merged with a low-pressure system, sending a long storm track through Allendale and Barnwell before moving into central Aiken County.
National Weather Service meteorologist Matthew Gropp in Columbia said the supercell path moved into Aiken County just north of Williston and tracked through the central part of the county, with survey teams checking damage on Oct. 11.
There were no immediate reports of severe damage or injuries in Aiken County. In Barnwell County, a confirmed tornado on the ground left power lines and poles down near S.C. Highway 37 and Freedom Road, and traffic signals were out across the area.
For a couple of hours Oct. 10, much of Allendale, Barnwell and Aiken counties were under tornado warnings. Gropp said about 12 tornado warnings were issued on one thunderstorm as it kept producing tornadoes from Allendale County up into Lexington County.
Forecasters said the tornadoes may have ranged from EF-0 to EF-2 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale. Dominion Energy and Aiken Electric Cooperative reported outages in their service areas throughout Oct. 10, and rainfall totals of 2 to 5 inches were reported across Aiken County.
The National Weather Service confirmed a tornado in Allendale County at 4:18 p.m. five miles south of Appleton, moving north at 30 mph before the storm moved into Barnwell County, with a later confirmed tornado over Williston.
A separate afternoon warning covered central Aiken County near Aiken State Park, about 15 miles east of Aiken Mall, and the last warning for Aiken and Saluda counties expired around 7:30 p.m. near Ridge Spring and Batesburg-Leesville.
Sheriff Marty Sawyer Jr. leads Aiken County law enforcement during severe-weather response, while county officials coordinate with utilities including Aiken Electric Cooperative as crews clear lines and restore power after remnant tropical systems.
