CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) – Officials with the National Weather Service said a total of six tornadoes associated with Tropical Storm Debby touched ground Monday night into Tuesday morning.
The first tornado was recorded on the Isle of Palms at 9:33 p.m. Monday. The National Weather Service said the EF-1 tornado was on the ground for approximately four minutes and traveled .72 miles. Officials said the tornado came onshore near 25th Avenue where it left minor damage to one house and moved northwest between Palm and Hartnett Boulevards. With estimated peak wind speeds of 87 mph, the tornado eventually dissipated in the Intra Coastal Waterway.
The second tornado happened on Edisto Island around 9:35 p.m. and was on the ground for around 10 minutes. They rated it an EF-1 with estimated peak wind speeds at 97 mph.
Officials said the tornado moved onshore from the ocean near the intersection of Highway 174 and Palmetto Boulevard and traveled approximately 2.89 miles.
Homes and other structures in its path received damage to siding and roofs.
Experts said the tornado continued northwest and crossed over Fishing Creek Drive where it did “considerable damage to several homes.”
At least three homes in the area had entire roofs ripped off.
Officials said there were likely additional structures that received damage in the tornado’s path, but time to conduct the survey was limited.
A third tornado was reported on Kiawah Island around 10:55 p.m. The EF-0 twister traveled 1.18 miles and had estimated peak wind speeds of 85 mph.
Officials said the tornado came on shore around the 30 or 40 block of Surfsong Road and caused minor damage to trees at the Turtle Point Golf Course.
At 12:14 a.m., the fourth tornado in West Ashley was reported near the Citadel Mall and Interstate 526. Officials suspect the EF-0 tornado sporadically touched down near Henry Tecklenburg Drive in an uninhabited area south of Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital. It moved northwest across Glenn McConnell Parkway, uprooted trees near Bairds Cove and Mary Ader Avenue. It traveled near the south end of Shadowmoss Plantation Golf Club before it dissipated northwest of the Shadowmoss clubhouse.
Peak wind speeds were estimated to be around 77 mph. and it was on the ground for approximately eight minutes.
The fifth tornado of the night was reported on Ladys Island in Beaufort County around 12:53 a.m. The agency said the high-end EF-0 tornado was on the ground for just over two miles and reached a peak wind speed of 85 mph. It was on the ground for three minutes snapping several trees on Holly Hall Road and Sams Point Road before dissipating just south of Wade Hampton Drive.
The sixth twister was recorded in Moncks Corner around 3 a.m. Tuesday, and several businesses were damaged in its path. Officials with the National Weather Service rated the twister as an EF-1.
The tornado recorded in Moncks Corner originated from the outer rain bands associated with Tropical Storm Debby. Officials said it was on the ground from 2:53 to 3 a.m. and traveled approximately 3.88 miles.
Officials with the National Weather Service said the tornado touched down just east of McCormick Circle just behind an Applebees. It then moved northwest and turned west toward Arby’s.
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