Shocking footage captured the terrifying moment a massive tornado struck a quaint South Carolina town on Tuesday.
The tornado, rated EF2 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, caused devastating damage in Bamberg County in the southwestern part of the state, about 60 miles from Augusta, Georgia.
Footage of the aftermath showed rocks and debris strewn across the street after two buildings were hit by the twister.
Bur representative Justin Bamberg, who is from Bamberg, said, “One of the great things about living in a small town when things like this happen is that you come across people with their trucks and gloves, chainsaws, and we get through it. It’.
No injuries were reported, the lawmaker added.
The tornado, rated EF2 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, caused extensive damage in Bamberg County
Images of the tornado’s aftermath showed downed trees and power lines in Bamberg, SC
Presidential candidate and former S.C. Governor Nikki Haley, who grew up in the area, also made a statement in response to the tornado.
The Republican said, “My heart breaks to hear about the storm damage in my dear hometown of Bamberg, SC. The people of Bamberg are strong and resilient.
“They taught me the meaning of neighbors helping neighbors. I know that with love and prayer they will rebuild stronger than before.
Authorities said the twister’s wind speeds reached about 125 miles per hour and it grew to an estimated width of 1,300 feet.
There was also an EF1 tornado north of Lake Murray, about 18 miles northwest of Columbia, SC. Wind speeds from that twister reached between 80 and 110 miles per hour, as reported by WLTX.
Severe weather swept through the region on Tuesday, causing flooding and damage, with many cities reporting downed power lines and trees.
Fallen rocks along the main road, a day after a tornado hit the town of Bamberg
Stones are seen in the city center street after two buildings were significantly damaged
Heavy rain, flooding and high winds have left vehicles stranded, schools closed and power outages for hundreds of thousands of people in the Northeast, the swan song of a bout of severe weather that has battered most of the United States. Forecasters warned on Wednesday that more misery was not far away.
The storm hit the Northeast Tuesday evening and moved further Wednesday after downing trees, downing power lines and forcing water rescues on flooded or washed-out roads.
Wind gusts reached 60 mph in Maine, and the stormy weather continued Wednesday. Philadelphia, which is located upstream of the Atlantic Ocean on the Delaware River, experienced the highest storm surge ever recorded.
More than two feet of snow fell in some parts of the Pacific Northwest and the Rockies. Icy weather promised to follow in some areas, and an avalanche in California killed at least one person as another storm arrived.
Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of customers lost power at one point as storms swept the country. According to PowerOutage.us, at least 250,000 customers were without power on both coasts and parts of the Midwest as of Wednesday afternoon, with New York and Pennsylvania leading the way.
Nearly 700 flights were canceled across the country on Wednesday, according to FlightAware.com.
Another storm could bring heavy rain and high winds to the Northeast from Friday evening into Saturday, forecasters said.
