McIntosh County Tornado Rated a Violent EF-4

A survey team from the National Weather Service office in Charleston, SC, along with other damage survey experts from across the contry, have determined that the tornado that struck McIntosh County Sunday morning was a violent EF-4.

The tornado formed just before 10am about 3 miles northwest of Darien and tracked east about 11 miles before dissipating at 10:07am as a water spout in Doboy Sound.

The tornado formed in a wooded area about 1/2 mile west of Route 251 where numerous trees were snapped off.  It strengthened rapidly as it approached and moved across Route 251.

The tornado struck a marine sales and serices business located on the east side of Route 251.  The bolts for all but one of the anchored metal suport beams for the metal building were snapped off just above the concrete slab.  With the exception of the one metal support beam that was bent to the ground, the slab was wiped clean. 

About 50 boats were tossed around and destroyed with one 18-foot, 4000-pound boat carried about 650 yards into some trees.  A 32-foot, 8000-pound boat was carried about 130 yeards onto the top of the Gateway Behavioral Services building.  A second smaller boat was also carried onto the building.  A vehicle that was parked in the parking lot was carried in the air 150 yards.  One 125hp boat motor weighing 300 to 350 pounds was carried 250 yards and deposited into the roof of a building.  In addition, one of the boats has yet to be accounted for.  Several other vehicles near this business were rolled or tossed and severely damaged or destroyed.  No one was in the building at the time the tornado struck and damage to the building and all the boats were estimated to be 5 million dollars.

About 100 yeards to the south-southeast of the marine sales and services building, the McIntosh Emergency Medical Services building was destroyed by the tornado with damage to three ambulances and one fire truck.  Many of the metal suport beams from this metal building were torn from the concrete slab or snapped off.  This building was rated for 120mph winds.  No one was in this building at the time of the tornado becaue they were out on a non-weather related call.

The Gateway Behavioral Health and Services building was totally destroyed.  This metal- framed building with brick exterior was located about 100 yards east-northeast of the McIntosh Emergency Medical Services building and 130 yards east-southeast of the marine sales and services building.  The roof of the Gateway building collapsed along with many of the outer brick walls.  Many of the large load-bearing metal beams were bent or knocked down.  Some of the roofing material was found 11 miles away on Sapelo Island.  Of the 12 peoople that were in the building when the tornado hit, 9 were injured sustaining broken bones and/or lacerations.  Six vehicles around this building were damaged or destroyed and a metal light pole and several trees were snapped off in this area.  Two other businesses suffered damage, including damage to satellite dishes and two overturned tractor trailers.  Damage to the marine sales and services business and the Gateway Behavioral Health and Services building indicate that EF-4 damage occurred with winds likely in the 170 to 180 mph range.

After leaving this area, the tornado traveled east and weakened.  The tornado reached its maximum width of 700 yards as it crossed Interstate 95 and then decreased insize and was mainly from 200 to 500 yards wide during the remainder of the path.  The tornado damaged or destroyed four billboards along Interstate 95.  It produced mainly minor roof damage to several dozen homes mainly in the Ridgeville area.  It snapped off or uprooted thousands of trees, some of them falling on homes or vehicles and damaged or destroyed numerous outbuildings.

A resident of Ridgeville, whose home suffered minor damage in the tornado, took shelter in a closet after seeing a National Weather Service severe weather statement on the television mentioning that Ridgeville was in the path of the tornado.

The tornado damaged the Blue-N-Hall Marine and Fishing Dock.  In this area, a large boat hoist, along with 18 boats and several boat trailers, were damaged or destroyed.  Several power poles were snapped off and several vehicles were damaged.  Numerous trees were also snapped off on Hird Island.  The tornado likely dissipated over Doboy Sound as a weterspout.  Besides portions of the Gateway roof, lots of other debris including signs were deposited on Sapelo island.

This was only the second EF-4 tornado to ever hit in the NWS Charleston, SC Forecast Area, and only the 9th EF-4 tornado to strike anywhere in the State of Georgia since 1950.
 
The only other EF-4 tornado to hit in the Charleston, SC Forecast Area was in Bulloch County, GA on April 25, 1929. That tornado killed 40 people and injured 300.