National Weather Service determines cause of storm damages in Anderson County, what to know
The National Weather Service has determined that the observed damage on Friday was not along a clear path indicative of a tornado and was attributed to straight-line winds of less than 75 mph.
Following Wednesday night's storms, Anderson Emergency Management received reports of downed trees and power lines in the area.
Anderson Emergency Management and the National Weather Service deployed teams Friday to assess the damage, assist residents, and determine whether a tornado had made landfall.
"We conducted windshield surveys to assess the damage in the area, taking note of any property damage to personal property and businesses," Cade Treffeisen, deputy director of Emergency Management for Anderson County, said.
The survey team began their journey in Anderson County, passing through Northlake, Anderson, Belton, and Princeton.
"The team found evidence only of straight-line winds, with a peak intensity of 75 mph, in downtown Anderson," said Clay Chaney, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. "A building suffered minor structural damage, and several trees fell on houses in the western part of Laurens County."
Reports indicate that the affected area encompassed the far western region of Laurens County and was located entirely to the west of US Highway 25.
He said this type of storm is significant, but it is not unusual for this time of year.
"We saw scattered trees and structural damage to homes and businesses as we drove through the city of Anderson," Steve Wilkinson from the National Weather Service said.
The team picked up the survey again near US Highway 221 north of Waterloo in Laurens County, generally traveling southeast to near Mountville and Cross Hill.
The survey ended before the team reached the Newberry County line.
Power Outages in Anderson County
According to a Duke Energy Map of power outages in the Upstate, Anderson County was the hardest hit, with 19,000 Duke customers without power as of Thursday morning.
On Friday, Carolina Power helped restore power on North Street, which affected several homes near Linley Park.
A fallen Oak tree was visible near the AnMed Health Services building on Calhoun Street in Anderson, a tree had fallen on a house on Shannon Way in Anderson, and a fallen tree was visible off State Highway 252 in Belton.
Thursday morning in Honea Path
A Honea Path homeowner in Anderson County recorded what appeared to be a funnel cloud on Thursday morning.
Lori Dozier captured video and photos in Anderson County early Thursday morning as severe storms moved through the area. She posted the video and pictures on her social media accounts.
At 2 a.m., she started recording the storm using her cell phone, pointing it toward the neighbor's home as the children woke up the rest of the family, which included Dozier's partner, father, and son.
"We witnessed a downdraft that caused our porch lights to swing back and forth and almost tip over," Dozier said in a previous article with the Independent-Mail.
Travis Rose covers Anderson County for the Independent Mail. Reach him via email at trose@gannett.com.
Photographer Ken Ruinard contributed to this article.
This article originally appeared on Anderson Independent Mail: NWS, Emergency Management visit storm damage areas in Anderson County
