PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON SC
602 PM EDT SAT APR 11 2009

...TORNADO CONFIRMED IN ALLENDALE COUNTY...

LOCATION...NEAR MARTIN SOUTH CAROLINA 
ESTIMATED TIME...1226 AM TO 1228 AM 
EF-SCALE RATING...EF-1 
ESTIMATED WIND SPEED...100 MPH 
PATH WIDTH...300 YARDS PATH
LENGTH...1.2 MILES

THE FIRST TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN 2.1 MILES NORTH-NORTHWEST OF MARTIN
AT 1226 AM SATURDAY MORNING. THE TORNADO TRAVELED APPROXIMATELY
1.2 MILES BEFORE LIFTING 1.8 MILES NORTH-NORTHEAST OF MARTIN AT
APPROXIMATELY 1228 AM. THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT TREE DAMAGE
THROUGHOUT THE PATH OF THE TORNADO...BUT NO STRUCTURES WERE
DAMAGED. FORTUNATELY THE TORNADO DID NOT RESULT IN ANY INJURIES OR
FATALITIES. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DAMAGE SURVEY TEAM
DETERMINED THE STRENGTH OF THE TORNADO TO BE AN EF1 ON THE
ENHANCED FUJITA SCALE...WITH WINDS ESTIMATED TO BE AROUND 100 MPH.

...TORNADO CONFIRMED IN ALLENDALE COUNTY...

LOCATION...NEAR MARTIN SOUTH CAROLINA 
ESTIMATED TIME...1230 AM TO 1239 AM. 
EF-SCALE RATING...EF-2
ESTIMATED WIND SPEED...120 TO 130 MPH 
PATH WIDTH...500 YARDS
LENGTH...5.6 MILES

THE SECOND TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN ALONG ROBERTS ROAD...3.5 MILES
NORTHEAST OF MARTIN SOUTH CAROLINA AT 1230 AM SATURDAY
MORNING...AND TRAVELED 5.6 MILES BEFORE LIFTING. INITIALLY THE
TORNADO UPROOTED OR SNAPPED NUMEROUS TREES...WITH ONE TREE FALLING
ON A MOBILE HOME AND DAMAGING THE ROOF OF THE STRUCTURE. THE
UNDER-SKIRTING OF THE MOBILE HOME WAS PEELED BACK BY THE WINDS AND
A COUPLE OF WINDOWS WERE BLOWN OUT. ADDITIONALLY...SEVERAL CARS
SUSTAINED DAMAGE BY FALLING TREES OUTSIDE OF THE MOBILE HOME.
ANOTHER COUPLE HOMES ALONG ROBERTS ROAD RECEIVED MINOR ROOF
DAMAGE...AND A COUPLE CARPORTS WERE SLIGHTLY DAMAGED AS WELL. THE
TORNADO CONTINUED TO NEARLY PARALLEL MILLER CREEK ROAD...DOWNING
NUMEROUS TREES AND POWER LINES. THE MAXIMUM WIDTH OF THE TORNADO
WAS APPROXIMATELY 500 YARDS NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF CAMP JACKSON
ROAD AND MILLER CREEK ROAD. THE TORNADO LIFTED 2.3 MILES SOUTH-
SOUTHEAST OF KLINE SOUTH CAROLINA...JUST PAST THE INTERSECTION OF
APPLETON ROAD AND BAMBERG HIGHWAY /US HIGHWAY 278/ AT 1239
AM...BUT NOT BEFORE DAMAGING THE ROOF AND CINDER-BLOCK WALLS OF A
HOME...DOWNING NUMEROUS TREES...AND COMPLETELY DESTROYING THE
HISTORIC CAVE METHODIST CHURCH. THE CHURCH WAS WIPED COMPLETELY
OFF ITS FOUNDATION...AND SEVERAL GRAVE STONES SURROUNDING THE
CHURCH WERE OVERTURNED OR KNOCKED DOWN. AN 18 WHEEL TRUCK WAS
OVERTURNED A COUPLE HUNDRED FEET FROM CAVE METHODIST CHURCH...WITH
A TREE FALLING ON IT AND CAUSING FURTHER DAMAGE. IN TOTAL...4
HOMES...1 MOBILE HOME...1 CHURCH...AND 5 VEHICLES RECEIVED DAMAGE
AS A RESULT OF THIS TORNADO. IN ADDITION...HUNDREDS OF ACRES OF
TIMBER WAS DAMAGED OR DESTROYED. FORTUNATELY THE TORNADO DID NOT
RESULT IN ANY INJURIES OR FATALITIES. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
DAMAGE SURVEY TEAM DETERMINED THE STRENGTH OF THE TORNADO TO BE AN
EF2 ON THE ENHANCED FUJITA SCALE...WITH WINDS ESTIMATED BETWEEN
120 AND 130 MPH.

$$