2020 Hampton County tornado
Clockwise from Top: A two-story house leveled at EF4 intensity by the tornado; The track of the tornado; Radar imagery of the tornado near Estill | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | April 13, 2020, 6:10 a.m. EDT |
| Dissipated | April 13, 2020, 6:37 a.m. EDT |
| Duration | 27 minutes |
| EF4 tornado | |
| on the Enhanced Fujita scale | |
| Max width | 1,300 yards (0.74 mi; 1.2 km) |
| Path length | 23.73 miles (38.19 km) |
| Highest winds | 175 mph (282 km/h) |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 5 |
| Injuries | 60 |
| Damage | >$5.728 million (2020 USD) |
| Areas affected | Hampton County, South Carolina, US |
| Power outages | 6,200 |
| Houses destroyed | ~37 |
Part of the 2020 Easter tornado outbreak and Tornadoes of 2020 | |
During the early morning hours of April 13, 2020, a violent, deadly, and unusually long-tracked tornado that was part of a widespread outbreak tracked 23.73 miles (38.19 km) through portions of Hampton County, South Carolina, United States. The tornado killed five people, injured 60 others, and damaged over 100 residences, completely destroying at least 37. The tornado caused widespread power outages and significantly damaged a prison within the town of Estill, leading to the relocation of hundreds of prisoners.
Originally rated EF3 with maximum wind speeds of 165 mph (266 km/h) on the Enhanced Fujita scale, the tornado was later upgraded to an EF4 tornado after a two-story house was found to have been leveled by estimated wind speeds of 172 mph (282 km/h). It was the first F4/EF4+ tornado to occur in the Lowcountry since reliable records began in 1950, and the first F4/EF4+ tornado to occur in the state of South Carolina since November 1995.