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Storm Events Database
Event Details:
| Event | Tornado |
| -- Scale | EF2 |
| -- Length | 3.02 Miles |
| -- Width | 350 Yards |
| State | SOUTH CAROLINA |
| County/Area | SPARTANBURG |
| WFO | GSP |
| Report Source | NWS Storm Survey |
| NCEI Data Source | CSV |
| Begin Date | 2017-10-23 14:12 EST-5 |
| Begin Location | 1SW UNA |
| Begin Lat/Lon | 34.972/-81.989 |
| End Date | 2017-10-23 14:18 EST-5 |
| End Location | 2NW WHITNEY |
| End Lat/Lon | 35/-81.948 |
| Deaths Direct/Indirect | 0/0 (fatality details below, when available...) |
| Injuries Direct/Indirect | 1/0 |
| Property Damage | 1.00M |
| Crop Damage | 0.00K |
| Episode Narrative | A band of rain showers along and ahead of a strong cold front quickly intensified during the afternoon across Upstate South Carolina. Multiple severe and/or tornadic thunderstorms developed within the line, with multiple tornadoes, some of which were quite strong, reported across the area. This was the second tornado outbreak to impact the Upstate in just over two weeks, and for the most part, the same counties that were impacted on October 8th were once again affected on the 23rd. In fact, a Cherokee County tornado from the 23rd passed within several hundred feet of an event that occurred on the 8th. |
| Event Narrative | Nws survey found that a second, more intense tornado touched down on the northwest side of Spartanburg, along Business 85 near Spartanburg Community College. The tornado reached its peak intensity almost immediately upon touching down, as a warehouse building near the intersection of Spring St and Simuel Rd suffered extensive damage, with the collapse of an exterior wall, and much of the roof removed. Multiple trailers were damaged or destroyed and several cars flipped in a parking lot at an adjacent business at Garrett Rd and Spring St. A person who sought shelter in a glass booth under a metal awning structure at this location was hospitalized with burst ear drums due to the extreme change in air pressure. A warehouse building also lost much of its roofing here. The tornado continued east/northeast, paralleling Business 85, snapping trees along New Cut Rd, and collapsing a wall at another warehouse style building on Buffington Rd. The tornado appeared to weaken considerably from this point, with damage primarily limited to downed trees and limbs until the path ended near the intersection of Business 85 and Highway 9. |
Event Map:
Note: The tornado track is approximate based on the beginning (B) and ending (E) locations. The actual tornado path may differ from a straight line.
All events for this episode:
| Location | County/Zone | St. | Date | Time | T.Z. | Type | Mag | Dth | Inj | PrD | CrD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Totals: | 0 | 1 | 1.315M | 0.00K | |||||||
| HONEA PATH | ANDERSON CO. | SC | 10/23/2017 | 13:16 | EST-5 | Thunderstorm Wind | 50 kts. EG | 0 | 0 | 0.00K | 0.00K |
| CRESCENT | SPARTANBURG CO. | SC | 10/23/2017 | 13:52 | EST-5 | Tornado | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 50.00K | 0.00K |
| SAXON | SPARTANBURG CO. | SC | 10/23/2017 | 14:12 | EST-5 | Thunderstorm Wind | 65 kts. EG | 0 | 0 | 10.00K | 0.00K |
| UNA | SPARTANBURG CO. | SC | 10/23/2017 | 14:12 | EST-5 | Tornado | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 1.000M | 0.00K |
| CHESNEE | SPARTANBURG CO. | SC | 10/23/2017 | 14:29 | EST-5 | Thunderstorm Wind | 50 kts. EG | 0 | 0 | 0.00K | 0.00K |
| GRASSY POND | CHEROKEE CO. | SC | 10/23/2017 | 14:33 | EST-5 | Tornado | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 5.00K | 0.00K |
| GRASSY POND | CHEROKEE CO. | SC | 10/23/2017 | 14:36 | EST-5 | Tornado | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 250.00K | 0.00K |
| Totals: | 0 | 1 | 1.315M | 0.00K |
