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The National Weather Service investigators determined yesterday that Prosperity was struck by a category EF3 tornado that contained 140 mile per hour winds. At periods through the storm's passage, heavy rains, hail and strong winds were reported.
Sheriff Lee Foster says that authorities have identified at least 45 homes in the Prosperity area that suffered damage in the late afternoon storm.
“The damage ranged from minor in some cases, to completely destroyed for one home. It is far too early to begin to place dollar amounts on the damage caused by the storms, but the damage totals are expected to be significant,” said Foster.
One woman received minor injuries when her mobile home on Highway 391 was totally destroyed. Fire and rescue officials were able to free her, and she was taken to a local hospital.
Prosperity Fire Chief Mark Bowers said damage was also done to Mount Pilgrim Church, Fire Tower and St. Luke's roads.
Downed trees could also be seen on Highway 395.
In the Trinity Church community near Silverstreet a number of trees fell, with one falling on a house and doing damage to Trinity Farms. A number of trees were down in the front yard of Rueben Elementary School.
Bowers said he has received reports from residents of two tornadoes coming across the Prosperity area, and the one near Silverstreet could have been separate from the twisters that hit Prosperity.
While the area around the town of Prosperity was hit the hardest in the county-Prosperity Mayor Larry Spotts said no damage was done in the town proper and there were no power outages inside the town limits.
Newberry Electric Co-op reported between 3,000 and 3,500 service outages, with the hardest hit areas being customers on Highways 391, 395 and 34. Three substations were also knocked out. By yesterday, only 300 co-op outages remained and they were cleared up.
The electric co-op will continue to rebuild parts of its system today and make repairs.
Several sister co-ops came to Newberry's aid to help restore service.
As soon as the storms hit, workers and volunteers poured into the damaged areas.
The emergency response teams at Bethel, Wightman and Zion churches have also pitched in with the clean up.
“We had trouble getting in help from other agencies,” Bowers said.
Yesterday and today, Bowers said, crews have been and continue to work on clearing debris from roads and houses to prepare houses for repairs. The crews have also put tarps up on houses that needed them.
The American Red Cross fed volunteers yesterday and today.
Bowers said he hopes the county will receive federal funds to help with the clean up.
Potential volunteers wanting to help with cleanup can call one of the three churches with emergency response teams.
Highway 391 remains closed to all traffic except property owners. All others will be stopped and escorted from the area.
The county's public works department has set up a temporary site behind the Newberry County Piedmont Technical College Campus to collect trees and limbs, however; no waste or construction material is to be mixed in with the yard debris.
Commercial and demolition materials can be taken to the county transfer station on Highway 34 near I-26 or to the new landfill on Highway 121 in Helena. The county will charge $44 a ton for loads of commercial and demolition materials.
Fire sirens warning of the bad weather were sounded around the county about 15 minutes before the storm hit.
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