NEWBERRY COUNTY — A fast-moving severe thunderstorm carrying winds up to 95 mph tore through eastern Newberry County on Friday afternoon, destroying a century-old home, collapsing a brick building, and leaving thousands without power.
Emergency management officials believe a microburst caused the destruction, which lasted roughly five minutes but left a trail of heavy debris across the region.
The hardest-hit area was the town of Whitmire, where a historic brick storage building on Market Street suffered a partial front wall collapse. Officials said wind got beneath the building’s roof, pulling out the load-bearing beams and damaging a neighboring business. Nearby on Veterans Lane, a tree crashed into a 100-year-old home, destroying the structure.
High winds also tore the roofs off two mobile homes on Brannon Road near the Highway 34 corridor, scattering insulation and personal items across yards.
The National Weather Service in Columbia tracked the heaviest wind gusts near McSwain Park and Harrington and Drayton streets, estimating wind speeds between 85 and 95 mph.The storm knocked out power to more than 2,300 residents.
Newberry County Sheriff Lee Foster said crews responded to at least 21 trees down across major roadways, including U.S. Route 176 and South Carolina Highway 34. South Carolina Department of Transportation crews worked through Friday night to clear the roads.
The microburst hit a county already dealing with strained infrastructure. On July 6, a lightning strike severely damaged the internal computer networks and radios at the Newberry County Emergency Operations Center. Dispatchers were forced to coordinate the emergency response to Friday’s storm using manual procedures and backup radios.
No injuries or fatalities were reported.