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Violent tornadoes, defined as those producing estimated wind speeds of more than 165 mph,
or rated EF4 and EF5 on the Enhanced Fujita scale of tornado intensity are an extremely rare phenomena.
In fact, they represent only 2% of the tornadoes that occur across the United States.
But despite their rarity, they are responsible for around 70% of the approximately 60 tornado- related deaths that occur each year.
We typically associate violent tornadoes with the Great Plains.
However, on May 5th, 1989 residents of several communities across the Piedmont of the Western Carolinas
learned that our area is not at all immune from outbreaks of violent tornadoes.
One such community was Toluca, North Carolina. The small community on the
Lincoln/Cleveland County border was devastated by an F4 tornado during the evening of May 5th, 1989.
Mobile homes were swept away and reduced to unrecognizable piles of rubble.
Vehicles were lifted and tossed hundreds of yards.
Well-constructed homes were completely flattened.
The residents of this and other communities had little or no warning of the devastating tornadoes.
Unfortunately, this was the norm 25 years ago, when only about half of all tornadoes were preceded by Tornado Warnings,
and lead times of even successful warnings were typically less than 5 minutes.
The events of the 5th began with a small area of low pressure and associated upper air disturbance
and associated large scale rising motion across the lower Mississippi and Tennessee Valleys,
as indicated by the cool cloud tops in this satellite imagery. Ahead of this cloud mass,
the atmosphere became increasingly unstable throughout the day across the western Carolinas and North Georgia.
The approach of the upper air disturbance and small low pressure area prompted the NSSFC to issue a Tornado Watch
for much of Georgia and western Upstate South Carolina.
By 4:00 pm EDT, explosive thunderstorm development was occurring across north Georgia,
indicated by the rapid cooling in cloud top temperatures at the end of this loop.
The first tornado of the day, rated as F1, occurred after 4 pm as a line of severe thunderstorms
moved through the Gainesville, Georgia area.
A subsequent tornado occurred near Toccoa, Georgia. These initial tornadoes and the intensifying line of storms prompted the NSSFC
to issue Tornado Watch number 185 that included most of South Carolina and much of the North Carolina Piedmont.
The Watch included “Potentially Dangerous Situation (PDS)” wording, a phrase that is
reserved for the most serious situations in which the potential for especially strong tornadoes is high.
This phrase is typically only included with a handful of Tornado Watches each year.
We followed the Georgia storms pretty closely, and we got word from [NWS] Athens that a tornado had hit a Revco,
and it turns out it was a strip mall, and we knew there was pretty significant damage with that.
That was pretty clearly associated with the line of storms…but we noted that a cell had jumped out ahead of the line,
or developed out ahead of the line. I don’t remember which. But, we noticed it accelerating out ahead of the line quite rapidly,
and whereas the line may have been moving at 35 or 40 kts [40 to 45 mph],
this cell seemed to us to be moving at 50 or 60 [60 to 70 mph]. That cell was the one that would eventually hit the Chesnee area…
it had virtually no radar presentation [appeared weak].
A funnel cloud reported by the public prompted WSO Greer to issue a Tornado Warning that included Spartanburg County.
The tornado developed around 6:20 PM between Parris Bridge Rd and Peachtree Rd, just south of Rainbow Lake.
It quickly intensified as it moved rapidly northeast at between 50 and 60 mph.
Several cottages were destroyed on Rainbow Lake.
The tornado continued northeast, roughly paralleling Parris Bridge Road, claiming its first victim in this home on Martin Camp Rd,
where a 59-year-old man was killed when the home’s chimney fell on him.
From Martin Camp Rd, the tornado traveled more than two miles over largely unpopulated areas and farmland.
Mobile homes were lifted and tossed several hundred feet in the area around Turkey Farm Rd and Labor Camp Rd.
All that was left of this home were the concrete stairs after it was tossed about a hundred yards.
Several high tension towers were toppled in this area as well. These were designed to withstand wind speeds of at least 100 mph.
The tornado reached its maximum size, more than a half mile in width, and peak intensity as it moved across the Arrowood Community along
Highway 11 northwest of Chesnee, particularly in the area around Old Island Ford Rd, Henderson Rd, and McAbee Rd.
Dozens of homes in this small community were damaged or destroyed,
including well-constructed frame homes such as this one, which probably experienced F4-level winds.
The violent tornado claimed another victim as it moved northeast along Old Island Ford Rd toward Cherokee County.
A 66-year-old woman was killed, apparently while attempting to flee this mobile home, which was lifted and tossed into a peach orchard.
From there, the tornado crossed extreme northwest Cherokee County, entering Rutherford County, NC in the area around Montgomery Rd.
The tornado crossed the Broad River and Highway 221 before lifting a couple of miles southwest of Henrietta. Despite the very rural
nature of this area, the tornado destroyed more than a half dozen homes and damaged more than two dozen in Rutherford County.
nature of this area, the tornado destroyed more than a half dozen homes and damaged more than two dozen in Rutherford County.
Although reports of the damage near Chesnee began trickling into NWS Greer around the time the tornado lifted,
the extent and severity of the damage was not yet known, and the slow communication
networks of the time prevented timely transmission of the reports to neighboring
NWS offices and emergency preparedness officials. A tornado warning was never issued for Cleveland County.
My pager went off that we were under a Severe Thunderstorm Warming, that there was a severe thunderstorm approaching.
It did say there was some severe weather to our south, but we were not aware of any damage at that time. At that time, I said “listen to that wind
blowing,” and she looked out the window and said “the wind’s not blowing.” I said “yes it is, I can hear it howling around the house,”
but the trees were as still as could be [this is probably a description of the roar of the nearby tornado].
And about that time, boom! The severe thunderstorm was on top of us.
Just a matter of a few seconds later probably my pager went off that a tornado had struck a house.
The tornado touched down on Mauney Rd north of Lawndale, completely destroying this log
home on Casar-Lawndale Rd shortly after developing.
The tornado gained strength as it moved northeast at over 50 mph, destroying a home and several outbuildings on Elam Rd.
The tornado continued to produce major damage, of at least F2 intensity as it crossed Teal Rd...
...and Warlick Rd.
A home was removed from its foundation and another severely damaged on Queen Rd.
Significant damage continued as the tornado moved rapidly northeast across Sandpit Rd...
...and Acre Rock Rd.
The tornado was at its most intense, producing F3 to F4 damage in the Toluca community.
This church was destroyed on Highway 18.
The tornado was at least one half mile in width at this point,
and just about every structure within about a quarter mile of the Highway 18/Highway27 intersection along
the Cleveland/Lincoln County border was severely damaged or completely destroyed.
Several well-constructed frame homes were flattened, including this one on Highway 18.
All four of the fatalities associated with the tornado occurred in this area.
Three of the deaths occurred in vehicles that were tossed several hundred yards.
The tornado continued northeast, paralleling Highway 18...
...to the Highway 10 intersection.
Although it was beginning to weaken by this time, F2 to F3 damage was observed along Highway 10.
The tornado continued into southwest Catawba County before lifting in the Propst community.
There has been only one F4 tornado in the Western Carolinas since May 5th, 1989. However, there have been many close calls.
The color “splotches” in this image are plots of radar-indicated rotation during the April 27th, 2011 historic tornado outbreak.
The lines represent confirmed tornadoes. Our area was spared the brunt of this outbreak.
However, what if the responsible storm system had been just a few hours faster, to coincide with peak daytime heating?
We may not be as lucky next time.
Now is the time to prepare for the next violent tornado outbreak.