Hilton Head, South Carolina

... Preliminary information from damage surveys of the may 11
2008 tornado outbreak...

The National Weather Service in Charleston SC had four damage
assessment teams survey the damage that occurred across portions of
southeast South Carolina and southeast Georgia from severe
thunderstorms which impacted the region on Sunday... may 11 2008. The
preliminary assessment follows with the damage listed in
chronological order...


... Jenkins County /Emmalane EF-1 tornado and straight line wind
damage/...

Observed damage in and around the community of Emmalane... which is
approximately 4 miles southwest of Millen... indicated that an EF-1
tornado occurred. The tornado touched down around 733 am EDT
southwest of the intersection of US 25 and old Savannah Road. The
tornado continued northeast for approximately 1 mile and had a
width of approximately 1200 yards. Maximum winds were estimated at
95 mph.

Along the tornado path... damage occurred to a Mobile home where the
roof was uplifted and the structure shifted from its foundation.
There was also significant damage to nearby sheds and trees.

Significant and widespread straight line wind damage also occurred
along a 16 mile path starting approximately 2.5 miles west of
thrift... continuing to around 4.5 miles east of Millen. Along this
path... maximum winds were estimated at 110 mph. Overall... about 50
to 60 homes were damaged with 10 to 12 of these homes destroyed
resulting in 1 injury. Damage also occurred to the rose Mary church
and the Oak Hill church. Most of The Straight line wind damage
appears to have occurred from the rear flank downdraft of the
passing supercell thunderstorm.


... Tattnall County /Cobbtown EF-3 tornado/...

Observed damage in and around the community of Cobbtown in northern
Tattnall County Georgia indicated that an EF-3 tornado occurred. The
tornado initially moved into northwest Tattnall County from near the
border with Candler... Emanuel... and Toombs counties. This was a
continuation of a tornado in far northeastern Toombs County. The
first indications of significant damage... consistent with an EF-1
tornado... occurred along representative Kennedy Road where a Mobile
home was partially destroyed. A well defined path of debris was
noted trailing southeast of this area across open farm fields.
Several homes were also severely damaged with roofs blown off along
Henry Moxley Road about 1 mile southeast of representative Kennedy
Road.

The tornado continued to strengthen as it turned east toward
Cobbtown and peaked around 743 am as it crossed near the
intersection of Georgia state highways 121 and 57. Here the tornado
completely leveled a brick convenience store and caused considerable
damage to tree and nearby structures. Two people working in the
store at the time of the tornado were injured but not killed. The
damage pattern in this area was consistent with an EF-3 tornado with
winds estimated between 140 and 150 mph. Also in this same general
area... but just south of the tornado/S track... there was evidence of
a high downburst. These winds... estimated to be around 100 mph...
were likely caused by the rear flank downdraft of the passing
supercell thunderstorm.

The tornado continued to move east across open farm fields where
extensive tree damage and minor structural damage consistent with an
EF-1 and EF-0 tornado was noted. The tornado dissipated about 1.5
miles east of Cobbtown... however occasional bouts of non-tornadic
straight line winds were observed across portions northeast Tattnall
County and northern Evans County near Undine.

Tattnall portion of path

Strength... ... EF-3 *** 2 injured ***
peak winds... . 140-150 mph
Max width... .. 200 yards
track length.. 4.5 miles starting at the intersection of the
Toombs... Emanuel... and Candler County lines.

Note... the total path length of this tornado starting in
northeastern Toombs County is 7 miles.

... Screven County /straight line wind damage/...

Straight line wind damage was observed 3 miles north of
Sylvania... beginning near Bascom Road... and continuing east across
Burtons Ferry Highway... ending east of the intersection of Route 24
and Friendship Road. The total length of straight line wind damage
was approximately 5 miles... with a width of 1000 yards. Maximum
winds were estimated at 110 mph. Damage occurred to nearly 20
homes... as well as significant damage to The Greens of the local
Country Club. Tree trunks were snapped... and trees were uprooted all
along the path.


... Bulloch County /Nevils/Denmark EF-1 tornado/...

Observed damage around the Neville and Denmark communities in
southern Bulloch County Georgia indicated an EF-1 tornado occurred.
This tornado was produced by the same supercell thunderstorm which
produced the tornado in Cobbtown. The initial touchdown occurred
around 810 am along Nesmith Proctor Road where a cluster of trees
were snapped and blown down. The tornado then moved rapidly east and
crossed Interstate 16 near mile marker 125 where extensive tree
damage occurred. The tornado then moved across Highway 67 near old
Rocker Road where it partially destroyed the roof of a Mobile home
and damaged nearby trees. Finally the tornado crossed old Happy Road
and moved through the old Happy farm where it completely destroyed a
Mobile home... several irrigation systems and large storage shed
before dissipating.

Strength... ... EF-1
peak winds... . 105-110 mph
Max width... .. 400 yards
track length.. 2.25 miles


... McIntosh County /Darien EF-3 or greater tornado/...

Information regarding the McIntosh County tornado will be updated
within the next day or two as more details are made available to the
National Weather Service. In the meantime... please refer to previous
public information statements for additional preliminary information
on this tornado.


... Charleston County /Wadmalaw Island and Johns Island EF-2
tornado/...

On Sunday may 11... 2008... an EF2 tornado first touched
down at 612 PM EDT on Wadmalaw Island along Bears Bluff Road... where
minor damage was observed. The damage at the initial touchdown
location was confined to several trees getting sheared off near the
base or twisted to the ground.

The tornado then traveled east and crossed Maybank Highway on
Wadmalaw Island at 613 PM EDT where major damage was observed. The
majority of the damage occurred on the 4800 block of Maybank
Highway... where nearly all trees in the path of the tornado were
twisted to the ground or sheared off near the base. Numerous homes
were damaged as the tornado ripped through... with many sustaining
roof and shingle damage. In fact... two homes had a section of there
roof detached and hurled approximately 50 to 100 feet away from the
residence. A detached garage also sustained damage... when the
suction from the tornado caused the garage door to get buckled
inward into the garage itself... and portions of the tin roof was
ripped away and displaced 50 to 75 feet from the garage. A
cinderblock wall on another home sustained severe damage when a
large section of cinderblocks was torn from the wall and hurled
into the home. Additionally... a chain link fence around the
residence was ripped off and displaced 20 to 30 feet from the
supporting poles which held the fence in place. Another home
sustained severe damage... as the front porch of the residence was
detached and tossed 100 to 150 feet away. The same home had the roof
lifted 2 to 3 inches from the supporting walls... and a large window
curtain was actually pulled upward and into the attic as the tornado
moved through. Quite a bit of damage was also observed in the Long
Creek Plantation Subdivision of Maybank Highway... where significant
tree damage was observed along with several homes sustaining some
minor roof damage.

The tornado moved onto Johns Island at approximately 618 PM EDT
when it crossed bohicket Road. Moderate damage was observed as it
moved through this area of Johns Island. The majority of the damage
was confined to trees being sheared off near the base or twisted to
the ground. Several homes did sustain some roof damage as shingles
were lifted and displaced from the residences.

Minor damage was observed on River Road when the tornado weakened
before finally lifting at 626 PM EDT... just south of the Charleston
Executive Airport before it moved onto James Island. The damage
along River Road was confined primarily to several downed trees. A
tin roof of a shed sustained some minor damage as well... as it
lifted slightly but remained intact.

The maximum sustained winds have been estimated at 120 mph. The
total path length was 12 miles... with a path width of 1 mile when it
crossed Maybank Highway and six tenths of a mile on bohicket Road.