Wind storm in Beaufort and Jasper counties causes power failures, limbs down Monday
Intense winds swept across Beaufort and Jasper Counties Monday after a cold front passed through, dropping temperatures more than 20 degrees, according to meteorologists at the National Weather Service in Charleston.
The westerly winds came in between 20 to 30 mph, with gusts expected to reach up to 45 mph, according to a National Weather Service hazardous weather outlook.
“It’s (the winds) just out of the north, and by 4 p.m., they’ll be out of the northwest at 10 mph,” meteorologist Dwight Koehn from the weather service said.
The forecast projects the low Monday night to be around 37 to 38 degrees, he said. The forecast predicts Tuesday will be sunny with a high of 57 degrees and winds up to 10 mph. Tuesday night is expected to be partly cloudy with winds ranging from 3 to 8 mph and a low of 46 degrees.
Tornado watches for the area were in effect from Sunday evening until 3 a.m. Monday, according to an alert from the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office. Hampton, Jasper and Beaufort counties are under wind advisories until noon Monday.
The winds caused a tree to fall on a mobile home around 7 a.m. Monday on Alexandra Loop in Burton, trapping a family inside, according to Burton Fire District officials. The family had to climb out a window because the tree was blocking the front and back doors to the home. The tree caused structural damage to the home, Burton Fire District Capt. Dan Byrne said. The family is believed to be staying with friends, he said.
Tree limbs and fallen wires were down on Detour Road in Seabrook, Byrne said, and a driver suffered minor injuries after hitting a low-hanging electrical wire Monday morning on Trask Parkway.
As of 9:30 a.m. Monday, Jasper County was seeing 122 power failures, according to Palmetto Electric’s outage map. Dominion Energy reported 420 outages in Beaufort County and 253 in Jasper.
Winds could send branches crashing and blow unsecured items such as umbrellas and patio furniture. The NWS cautioned drivers and advised people to tie down and secure outdoor objects.
This story was originally published January 3, 2022 at 9:37 AM.
