Rock Hill thunderstorm had 90 mph winds [Video]

#weather #charlotte #northcarolina #southcarolina

Extensive storm damage left behind in Rock Hill, South Carolina, from a thunderstorm on Saturday was caused by excessive winds and not a tornado, the National Weather Service determined Monday.

The supercell thunderstorm produced winds up to 90 mph as it moved across York County late Saturday afternoon. These winds, the equivalent of a Category 1 hurricane, toppled trees and damaged homes. The storm also produced hail stones at least 2 inches in diameter, surveyors found.

Steve Wilkinson, the meteorologist in charge of the Greenville-Spartanburg National Weather Service office, said crews are still working to determine if the storm could have produced hail up to 4 inches, as some people reported during the outbreak.

Wilkinson and officials from the York County Emergency Management office visited some of the locations hit hardest by storm damage. Their goal was to determine the strength of the storm. Their investigation also found no evidence of a tornado.

During a news conference Monday afternoon, Wilkinson justified his findings that no tornado formed. Wilkinson explained all the wind damage came from the same direction. This type of damage would suggest straight-line winds, such as that from an advancing thunderstorm. Tornado damage typically produces damage from winds circulating in multiple directions.

Wilkinson explained these findings by referencing damaged homes he saw on Monday, saying the homes were damaged on one side. He said NWS surveyors found no evidence to suggest rotating winds, such as those from a tornado.

Weather IQ is powered by the meteorologists and forecasters at WCNC Charlotte in North Carolina. This channel is dedicated to forecasting, explaining, and educating weather, climate, and atmospheric science to everyone, including teachers, students, and more.

SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHANNEL: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAdmOVgQt4os407ftOzlHDg
SEE THE WCNC CHARLOTTE WEATHER FORECAST ANYTIME: https://wcnc.com/weather
GET SEVERE WEATHER ALERTS. DOWNLOAD THE WCNC CHARLOTTE APP: https://wcnc.com/appredirect