EF-3 tornado hammers County

Deadly storms with wind speeds between 136 and 165 mph ripped through Aiken County on Friday night, leaving a path of devastation and one person dead. Rain, lightning, hail and a tornado had residents from Beech Island to New Ellenton along Highway 278 praying for their lives as several homes were destroyed and nearly all sustained heavy damage.

As the remnants of daily life are collected from front yards, emergency crews are working around the clock to ensure the safety of residents, restore power and provide assistance to those in need.

The storm

The calls began pouring into the Aiken County Sheriff's Office around 9:54 p.m. Friday, said Capt. Charles Barranco, a spokesperson for the agency.

The National Weather Service assessment team surveyed damage on Saturday and reported an EF-3 tornado touched down in Aiken County. The tornado tracked 35 miles from Grovetown, Ga., through Augusta to just east of New Ellenton along Highway 278 with a path a half-mile wide.

"Beech Island to New Ellenton, Petticoat Junction to the Woodcrest area were the hardest hit," Barranco said. "If you don't have to be out in these areas, don't be there."

Injuries and fatalities

Weather-related conditions claimed the life of one Beech Island man, marking the eighth fatal crash on Aiken County roadways in 2009. James Adkinson Jr., 63, was pronounced dead at the scene of the single-vehicle accident on Chime Bell Church Road about 1.2 miles from Gray Mare Hollow Road around 11:30 p.m. Friday.

Aiken County Coroner Tim Carlton reported that Adkinson was traveling in poor weather conditions with limited visibility when he inadvertently drove his truck into trees fallen across the roadway. The vehicle was severely damaged, and Adkinson died from multiple body trauma despite having worn his seat belt.

"No greater than 27 people have been sent to Aiken Regional Medical Centers," said David Ruth of Aiken County Emergency Services.

Rescue workers canvassed the area going door to door throughout the evening Friday and most of the day Saturday. Barranco said entrapment calls were still coming in Saturday afternoon.

"So many people's houses have been destroyed. We have seen a lot of carnage," said Jeremy Thorne, Jackson Fire Department chief. "We are searching residences and going down every road. There were a lot of wrecks where people were trapped inside."

"We will stay here through the duration, sweeping through homes," said Levi Green of the Silver Bluff Fire Department board of directors.

Beech Island

At 110 Shady Rest Road, resident Darrell Miller began sorting through the pile of rubble left after a tornado blew his mobile home from its foundation to the back of the property with him, his wife and three children inside. His business, an auto glass repair shop, was in pieces as no wall from three buildings on the property remained standing. Shoes, clothing, mattresses, televisions, papers, photographs and everything else the family owned was strewn across the ground.

"The wind just picked it (the home) up and blew it until it hit that pole," he said. "I heard like a freight train coming. ... My children were asleep; I tried to get everyone in the living room and laid on the floor. The porch flipped up, and I can still feel the trailer lift up off the ground."

The moments in between were terrifying for the Miller family as they were airborne inside the trailer. Miller laid on top of his children and recalls the couch landing on him.

"We were so scared. I almost thought my littlest one was gone. I was holding one of my children's arms and felt the air try and take him. The other was hugging me," he said. "The main thing I was worried about was living."

After the home was destroyed, the Miller family retreated to an underground cement hole where they remained for more than two hours until a neighbor found them.

"I still can't believe it, my building, my carport, my home ... it really hasn't sunk in that everything is gone," he said.

A couple of doors down from the Millers along Williston Road, Natalie Crafton experienced her own night of terror. Inside her home, which was rocked a few feet off its foundation, the remnants of the ceiling are scattered from one end to the other as are windows and personal belongings.

"I was sitting in the living room when I heard the wind start blowing. The next thing I knew the house was shaking. I was so scared, I was thrown against the wall and the couch landed on me. I kept trying to walk and it kept throwing me back," she said. "I was calling on the Lord, I know God was with me."

Across the street, beside Kelly's Hilltop Convenience store, Janice Kelly was leaving her son's house in her vehicle when the storm blew in.

"It happened so quick; all of a sudden debris came from everywhere. The trees started falling, and I was trapped in my truck," said Kelly, who made it to the end of the driveway. "I couldn't unlock the doors or get the window down; my son came running out and broke my window out. All I could do was call on Jesus."

Just a few doors down, remains of a mobile home could be seen blown into the tree line, and Karl Nicholas Williamson was surveying the damage with a newly broken arm.

"I had just come out on the porch and they (family who lives next door) were yelling. I was closing the door to make sure everything was OK. I felt my arm pull and when I looked around behind me, it had snatched my trailer," said Williamson, who moved to Beech Island a few weeks ago to be near his sister and other family. "They don't have to give me no help; I want a plane ticket the hell out of here. I'm going back to Jersey."

Williamson was taken to the hospital, where he was treated and released with a broken arm.

The Silver Bluff Fire Department on Williston Road was leveled. Little of the structure remains, and the trucks sustained heavy damage. On Saturday, County emergency workers pulled up a seat on concrete blocks that once stood as the walls of the facility to take short breaks.

Fortunately, no one was inside the building when the storm hit; however, several firefighters were en route to the station and had to be rescued as trees fell, blocking roads and making it impossible to reach their destination.

"We are still providing services, and I want to remind everyone to please stay inside and off the highways until we can bring the situation under control," said Kerry Green, Silver Bluff Fire Department chief.

New Ellenton

New Ellenton experienced extensive damage from the storm, including harm to the middle school and a church.

Dozens of trees were felled at New Ellenton Middle School, including a 24-inch in diameter tree that fell on the roof near the front office. An HVAC unit was lifted off the roof and tossed into the driveway.

"The tree will be real problematic," Deputy Superintendent David Caver said. "We have to be concerned with the integrity of the roof. It looks like the damage is mostly on the top, which is the tin part of the roofing system. I don't know whether we can patch it, and that's going to be a critical problem, whether or not to redo it."

Caver said the most pressing concern was restoring power. The loss of power also impacts Greendale Elementary School and Silver Bluff High School.

Caver said no decision had been made as to whether the school would be open Monday but expected to have a decision by Sunday afternoon. If power is not restored, all three schools could be prevented from opening Monday. If the power is restored but district administrators decide not to open the middle school Monday, Caver isn't sure about options for those students.

"We'll just have to see," he said. "We don't have a whole lot of room at Greendale for 200 more kids."

Information will be posted on the Aiken Standard website when it becomes available.

The ball field behind the school also suffered extensive damage, leveling the concrete block concession area and knocking down the scoreboard.

Across the street, Corinth Baptist Church members - along with other community members - were picking up the pieces. The storm ripped off the front of the church's roof, destroying the sound room and soaking most of the sanctuary.

Behind the church, debris littered the ball field and cemetery, with pink insulation from the church roof plastered along chain-link fences and trees several hundred yards behind the church.

"We are so devastated and just taking one day at a time," said Kirby Bunton, visitation minister at Corinth Baptist Church.

Bunton will lead a sunrise service today at 7 a.m. in the new building's parking lot. A 10:30 a.m. service will be in the old sanctuary.

"We are celebrating the resurrection of our Lord," Bunton said.

Dennis Miller suffered extensive damage at his Chime Bell Church Road home. Miller said his wife heard the distinctive train sound associated with tornadoes, and he knew what was coming.

"She heard that train. I said, 'It's here.'"

Miller said the storm lasted about 20 seconds. However, in that short time, Miller saw his roof ripped off, much of his home torn away, his carport destroyed and two vehicles damaged.

Disaster relief

The American Red Cross has been on the scene with volunteers since early Saturday. An emergency shelter has been established at Jackson Middle School, 8217 Atomic Road, to assist those impacted by the storm. The shelter offers meals and housing to anyone who has been displaced.

"We are here to help people whose lives have been shattered," said Suzanne Jackson, executive director of the Aiken County American Red Cross chapter. "When you need to come together, this community comes together. I feel like our volunteers have once again come up to the plate, and even with it being Easter weekend, they were out at the crack of dawn. We couldn't have done it without the collaboration of our partners and the community."

Statewide

The South Carolina Emergency Management Division (SCEMD) is assisting several counties that were affected by severe weather. At least 10 counties have reported damage and power outages with the most significant damage reported in Abbeville, Aiken, Anderson and Greenwood counties.

SCEMD reported 20 homes have been destroyed, 63 homes sustained major damages and six homes report minor damage. Damage assessments are ongoing in the affected counties.

Senior writer Rob Novit contributed to this report.

Contact Rachel Johnson at rjohnson@aikenstandard.com.