Residents recovering after EF-1 tornado tears through Midlands

COLUMBIA,SC (WOLO)- The National Weather Service confirmed an EF-1 tornado ripped through Columbia last night leaving behind devastation.

On Monday people who live on Saluda River Road started salvaging what was left of their homes.

“It got dark for 5 minutes,” homeowner Butch Morgan said. “It sounded like a train going through the neighborhood and then it was all over and gone.”

Morgan has owned property on Saluda River Road for 15 years and says nothing like this has happened, until now.

Another tornado tore through Lexington County, this one was an EF-1.

A few homes in the area suffered major property damage. Trees snapped, bringing down powerlines and ripped through homes.

A homeowner was in his living room when the tornado came through. A tree snapped and sliced right through the middle of the house. He walked out of his house that night with scratches.

A local disaster response team acted fast to help clean up the debris in the Saluda River area.

“It’s a close-knit neighborhood,” Morgan said. “Thank goodness nobody got hurt, everybody is doing fine and helping each other out.”