Agency addresses delay in tornado warning for Saluda County

SALUDA, S.C. - The National Weather Service addressed the delay in issuing a tornado warning for Saluda County on Saturday when an EF-1 twister touched down.

The Emergency Management Department of Saluda County is not responsible for informing residents of potential storms and emergencies, however, all information sent out by NWS is then automatically sent out through CODE-RED, a mass notification technology that sends the same information to residents again.

Saluda County Director of Emergency Management Joshua Morton said local officials were not informed by the National Weather Service of Columbia until after the storm.

PHOTO GALLERY:

Richard Okulski, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said they were not sure if the tornado was going to touch down.

“We weren’t sure if it was going to reach the ground, the signatures looked good, unfortunately we missed it,” Okulski said. “Those things can happen even with the best of technology. What we strive to do is learn from it and do better the next time.”

While Morton claimed Saluda is lucky the damage wasn’t worse, some residents feel they were not properly informed.

“We do have a mass notification system called Code-Red,” Morton said. “You can for it by going to the Saluda County website, you can also our office and we are happy to get you signed up for that. That, along with the National Weather Alert services radios, are the best way to be notified anytime there are watches, or warnings and advisories issued.”

The tornado touched down for approximately three minutes on Saturday, Jan. 27 from 8:19 p.m. to 8:22 p.m. with a path spanning just under a mile and a max width of 150 yards, according to NWS.

While the damage was significant in wooded areas, many homes and businesses were spared.

According to Morton, two homes were damaged during the tornado. One home experienced damage to their car and the side of their home from a fallen tree while the other had siding pieces that flew off.

Many of the trees that did fall, fell on private property. However, those that fell on roads are being taken care of by South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) as well as the Saluda County Roads and Bridges Department, Morton said.

Morton said Saluda did away with tornado sirens around seven years ago and opted for mass notification technology because they said it is more reliable.

Copyright 2024 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.