Columbia, SC (WLTX) - Many South Carolinians will never forget the 1984 tornado outbreak. Wednesday marked the 34th anniversary of the storms that devastated parts of the Midlands.
During the late afternoon hours tornadoes began to develop in the western part of the state on March 28, 1984. Tornadoes were first reported in Due West and near Laurens.
Two more tornadoes were reported in Newberry. One person was killed when an auto shop was destroyed.
One of the most intense tornadoes ever to hit the Midlands occurred in Winnsboro that day. It had estimated winds between 208 and 260 miles per hour. The F4 storm caused 5 deaths in Fairfield County.
Two more F4 tornadoes struck near Bennettsville. The second tornado near Bennettsville was more than 2 miles wide.
According to South Carolina State Climatology Office, the March 1984 outbreak produced 11 tornadoes, killing 15 and injuring nearly 450 in South Carolina alone, damage estimates have been over $100 million dollars.
This outbreak is the second highest loss of life from tornadoes in the state.
The highest death toll from tornadoes in South Carolina happened on April 30, 1924 when two storms killed 77 people and injuring 778.