HAMPTON COUNTY, SC (April 17, 2020) — Fourteenth Circuit Solicitor’s Office employees are assisting the recovery from the tornado that ravaged parts of Hampton County on April 13.
The twister was blamed for five deaths and 60 injuries in the county after touching down near the town of Scotia around 6:10 a.m. It stayed on the ground for 24 miles, according to the National Weather Service. The areas near Estill and Nixville were particularly hard-hit.
Within hours of the storm, Solicitor’s Office investigators were in the area to lend support to local law enforcement. They also have worked throughout the week to help residents secure their homes.
Employees have also contributed food and other needed items, such as tarps, toiletries and cleaning supplies. Two carloads of donated items were delivered Friday at the Hampton Recreation Center, a drop-off location for the relief effort.
The tornado was the first known EF3, with maximum sustained winds up to 165 mph, to have hit Hampton County in recorded history, according to Charleston television station WCIV. At its widest, it was 1,300 yards across.
Fifteen tornadoes were reported in South Carolina on Monday. Elsewhere in the 14th Circuit, three tornadoes touched down in Colleton County.
On Wednesday, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster declared disaster areas in the storm-stricken communities.
Hampton County residents who need assistance from the Easter 2020 tornadoes can call the Crisis Cleanup hotline at 844-965-1386. Volunteers maybe able to help with fallen trees, drywall, roofing and appliance removal, tarping roofs and mold mitigation. All services are free, but service is no guaranteed due to the overwhelming need. The hotline will remain open through May 15, 2020. To learn more visit, www.crisiscleanup.org.
To learn more about relief efforts and needed items, call Tammy Donehue Thaxton at the Hampton County Recreation Department at 803-943-2857 or her volunteer assistant Heather Summerlin at 843-305-1317. Donations are being accepted at the Recreation Department at 361 Pine St. in Varnville each day from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
