Tornado tore through Cherry Grove area with 85 mph winds, NWS says. Here’s the areas hit
The National Weather Service confirmed that an EFO tornado hit the Cherry Grove area of North Myrtle Beach Wednesday night, damaging homes with 85 mph winds.
The tornado developed about 10:12 p.m. starting in Little River with an estimated path of more than 1 1/2 miles, the NWS reported Thursday. The tornado was part of the impact from Tropical Storm Idalia, which affected the area overnight Wednesday through Thursday morning.
An EFO tornado rating, based on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, has winds between 65 to 85 mph. The rating is determined by estimated wind speeds and related damage. The highest is an EF5 with winds over 200 mph.
A waterspout was observed moving ashore near Ocean Boulevard and 56th Avenue North, the NWS said. It tracked north-northwest causing sporadic damage to homes in the Cherry Grove area. It then crossed Williams Creek into the Tidewater Golf Club, downing a few trees and numerous large limbs.
There were likely a few brief spin-ups in the vicinity of the waterspout as it came ashore, the report said.
Crews with the National Weather Service and North Myrtle Beach Fire Rescue were out Thursday morning surveying the damage in Little River and the Cherry Grove area.
The tornado impacted the areas between 53rd Avenue North and 59th Avenue North, fire rescue said.
The tornado damaged at least two homes in Cherry Grove - one on 56th Avenue and another on 57th Avenue.
Jeff Etheridge was outside his home on 56th Avenue Thursday morning surveying the damage. The tornado ripped the roof of his home Wednesday night while he was inside.
Etheridge was lying on his couch minutes before receiving the tornado warning. He said his hand was on the door when the tornado hit. Pieces of roof, shingles and large timbers were scattered in the home’s yard and part of the roof was submerged in the canal.
On the next street over, another home had the roof of its second-story porch torn off, landing on a neighboring home.
No injuries were reported during the storm.
