Storms Blamed for 1 Death, $6 Million Damages in South Carolina

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The band of weekend storms blamed for one man’s death in South Carolina also caused at least $6 million in damages, officials said.

Nearly 2,000 insurance claims had been filed by Monday afternoon and preliminary damage estimates were expected to rise, said Allison Dean Love of the South Carolina Insurance News Service.

“There may be people who are still filing claims,” she said. “We’ll have a better idea as to what the total figures are later this week.”

The State Emergency Management Division reported Monday the storm leveled at least 49 homes. An additional 248 homes sustained some type of damage as seven tornadoes ripped through parts of the state.

Crews continued to work Monday to remove debris and assess damage to determine if federal emergency money could be drawn down, State Emergency Management Division spokesman Derrec Becker said.

The National Weather Service confirmed there were seven tornadoes late Friday and early Saturday, including one that cut a path half a mile wide from Beech Island to New Ellenton.

One death was reported in Aiken County in connection with the spring storms. James Adkinson, 63, of Beech Island, died around 11:30 p.m Friday when a car he was driving struck trees that had fallen over the roadway.

South Carolina Electric and Gas reported that a few dozen of its customers in Aiken County were still without power Monday, but electricity had been restored to most of the 10,000 SCE&G customers and 13,000 Duke Energy customer who lost power over the weekend.

The Red Cross opened a shelter in Aiken on Monday and were prepared to open shelters in Greenwood and Abbeville if needed. The group expected nearly 4,000 meals to be served to residents by the end of Monday.

Residents in Allendale County planning an Easter “open house” at the historic Cave Methodist Church found the building that was built in the 1800s completely destroyed by the storm Saturday.

“It had been a landmark for two towns,” said Keith Smith, who is part of a group that spent Friday preparing the church for visitors. “It’s just something that can’t be replaced.”