S. Carolina Town Hit by Tornado; At Least 35 Hurt
A tornado spawned by the remnants of Tropical Storm Beryl smashed through town Tuesday, trapping people for hours in a caved-in shopping center and injuring at least 35.
From 40 to 50 buildings were damaged or destroyed, City Administrator L. C. Greene said.
“It came by swirling trash, metal, limbs everywhere, then it just stopped and then went on. You could see big old puffs of blue as it went through” knocking out electrical transformers, said Phillip Butler, a grocery store employee.
Gov. Carroll A. Campbell Jr. declared a state of emergency in Lexington County, and 100 National Guardsmen were dispatched.
Two or three people were trapped in the rubble at the Village Square shopping center but were rescued three hours later with minor injuries, Sheriff James Metts said.
One person was hurt when a twister flipped a mobile home. A man and child initially reported missing in Lexington were later accounted for.
Several other twisters were reported in the state.
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