EF-1 tornado rips through Langley, South Carolina
An EF-1 tornado with winds reaching 169 km/h (105 mph) ripped through Langley, South Carolina, on Monday, May 12, 2025, damaging homes and structures.
Tornado damage in Langley in Aiken County, South Carolina on Monday, May 12, 2025. Image credit: Aiken County Department of Emergency Management
A high-end EF-1 tornado touched down in Langley, Aiken County, South Carolina, on Monday, May 12, as a line of severe storms moved through the region, producing heavy rainfall and localized flash flooding.
Data from the National Weather Service (NWS) office in Columbia indicate this was the fifth-strongest tornado recorded in their forecast area so far this year and the first since March 16. The tornado produced peak winds of 169 km/h (105 mph), consistent with the upper threshold of the EF-1 classification and equivalent to a Category 2 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale.
The tornado developed at approximately 03:24 local time (LT), about 1.6 km (1 mile) east of Burnettown, and remained on the ground until 03:26 LT, dissipating roughly 1.6 km (1 mile) north of Burnettown. Its damage path extended 2.3 km (1.44 miles) with a maximum width of approximately 229 m (250 yards), based on the preliminary storm survey.
The twister left behind a trail of destruction, causing significant damage to multiple structures, including the Langley Fire Rescue Headquarters on Augusta Road.
“The fire pump has a lot of damage. You can tell this is the front part, the back is pretty messed up. We can’t get our engine out. It took the whole door and pushed it all in. We still can get one engine out if we need to and we do have other stations that we can get to help,” said Langley Fire Assistant Chief Harold Cain.
The tornado downed multiple power lines and trees, damaged outbuildings, and tore roofs from several homes. One person was reportedly trapped in his home following the storm.
Augusta Road at Dunbar Street, which was closed early Monday morning due to the storm, reopened around 17:15 LT. New Holland Road and Farmfield Road were also closed in the aftermath.
“Please be careful in the area around the Langley/SC 421 area as there are still roadways blocked from the storm,” said the Aiken County Department of Emergency Management. In the city of Aiken, officers closed Price Avenue between Whiskey Road and Two Notch Road due to flooding.
Multiple roads remain blocked due to storm debris. A couple reported their car missing during the storm, but authorities suspect it may have been stolen and unrelated to the weather event.
I am an Assistant Editor and Severe Weather & Science Journalist at The Watchers, specializing in real-time severe weather coverage, geophysical event reporting, and research-driven scientific analysis. You can reach me at rishav(at)watchers(.)news.
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