Severe thunderstorm warning issued for Allendale County, 60 mph winds expected

A severe thunderstorm warning put Allendale County on alert Thursday evening, with forecasters warning of 60 mph wind gusts, possible tree damage and the kind of debris that can bring down lines and slow travel across the county. The National Weather Service said the storm was near Hiltonia, Georgia, at 6:14 p.m. EDT and was moving northeast at 35 mph, with the warning set to expire at 7:00 p.m. EDT.

The warning covered Allendale County and nearby Screven County, Georgia, and listed Allendale, Fairfax, Sylvania, Hiltonia, Sycamore, Ulmer, Burtons Ferry Landing, Martin, Appleton and Millett in the path of the storm. NWS Charleston said radar showed gusts up to 60 mph, and the expected damage included roofs, siding and trees.

That threat mattered in a county that has already taken a hit from severe weather this spring. On March 12, NWS Charleston confirmed an EF0 tornado in Allendale County with estimated peak winds of 80 mph. The tornado carved a 3.78-mile path, was about 30 yards wide, and began near Millett before ending near 2 NNW Martin.

The weather office’s local history records also point to how often this part of the Lowcountry and southeast Georgia fringe gets hammered by fast-moving storms. One earlier severe-weather episode produced 32 reports between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. and tracked from Jenkins and Screven counties in Georgia into Allendale County and then on through Colleton, Dorchester and Charleston counties in South Carolina.

For residents in the warning area, the immediate concern was simple: get indoors, stay away from windows and be ready for brief power loss or blocked roads if trees or limbs came down. Communities closest to the storm track, including Hiltonia, Allendale, Fairfax, Ulmer, Martin, Appleton and Millett, faced the clearest risk as the line pushed northeast through the county before the 7 p.m. expiration.