If a tornado didn’t hit York County, what did? Severe Weather Center 9 explains:

YORK, S.C. — People in York County had to take cover during severe weather tore through the area on Saturday.

The damage to homes, businesses, cars and roads was so intense that many viewers asked Channel 9 if it was a tornado.

>>> SEE PICTURES VIEWERS SENT FROM THE STORM DAMAGE BELOW:

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Severe thunderstorms bring large hail, knock down trees, cuts power to thousands A gas station on Highway 72 was twisted by the winds on Saturday.

The National Weather Service clarified that there were no reports of a tornado, and “the environment was not conducive for tornado development.”

At the moment, the NWS believes it may have been a “macroburst.”

Channel 9′s Severe Weather Center Meteorologist Madi Baggett explains that a macroburst is a quick hit of strong, straight-lined winds coming from a storm cloud.

“The air leaving the downburst is cooled and is capable of producing wind gusts over 160 mph. A macroburst is defined as a large downburst with a wind field extending over 2.5 miles long. Macrobursts are wider than a mircoburst but often not as strong.”

Baggett says the radar showed wind gusts faster than 60 mph in York’s Saturday night cell.

(WATCH: Severe thunderstorms bring large hail, knock down trees, cut power across area)

Severe thunderstorms bring large hail, knock down trees, cut power across area

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