Local

National Weather Service confirms tornado touched down in Gaston County

GASTON COUNTY, N.C. — The National Weather Service confirmed an EF0 tornado touched down in southern Gaston County during Friday’s afternoon storms.

Officials said the tornado caused damage around Crowders Creek Road and near the Sparrow Spring Road intersection. It continued northeast across Ferguson Ridge Road, Highway 321 and Robinson Road before ending in the Gastonia Municipal Airport area.

According to officials, damage included many uprooted trees, snapped limbs and minor structural damage along the tornado’s path.

The NWS said the tornado reached an estimated maximum speed of 85 mph.

The NWS also confirmed Saturday that fast-moving storms across South Carolina spawned at least one tornado in Cherokee County.

Meteorologists said the tornado touched down Friday in the northeastern part of the county, near the small town of Blacksburg and the York County line.

NWS surveyors are still investigating nearby counties.