CONWAY, SC (WBTW) – Despite not making landfall on the Grand Strand, Hurricane Dorian’s damage extended inland to cities like Conway.
Even though Dorian went out to sea, Coastal Carolina University was closed Friday and the school was very close to a reported tornado. Santee Cooper says a tornado knocked down seven poles off U.S. Highway 501 near Coastal’s campus and neighborhoods early Thursday morning. The National Weather Service in Wilmington will come down to Horry County on Saturday to officially verify tornado reports.
Crews worked to fix the power lines Friday, as well as traffic lights at the busy U.S. 501/Cox Ferry Road intersection. The lights were restored just before 5 p.m.
Jack Bordeaux says he saw the tornado go by his house on Carolina Road and destroy the power lines.
“It just hit so fast,” he said, pointing to the part of his fence that winds destroyed.
While his yard flooded during Dorian, Bordeaux says he’s never seen anything like the tornado that was about one hundred feet from his home.
“I heard whistling sounds, thought it was a firetruck,” he said. “It actually woke myself, my wife and my son up. We went to my bedroom window and just saw the craziest, purplish-bluish flash and could almost feel the window almost break.”
Classes will resume at CCU on Monday and students can move back into residence halls Sunday morning.
