NWS confirms EF-0 tornado in Lincoln County Sunday

The National Weather Service office in Greenville-Spartanburg confirmed, a weak EF-0 tornado touched down northeast of Lowesville in Lincoln County just after midnight on Sunday, May 4 after surveying damage in the area.

The tornado had estimated peak winds of 70 miles per hour, based on a downed tree and snapped large tree limbs along the 1.36 mile damage path. The storm touched down just west of Killian Farm Rd and traveled southeast, staying on the ground for three minutes before dissipating in a wooded area along Highway 73, just west of the Catawba River.

The Lowesville tornado was one of two confirmed tornadoes in the Carolinas over the weekend. An EF-0 tornado with peak winds of 80 mph was also confirmed in Pickens County, South Carolina Saturday night near Easley. The tornado touched down shortly before 10 p.m. and traveled 2.71 miles. It crossed several residential neighborhoods where numerous large tree limbs were snapped and several pine trees were uprooted. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.

There have been 7 confirmed tornadoes across the Carolinas since the beginning of 2025. All confirmed tornadoes have been rated as an EF-0, or EF-1. On average, the Carolinas experience 57 tornadoes annually with April, September and May being the most active months for tornadoes.