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Severe storms hit homes and businesses in Manning

Winds blew through the front windows of a business, hospitalizing two employees.

MANNING, S.C. — A storm Sunday afternoon caused damage to homes and businesses in Manning, South Carolina.

The weather brought with it scary moments for Richard Johnson as he worked at the Dollar General in Manning when strong winds came rolling through. He was in the store with his manager and another customer at the time.

"She was locking the door but she couldn't, like, keep the door closed," Johnson said. "So, she locked the door and, then, we all rushed back to the back office and then we waited there for ten, maybe 15 minutes."

According to Manning Mayor Julia Nelson, high winds resulted in the hospitalization of two employees inside the Advanced Auto Parts store.

"We recently learned that the wind actually picked them up and threw them in the back of the aisle [of] the store," she said. "So, they've been checked out and appear to be in good health."

Though one employee declined an interview, she said it was a terrifying ordeal and is thanking God she was able to walk out. 

That area got a direct hit from the storm's winds, with damage to an IGA and a furniture store that had to put trash cans out for ceiling leaks.

Across the street, a large sign was knocked down. Thankfully no one was in the stores at the time, the owner said, and it shouldn't be hard to get a replacement.

A short drive from the shopping center, J.C. Britton Community Park was also hit with flood lights thrown to the ground, trash cans spread throughout the field, and aluminum bleachers turned upside down. 

In the neighborhood next to the park, the damage wasn't as drastic, with some branches and limbs scattered in the road. Mayor Nelson said people should be on the lookout for any lingering damage to their homes.

"If they, of course, smell something, electricity or whatever, they of course want to call 911," she said. "Other than that, we suggest they contact their homeowner's insurance company to go ahead and file a claim."

By the early afternoon, crews were back on the scene by Advanced Autoparts. And the IGA store was able to reopen.

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