GAFFNEY, S.C — A woman sitting on the porch of her daughter’s South Carolina home was killed when a storm toppled a tree onto the house, authorities said.
Thelma Jordan Carroll, 78, was pronounced dead at the home in Gaffney Thursday afternoon, Cherokee County Coroner Dennis Fowler said.
[ RELATED: EF-2 tornado touched down in Iredell County, EF-0 in Cleveland County, NWS confirms ]
There was a tornado warning for the area at the time. The National Weather Service has not determined if the tree was knocked over by a tornado or straight-line winds.
It took fire crews and a towing company more than 2 1/2 hours to remove the tree and the roof of the porch that collapsed to be able to free Carroll’s daughter, who survived, Fowler said in a statement.
The tree had rotted near its base and was toppled by strong winds, the coroner said.
(WATCH BELOW: EF-1 tornado with 100 mph winds touched down in Meck, Cabarrus counties, Weather Service says)
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