High winds topple trees across York County

Winds from Wednesday’s storm system reached up to 40 mph at some points and downed 30 to 40 trees across York County, officials said Thursday.

Emergency crews reported between 30 and 40 trees down on York County roadways during the high winds Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning, as well as sporadic power outages, according to Chuck Haynes, director of York County Emergency Management.

The only falling tree to cause structural damage was on Chestnut Street in Rock Hill, Haynes said.

Jeanette Mobley was on the phone with her daughter, sitting at her computer desk about 3 p.m. Wednesday when the ceiling of her home fell in on her.

“Boom!” she said, recalling the moment the tree crashed through the roof. “It just happened so fast. Everything that could have killed me fell above me or around me.”

Mobley said she had no idea what was happening at the time. Her son dragged her through what used to be a wall and out of the home, which suffered major structural damage.

On Thursday, passersby drove slowly past the home or stopped to take pictures of the uprooted 200-foot-tall tree.

Mobley said she has only minor scratches from the ordeal. She has insurance on the home, and she and her family are staying in a motel temporarily.

“It really was a blessing nobody got hurt,” she said. “There’s angels looking out for me. They said it’s not my time.”

Winds in the Rock Hill area averaged 20 to 25 mph Wednesday, with peak gusts reaching 40 mph at times, according to the National Weather Service in Greenville.

Chester County emergency management officials say they had several reports of trees down Wednesday afternoon and evening, but none that caused structural damage.

As of Thursday afternoon, state crews had responded to more than 650 reports of trees in roadways since Wednesday, a Department of Transportation spokesman said.

This story was originally published February 26, 2016 at 6:44 AM with the headline "High winds topple trees across York County."