Eerie cloud formation reported over South Carolina called ‘a sign of the apocalypse’

A strange weather phenomenon reported over eastern South Carolina has rattled the internet with talk of bad omens, while some insist the “scary” photos are simply too bizarre to be real.

Four images of the storm formation were tweeted by weather enthusiast Zachary Lane, who said it appeared July 9 over Marion County, near the coast.

The photos, taken from different various angles, feature an ominous deep purple cloud that appears to be reaching for the ground with long, wispy “tentacles.”

Lane called the cloud “harmless” on Twitter, but it didn’t take long for social media to see something frightening and alien in nature (like a scene from the 2010 movie “Skyline”).

The strongest reactions came after one of the photos was shared Tuesday by the North Carolina Weather Authority, a forecast operation based in Raleigh.

“I would ... think it was a sign of the Apocalypse,” Elisa Lily commented on Facebook.

“Straight up would have thought ... here come the Horsemen of the Apocalypse,” M.k. Nicholson-White posted.

“Omg....the END really IS coming!” Dori Stivers Mikszta wrote in response to the photos.

The North Carolina Weather Authority called the “impressive” formation a scud cloud and said it is not to be feared.

“Scud clouds are low, ragged and wind-torn cloud fragments, usually not attached to the thunderstorm base,” the authority posted on Facebook. “They are often seen in association with, and behind, gust fronts. Scud clouds do not produce severe weather.”

The National Weather Service reports scud clouds are often mistaken for the funnel clouds linked to tornadoes.

“In reality, these are just rising clouds due to increased low level relative humidity. They will not rotate and will rise slowly,” the National Weather Service says.

This story was originally published July 15, 2020 at 12:38 PM with the headline "Eerie cloud formation reported over South Carolina called ‘a sign of the apocalypse’."