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Reconnaissance flights conducted today across all three of the South Carolina Forestry Commission’s operating regions suggest widespread timber damage to forests in the eastern half of the state. The following observations are cursory. More detailed surveys begin next week when timber will have had time to benefit from snow/ice melt and perhaps recover their posture, thereby influencing future growth.

In our Coastal Region, which extends from Orangeburg County to the southern half of SC’s coastal counties, damage grows more severe the farther one moves inland. Timber stands in areas starting from Aiken County running to Orangeburg County and east to I-95 are in worse condition, generally speaking. Several exceptions were noted however. Pockets of substantial damage are seen in areas toward the coast with timber in Pinopolis, SC as one example of localized heavy damage.

Younger pines, particularly in stands which have been thinned, have fared worse than those trees in more established stands, observed SCFC Coastal Region personnel.

SCFC’s Pee Dee Region includes SC’s 14 extreme northeastern counties. Pilots surveying here observed heavy weather damage to stands from Timmonsville to Olanta and down to Williamsburg Co., with lower Florence County appearing to have gotten the worst of the storm. An experienced Forestry Commission pilot observed significant snapping damage to trees in northern Williamsburg Co.

Clarendon, Lee, and Sumter counties forests suffered significant damage, particularly (again) among thinned pines in an age class of five to 20 years old. Generally, scattered light damage is observed in Marion, Dillon, and Marlboro counties.

From The Times And Democrat: https://thetandd.com/initial-flights-show-varying-degrees-of-timber-damage-across-state/article_964f0e94-96ce-11e3-9faf-0019bb2963f4.html