A powerful storm damaged more than two dozen planes at the Lowcountry Regional Airport in Walterboro, destroying at least 20 of them including the Douglas C-54.
Strong winds pushed one plane into a hangar at the facility and lifted another up and over a fence, dropping it onto a road. Some debris was also found almost a mile away.
One hangar had its entire roof ripped off while two others were damaged.
The World War II-era plane that has delighted children of all ages during the Candy Drop at the Dare County Regional Airport for the last two decades was damaged by the severe weather.
According to a post on the Berlin Airlift Historical Foundation’s Facebook page, the Spirit of Freedom has been at the airport in Walterboro, South Carolina since departing Manteo on Dec. 18 for the installation of new tracking equipment.
A tornado ripped through the Lowcountry Regional Airport early Monday, damaging multiple buildings and aircraft including the Douglas C-54.
The same tornado killed at least one person nearby in Colleton County, according to ABC News 4 in Charleston.
“It is too early to assess the extent of the tornado damage, however, photographs reveal the leading edge of the right outerwing and the rear left center wing flap area received substantial damage,” the society posted.
