Man sitting in SC backyard killed by tree toppled in storm

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Authorities say a 61-year-old man has died after he was hit by a falling tree toppled by strong winds from a severe thunderstorm in South Carolina.

Richland County Coroner Gary Watts said George William Lebby was sitting in his backyard in Columbia when he was killed around 4:20 p.m. Thursday.

In a statement, Watts said Lebby died from trauma to his upper body.

The National Weather Service says winds gusted as high as 79 mph (127 kph) in Columbia as the storms came through.

Lebby was the only death reported Thursday as the severe storms swept through South Carolina and North Carolina, knocking out power to hundreds of thousands of people.