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8 confirmed tornadoes touched down in NC. The one in Orange County was the strongest.
Orange County home damaged in afternoon storms
A house on Old 86 just south of I-40 near Hillsborough, NC was destroyed by a storm on Friday afternoon, April 19, 2019. The house was unoccupied and no injuries have been reported.
A house on Old 86 just south of I-40 near Hillsborough, NC was destroyed by a storm on Friday afternoon, April 19, 2019. The house was unoccupied and no injuries have been reported.
Friday’s tornado in Orange County traveled about 12 miles and was the strongest of eight tornadoes that touched down throughout the state, according to the National Weather Service.
The Orange County tornado was graded an EF-2 with its winds topping out around 115 miles per hour, according to an NWS report.
Six of the tornadoes, all part of a severe storm system that tore through North Carolina and other parts of the Southeast, were graded as weaker EF-1 tornadoes. That included an EF-1 tornado in Siler City, meaning winds can top 110 mph.
No injuries or deaths were reported.
Overall, the weather service issued 31 warnings for tornadoes and 17 more for severe thunderstorms that night, according to a previous News & Observer report.
The National Weather service estimates the tornado touched down in Orange County around 4 p.m. and lasted about 15 minutes. With winds estimated around 110 to 115 miles per hour, the Orange County tornado fell numerous large trees as it traveled from the White Cross area to just south of Hillsborough.
There was extensive damage to a vacant house just off of Interstate 40, blowing apart the porch and caving in the roof.
On Saturday, Gov. Roy Cooper visited Maple View Farm, home to a dairy farm of 350 cows, an ice cream shop and an agricultural center. The storm damaged two barns and injured a cow.