Tornadoes rare, but not unknown in Southeastern N.C.

If weather conditions right, they can form — and be dangerous

WILMINGTON — Residents can be thankful that tornadoes are relatively rare in Southeastern North Carolina, but when they hit, they can be deadly.

A 1,000-foot-wide tornado with winds approaching 200 mph struck the eastern Columbus County community of Riegelwood early on the morning of Nov. 16, 2006, plowing through a mobile home park. Eight people were killed, including two children, and 20 were injured. The tornado was later rated an F3 on the Fujita scale of tornado intensity, indicating winds of 158-206 mph.

Fortunately for residents, most North Carolina tornadoes are much weaker, with few reaching the F2 (113-157 mph) range. On Aug. 13, 2004, an F2 tornado struck the Rocky Point community along N.C. 210 in Pender County, leaving three dead and 29 injured.

Tornadoes in this area are often associated with hurricanes. At least four tornadoes touched down in New Hanover County during Hurricane Florence in September 2018. Two tornadoes coincided with Hurricane Floyd on Sept. 15, 1999, and an Oct. 8, 1996 tornado occurred during Tropical Storm Josephine.

The Tornado History Project tallied 18 tornadoes in New Hanover County between 1954 and 2016, 32 in Pender County in roughly the same period, and 26 in Brunswick County. Most were rated as F0 (40-72 mph) or F1 (73-112 mph) and except for the 2004 Rocky Point storm, none resulted in fatalities.

Which doesn’t mean that bad tornadoes can come close. The University of Akron identified a “Carolina Alley,” running roughly along the I-95 corridor from North Carolina to Virginia, which ranks as the fourth most-active hurricane zone in the nation. On April 16, 2011, 30 tornadoes were reported in a single day in North Carolina along the alley’s path, leading to 24 deaths and around 300 injuries.

On April 19 of this year, 13 different tornadoes roared across North Carolina, the closest through northern Sampson County not far from Fayetteville. Most were in the F0 to F1 range, and few injuries were reported.

Reporter Ben Steelman can be reached at 910-343-2208 or Ben.Steelman@StarNewsOnline.com.