A Decade Later: WRAL reflects on April 16, 2011, tornado outbreak

By Aimee Wilmoth, WRAL weather executive producer

Ten years ago on April 16, 2011, 30 tornadoes touched down in North Carolina for the greatest one-day total on record for our state.

Twenty-four North Carolinians lost their lives that day, and anyone who was in the state will surely never forget it.

WRAL News will feature several stories Friday, April 16, to look back at some of the hardest hit areas and reflect on what was a very hard day for North Carolina.

Our coverage will kick off in the morning during the 6 a.m. newscast. WRAL meteorologist Elizabeth Gardner will look at the timeline and review how that day unfolded in 2011. She will also chat with WRAL anchor/reporter Ken Smith about what it was like to anchor for more than nine hours during our continuous coverage.

At noon, I’ll sit down with WRAL meteorologist Mike Maze and former WRAL meteorologist Nate Johnson, the two meteorologists on duty that day, to discuss how they juggled so many tornado warnings and their memories of the record-setting event.

Join WRAL News starting at 4 p.m. for more coverage.

WRAL Fayetteville reporter Gilbert Baez will show some of the impacts from Cumberland County, and former WRAL reporter Mike Charbonneau, who was the first on the scene to survey damage in Wake County, talks with people who survived the tornadoes that moved through Raleigh.

Finally, WRAL reporter Bryan Mims revisits the community of Dunn to show how the town recovered after one of the tornadoes touched down there.

Join WRAL News beginning Friday morning for complete coverage of A Decade Later: April 16 Tornado Outbreak.