At least three people died when a possible tornado touched down in Brunswick County overnight, leaving a trail of damage, the sheriff said.
Sunset Beach, N.C. — At least three people died when a possible tornado touched down in Brunswick County before midnight, leaving a trail of damage. The Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office said the tornado touched down in the area of Seaside Road and U.S. Highway 17 between 11:30 p.m. Monday and 12 a.m. It was on the ground for about 30 minutes. More than 50 homes were damaged, most in the Ocean Ridge Plantation neighborhood in Ocean Isle Beach, where the three deaths and at least 10 injuries were reported. „I saw devastation I have not seen in many years,“ Randy Thompson, chairman of the Brunswick County Board of Commissioners, said during a noon news conference. „Truly this was a disaster last night.“ Edward Conrow, Brunswick County’s emergency services director, said search and rescue efforts were completed Tuesday morning, and officials were conducting damage assessments. Damage reports also included gas leaks, damaged commercial buildings and downed trees and power lines along U.S.17 and Old Shallotte Road, Conrow said. The National Weather Service confirmed the twister was an EF-3 tornado with winds up to 160 mph. The tornado carved a path across Brunswick County and into Columbus County. The tornado was particularly dangerous because many people were sleeping when the storm hit and had no time to prepare, Conrow said.
