Sunset Beach, NC – At least three people died when a possible tornado touched down in Brunswick County at night and left a trail of damage, the sheriff said.
The Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office said the tornado hit the Seaside Road and US Highway 17 area after midnight. Officials reported heavy damage, including gas leaks and felled trees and power lines.
The most serious damage was reported in the Ocean Ridge Plantation neighborhood, where three deaths were reported and dozens of homes were destroyed or damaged. In addition to the three deaths, at least 10 people were injured.
Kate Gentle, a Brunswick County resident who lives five minutes from where the tornado touched down, told WRAL News that she spent Monday night at her son’s lacrosse game and had no idea a storm was coming.
According to Gentle, when the family got home, they faced heavy, frequent thunderstorms and lightning. Then, said Gentle, everything went quiet. She put her kids in a closet just before the tornado warning came through.
“You could tell something wasn’t right,” she said.
Gentle’s family and home are okay, but she said she is “heartbroken” for people in her community who were not so lucky.
Sheriff John Ingram said at a news conference that crews will learn about the extent of the damage when the sun rises. He asked for people who are not property owners or who are not helping victims avoid the area while the crews work to clear streets.
More than 16,800 customers were without power in Brunswick County at 5:00 a.m.
The Wilmington Fire Department said teams requested by state emergency management are deploying to locate the missing people, and a Hazmat team responded to a propane leak.
According to the US Census, an estimated 140,000 people would live in Brunswick County in 2019.
The storm is part of the larger weather system that is bringing brutal cold temperatures to much of the US, including a paralyzing ice storm that has surrounded Texas causing massive power outages.
According to CNN meteorologist Michael Guy, the storms will continue in the area and there are still tornado watches for Eastern North Carolina.
Areas north of Wilmington, including the Outer Banks through Elizabeth City, will be monitored until 8 a.m., he said.