Brunswick County tornado updates: NWS explains findings for 'expansive' and deadly storm

Star-News (Wilmington, NC)

Feb. 17—The survey team for the National Weather Service is currently North of U.S. 17, where they believe the tornado traveled after touching down in southern Brunswick County.

"The team has found a track almost to the Columbus County line, so it went almost from near the coast into Columbus county," said Steve Pfaff, warning coordination meteorologist, noting the team is still working to confirm this.

So far, the tornado is still indicative of a "high end EF3," especially in the Ocean Ridge Plantation area, which was hardest hit by the storm and was the subject of Tuesday's damage-assessment, Pfaff said.

The EF scale is used to assign a tornado a rating based on estimated wind speeds and related damage. Pfaff said a large portion of tornados in the Carolinas are about EF0, which is considered to cause light damage with 65-to-85 mph winds and EF1's, which are considered to cause moderate damage and 86-to-110 mph winds, according to the National Weather Service.

EF3's are considered to cause severe damage amid 136 to 165 mph winds.

The team estimates a 275-yard path-width for the Ocean Plantation area. That is compared to most Carolina tornadoes, which tend to have a path-width of 80-to-60 yards or less, Pfaff said.

"That is quite expansive for a tornado," Pfaff said.

The team is still working to figure out the time the tornado touched down, but Pfaff said he thinks they are close. The damage assessment will be wrapped up sometime this afternoon or early this evening, he said.

Brunswick Electric Membership Cooperation announced crews were working again Wednesday morning to restore power in areas impacted by the tornado this week.

The cooperation noted they expect to have power restored to most members today, with the exception of those who had structural damage in the hardest-hit areas in and around Ocean Ridge Plantation and Old Shallotte Road.

Crews are working with county officials, "going house by house," to determine which locations still pose safety concerns, according to the cooperation's Facebook post. They anticipate their next update to be shared around 3 p.m.

Efforts to survey areas of Brunswick County that were devastated by a tornado could continue into Wednesday afternoon.

In the aftermath of the tornado that killed three and injured 10, Wilmington's National Weather Service has worked to better understand the storm by conducting a post-storm damage assessment.

Out of Tuesday's assessment effort came the news that the tornado has been rated a high-end EF3 on the Enhanced Fujita damage scale. This scale is used to assign a tornado a rating based on estimated wind speeds and related damage. At this point, winds are estimated to have been at 160 mph.

The weather service will send another survey team to the area around 9 a.m. today after not being able to complete the survey Tuesday due to losing daylight. The focus will be to determine how long the tornado's path was, its width and further determine winds based on damage.

"Hopefully this afternoon we'll have a detailed report," said Dave Loewenthal with the weather service.

The tornado was the first to claim lives in the Cape Fear area since 2006, when an EF3 tornado devastated the Riegelwood community in Columbus county, killing eight people and injuring 20.

In addition to the three killed and 10 people injured Monday, at least 50 homes were damaged, displacing some residents. Tuesday morning saw about 3,000 Brunswick County residents without power. As of 6:49 a.m. this morning, that number had shrunk to 845 people.

Wednesday morning there was a line of trucks along U.S. 17 near the Ocean Ridge Plantation neighborhood that appeared to be working to repair electrical lines along the road. The median of U.S. 17 is still littered with tree branches and other storm debris.

Some trees near the entrance of Ocean Ridge Plantation were completely downed in the storm. From the road, it's difficult to see damage to individual houses, but blue and black tarps are covering small sections of some roofs.

Amid the damage caused by the storm, relief efforts to help those effected are underway.

The North Carolina Department of Insurance announced it will set up a victims assistance center at the Ocean Ridge Plantation, a neighborhood hardest hit by the storm. N.C. Gov. Roy Cooper and Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey also announced they plan to tour the area to survey the damage from the storm.

Representatives from the American Red Cross directed their efforts Tuesday toward helping displaced families. This includes calling on St. Luke Lutheran Church in Ocean Isle Beach to be used as a safe haven for residents who've been affected.

A GoFundme page has also been set up for the Ocean Ridge Plantation community by the Community Association Management Services. Out of a $5,000 goal, over $7,500 has been raised.

"Many of our neighbors are in great need of relief, so please feel free to share the fundraiser page and please keep those impacted by the tornado in your thoughts and prayers," Deanna King, regional vice president for the association.

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