Tornadoes from Tropical Storm Idalia confirmed in Wilmington, Brunswick
For many residents in the Cape Fear region, the worst part of Tropical Storm Idalia was enduring the multiple tornado warnings Wednesday night.
The National Weather Service has confirmed three tornadoes touched down: two in Brunswick County and one in New Hanover County.
Here's what we know.
St. James
According to reports from the National Weather Service, the first one occurred between Oak Island and St. James around 6:45 p.m. The report states the tornado formed near N.C. 211 near St. James Executive Park where it damaged the roof Four Paws Veterinary Hospital before moving north along Executive Park Boulevard where it damaged another building’s roof, toppled a large tree, and ripped an air conditioning unit off the top of another building.
The report shows the tornado was on the ground for about a minute, and its path was about 20 yards wide and .32 miles long. The tornado was an EF-0 on the Fujita scale with winds estimated at 80 miles per hour.
No fatalities or injuries were reported. A post on Four Paws Veterinary Hospital's Facebook page confirmed the facility had been damaged and noted its “clinic cats” were safe.
Leland area
The second tornado occurred at 7:25 p.m. along N.C. 133 near Leland. A storm survey team from the National Weather Service found numerous oak and pine trees down in a heavily wooded area north of Clarendon Plantation Road. No structures were affected.
The report states this tornado was on the ground for about a minute, cutting a path 30 yards wide and about one-tenth of a mile long. This tornado was rated an EF-1 on the Fujita scale with estimated wind speeds estimated at 110 miles per hour, bringing it close to an EF-2 status, which begins at 111 miles per hour.
Myrtle Grove
A third tornado occurred in the Myrtle Grove area of New Hanover County. According to the storm report, a waterspout spawned by Tropical Storm Idalia came ashore and became a tornado near Tidalwalk Drive before lifting near Country Place Road. The storm survey team found numerous oak and pine trees snapped or uprooted along the tornado’s path. A tree fell onto a storage shed, and a piece of aluminum cornice was pulled away from the home.
The report states the tornado, rated an EF-1 with wind speeds estimated at 100 miles per hour, cut a path 30 yards wide and traveled for 1.5 miles.
Stephen Keebler, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Wilmington, said these EF-0 and EF-1 tornadoes are typical of the ones seen during tropical systems.
“They’re not long tracks, and they’re not the EF-3, 4, and 5 tornadoes seen in the plains,” he said.
Several other tornadoes are also attributed to Tropical Storm Idalia, including an EF-0 in Coward, S.C., and an EF-0 in Cherry Grove, S.C.
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Tornadoes from Tropical Storm Idalia confirmed in Wilmington, Brunswick
