Tornado causes damage
By LEE HINNANT
and BOB HIGH
The brief but intense thunderstorm that blew through Columbus County Monday afternoon spawned a tornado that flattened several storage buildings, destroyed a truck and tore away parts of roofs north of Whiteville. There were no injuries but county officials estimated property damages at $100,000.
The National Weather Service confirmed Tuesday that an F-0 to F-1 tornado touched down north of Whiteville near the Department of Social Services and again along a portion of Spivey Road in Whiteville. That equates to estimated wind speeds of 72 to 112 mph on the Fujita tornado scale, which tops out at F-5.
The 5 p.m. twister destroyed a tobacco barn, a 19th century smokehouse and a storage building at the Kathleen Inman farm where U.S. 701 Bypass meets U.S. 701 Business. Wind tore the roof off another storage building and damaged three other nearby barns and stables. There was some shingle damage to the home and pieces of metal roofing were scattered in nearby woods.
“It sounded like a far-off train,” said Brian Formyduval, who listened to the storm at Barbcrest Apartments in Whiteville.
Trees downed power lines at Spivey Road and along Whiteville’s eastern edge, prompting firefighters to stand guard until Progress Energy crews restored service.
Four large limbs punctured the roof of Sid Harris’ mobile home and there was roof damage at Northwood Assembly Church. One large oak tree and several smaller trees fell in the yard of John C. Lennon just east of the Inman farm.
Emergency Services Director Ronnie Hayes said that a large tree toppled by the storm destroyed a truck in the North Whiteville area. Another tree broke out the rear windshield of a car, he said.
Letta Phillips Lee of Lumberton struck a large tree that had fallen into Cherry Grove Road at about 5:15 p.m. The damage to her car was estimated at $4,000.
Limbs and small trees littered Whiteville Country Club’s golf course and a large pine snapped at Cole Monument Works.
The rain was heavy in Bolton for about 20 minutes, and some residences had shingles blown off. As roadside ditches overflowed, the Buckhead community lost electric service until about 10 p.m.
An oddly selective wind moved a wrought-iron table more than 20 feet in Freddie Norris’ yard off Gore Trailer Road and send a mop flying 150 feet away, but failed to disturb four chairs and other light items nearby.
In downtown Whiteville, a piece of roofing about the size of a pool table blew from BB&T’s regional headquarters into shrubbery across Columbus Street at The News Reporter.
The N.C. Crop Research Station northwest of Whiteville reported 0.66 inches of rain and no crop damages from Monday’s storm. Rainfall at the N.C. Forest Service gauge east of Whiteville measured 0.8 inches, while Tabor City noted only scant rainfall. Lake Waccamaw State Park recorded 0.4 inches of rain and wind gusts of up to 36 mph.
Despite the rain, the region is experiencing a drought that the National Weather Service predicts will only worsen for the next couple of weeks. Rainfall for April has totaled 0.66 inches at the Research Station, less than half the amount usually recorded by this time of the month.
Stream flows in the Cape Fear River are close to historic lows, the NWS reported. Flow in the Waccamaw River is also far below normal.