EF1 tornado in Beaufort County, North Carolina

The NWS in Newport, NC surveyed damage that occurred in Bayview, NC. The survey team concluded that a waterspout moved ashore and touched down as a brief tornado in town before lifting. The tornado was moving very quickly in a northeastward direction and affected a neighborhood on the east side of the Bayview Golf Club, or near the intersection of Bayview Rd. and King Blount Dr. Several very large 3 ft diameter pine trees had their trunks snapped about 12 ft up. There was also a large cedar tree (2 ft diameter) that was snapped. Based on the damage to the very large softwood trees, wind speeds were estimated to be between 100 and 105 mph. Additional damage included a large shed that had its tin roof torn off and thrown approximately 25 yards, shingles that were torn from several homes, and large limbs that were blown down.

A very warm and humid air mass combined to produce an unstable atmosphere out ahead of a strong cold front. The front moved through the early evening, while out ahead of it, several lines of severe thunderstorms raced across Eastern North Carolina during the afternoon hours during the peak heating of the day. Multiple reports of damage to homes occurred, along with reports of trees and powerlines blown down with estimated thunderstorm wind gusts of 60 to 70 mph. Within a particular line of thunderstorms, a brief tornado formed and touched down in Bayview before quickly lifting as it exited the community.