EF3 Tornado — Cumberland, North Carolina

2011-04-16 · near Fenix, Cumberland, North Carolina

Event narrative

The tornado exited Hoke County and continued to move northeast crossing into Cumberland County, just north of NC Highway 401. EF0 damage continued near the Clifdale community, where the damage was more sporadic across Bones Creek and Stewarts Creek. Strong tornado damage then occurred in and near the Beaver Creek community along Reilly Road and Yadkin Road west of Fayetteville. Damage was mostly EF1 and EF2, but was briefly EF3 damage, with wind speeds near 140 mph, causing major damage to a business and some dwellings along Yadkin Road. EF0 and EF1 damage was then observed across Simmons Army Airfield, along Andrews Road and across from the Pine Forest High School. The Goodyear Plant on NC Highway 401 sustained minor damage as well. The tornado continued northeast through the Carlos and Slocomb communities, with mainly EF0 tree damage. Just south of the Linden community, a small area of EF2 damage occurred near McBryde Road where several homes were heavily damaged, including a mobile home that was completely destroyed. One fatality occurred when the tornado hit a double-wide mobile home. The victim suffered massive head injuries. Two other occupants of the mobile home survived and were taken to Betsy Johnson Hospital. In total, approximately 1000 homes were damaged, of which 310 homes suffered major damage, with 287 homes being destroyed. There were also 40 businesses that experienced damage as well.

Wider weather episode

A strong storm system that had a history of producing deadly tornadoes across Oklahoma and the deep south on the 14th and 15th weakened as it crossed the southern Appalachians during the early morning hours of the 16th. A squall line descended the Blue Ridge by the late morning hours, and rapidly intensified

as it moved east into the central Piedmont of North Carolina, with four long live tornadic supercells evolving from the linear convective segment. These tornadic supercells went on to produce 9 tornadoes in the Raleigh CWA, including 2 EF3s, and 4 EF2s. The tornadoes left 8 dead with approximately 275 injuries.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (35.0377, -79.0790)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 297492. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.