EF3 Tornado — Lee, North Carolina

2011-04-16 · near White Hill, Lee, North Carolina

Event narrative

The tornado exited Moore County and proceeded to strengthen to an EF1 as it moved into Lee County along Wildlife Road. The tornado blew a single wide trailer off its foundation, while also damaging the home home next door. The tornado continued to intensify to EF3 intensity along Lemon Springs Road striking the St. Andrews Subdivision. One fatality occurred when a tree fell onto a vehicle along Lemon Springs Road, crushing the driver. Numerous homes were completely destroyed and several two story homes had their upper floors removed. Wind speeds were estimated at 140 mph with a path length of over one quarter mile. Additional homes were blown off their foundations on Cemetery Drive. The tornado continued to produce major damage as it moved east along Cameron drive. The upper floor was blown off of two apartment buildings. The tornado then entered an industrial complex along Industrial Drive, where multiple steel constructed retail buildings were destroyed, in addition to 3 large warehouses at the static control facility. Winds In this area likely exceeded 160 mph. The tornado then destroyed the Tractor Supply Company, Big Lots and the Lowes Home Improvement Store along highway 421. Winds in this area were estimated around 140 mph. Two homes were blown off their foundations along Rice Road, north of NC Highway 42. Another fatality occurred along Poplar Spring Church Road when a mobile home was lifted off the ground and and then thrown into the woods and destroyed. In total, 457 homes were damaged with 116 homes being destroyed. Seventeen businesses were damaged as well. The tornado continued northeast along Avent Ferry Road, crossing into Chatham County, just east of Harris Lake.

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 → (35.3632, -79.2700)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 297659. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.