EF1 tornado in Robeson County, North Carolina

A National Weather Service Storm Survey Team concluded an EF1 tornado touched down near Barker Ten Mile, North Carolina. The maximum wind speed was estimated to 105 mph. The path length was near one and a half miles. The maximum path width was 352 yards. Several headstones were turned over in a cemetery on Highway 301. Several ornamental trees, up to eight inches in diameter, were snapped. A half dozen power poles were leaning over and a flag pole was completely bent over. Numerous trees were snapped along Interstate-95. Several dozen large hardwood and pine trees, up to two feet in diameter, were snapped or uprooted. Fallen trees caused substantial damage to over 100 homes along Robin Road, Castle Road and Sherwood Road.

A powerful storm system that had moved across the deep south during previous days, swept across the eastern Carolinas during the afternoon and evening hours. Instability and shear values were highly supportive of super-cell thunderstorms. The result was a large outbreak of severe weather including strong and deadly tornadoes across eastern North Carolina.