F3 Tornado — Rockingham, North Carolina

1998-03-20 · near Mayodan, Rockingham, North Carolina

Wider weather episode

Severe thunderstorms during the afternoon hours on the 20th produced two tornadoes, damaging winds and hail to golf ball size.A supercell thunderstorm produced two tornadoes in North Carolina and a third one just over the Virginia border. The first tornado developed near Pine Hall in Stokes County around 314 PM EST and traveled northeast about 1.5 miles before dissipating around 317 PM EST. This small F1 tornado broke out windows, lifted a car off the ground, tore the roof off a house, damaged several mobile homes and toppled trees. The second tornado developed one mile southwest of Mayodan around 325 PM EST and traveled to the northeast about 12 miles before dissipating about three miles northwest of Eden around 349 PM EST. This rather large F3 tornado damaged or destroyed 500 to 600 residences and damaged or destroyed nearly all businesses in Stoneville and some businesses in Mayodan. This tornado tossed a truck 60 feet, carried a cinder block and an empty boat trailer about a quarter mile and pushed a 25,000 pound fire truck about 60 feet. The tornado knocked out a 300 foot section of a wall and severely damaged the roof from a large building in Mayodan. Damage to this building was estimated at 25 million dollars. The tornado was generally 100 to 400 yards wide, but in one place was around 800 yards wide. Two people lost their lives and officially 27 were injured. The fatalities included an 80 year old man who was pulled from his house southwest of Stoneville and tossed 500 feet in the air and a 24 year old woman who was in her car in Stoneville when the tornado hit. The tornado tossed her car into a building and then the wall of the building collapsed on the car. There were likely another 10 to 20 injuries that were unreported as people drove themselves to the hospital or were driven by friends. Cancelled checks and papers from Stoneville were found 53 miles north-northeast in Huddleston, Virginia. In addition, material from Mayodan and Stoneville were found at several locations around Martinsville, Virginia.After the tornado lifted three miles northwest of Eden, non-tornadic wind damage continued to the Virginia State line. Thunderstorm winds knocked down trees, damaged outbuildings and barns and tore shingles from some roofs. Hail up to half dollar size broke out car windows in Leasburg.

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Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 5638159. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.