EF1 tornado in Carteret County, North Carolina

Carteret County Emergency Services reported a tornado that struck Lewis Luther Crab House just north of Davis. The tornado demolished the backside of the building scattering debris across Highway 70 in a marsh to the north and snapping a wood power pole along Highway 70. The tornado moved north northeast for 4.2 miles across Open Ground Farms before downing 5 additional power poles located along Nelson Bay road. A NWS damage survey team assessed the tornado to be a strong EF1 with winds estimated at 110 mph.

A strong upper level disturbance and approaching cold front combined to produce severe weather across Eastern NC during the morning hours of Feb. 16th. A strong squall line moved through the coastal plains counties producing damaging winds as a small low pressure area approached southern coastal counties from the south. The low pressure area produced widespread minor straight line wind damage across eastern parts of Carteret , Hyde, and Dare Counties with 65-85 mph measured winds. An EF1 tornado, with 110 mph estimated winds, developed east of the low, and moved across Core Banks in the Davis area of downeast Carteret County, partially destroying a fish shack along U. S. Highway 70, then moved north northeast for 4.2 miles across Open Grounds Farm downing 5 additional power poles along Nelson Bay Road before dissipating.