March 2010 Carolinas tornado outbreak
Encyclopedia
The March 2010 Carolinas tornado outbreak was a tornado outbreak that affected the Southeast United States on March 28, 2010.
A low pressure system pushed northward through the Ohio Valley on March 28. Several tornadoes were reported in the warm sector stretching from Virginia south to Florida. The Piedmont Triad
was hardest hit. A tornado emergency was declared for parts of Forsyth, Randolph, Davidson, and Guilford counties. Damage was also reported near Charlotte
. An EF3 tornado struck High Point, NC. An EF2 tornado hit Linwood
in Davidson County, NC
, and 2 more EF2 tornadoes struck south-central South Carolina.
, causing 3 injuries and destroying or damaging many structures. The tornado touched down as a 100-mph EF-1 in southwest Guilford County, severely damaging a daycare center and flipping an unoccupied school bus
. The tornado moved north across Highway 311 and gained intensity, becoming an EF2 that caused significant damage to structures in the area, including blowing a bedroom off of a single-story home.
It briefly reached EF3 in intensity when it entered a residential area, removing the second story off of a 2-story home and damaging or destroying 50-60 homes in the neighborhood. The tornado weakened to an EF2 and moved into a highly urbanized area, causing minor to moderate damage, and again removing the 2nd story off of a 2-story home.
The storm finally weakened to an EF1 and finally lifted just north of Oak Hollow Lake.
This was the first EF3 tornado to strike the Piedmont Triad
region since May 8, 2008
, when an EF3 tornado struck Clemmons
, just outside of Winston-Salem
. The tornado caused $9.95 million in property damage, destroying 40 homes and businesses and damaging another 609 structures. The mayor of High Point declared a state of emergency.
issued by the Bahamas Department of Meteorology.
A low pressure system pushed northward through the Ohio Valley on March 28. Several tornadoes were reported in the warm sector stretching from Virginia south to Florida. The Piedmont Triad
Piedmont Triad
The Piedmont Triad, or Triad, is a north-central region of the U.S. state of North Carolina that consists of the area within and surrounding the three major cities of Greensboro, Winston-Salem, and High Point. This close group or "triad" of cities lies in the Piedmont geographical region of the...
was hardest hit. A tornado emergency was declared for parts of Forsyth, Randolph, Davidson, and Guilford counties. Damage was also reported near Charlotte
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
. An EF3 tornado struck High Point, NC. An EF2 tornado hit Linwood
Linwood, North Carolina
Linwood is a small unincorporated community just south of Lexington in Davidson County, North Carolina, United States. The area contains operations of several important companies in Davidson County, including Keply Hardwood, Legget-Platt, PPG Industries, and Kimberly Clark...
in Davidson County, NC
Davidson County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2010, there were 149,331 people, 58,156 households, and 42,512 families residing in the county. The population density was 267 people per square mile . There were 62,432 housing units at an average density of 113 per square mile...
, and 2 more EF2 tornadoes struck south-central South Carolina.
High Point tornado
An EF3 tornado struck High Point, North CarolinaHigh Point, North Carolina
High Point is a city located in the Piedmont Triad region of North Carolina. As of 2010 the city had a total population of 104,371, according to the US Census Bureau. High Point is currently the eighth-largest municipality in North Carolina....
, causing 3 injuries and destroying or damaging many structures. The tornado touched down as a 100-mph EF-1 in southwest Guilford County, severely damaging a daycare center and flipping an unoccupied school bus
School bus
A school bus is a type of bus designed and manufactured for student transport: carrying children and teenagers to and from school and school events...
. The tornado moved north across Highway 311 and gained intensity, becoming an EF2 that caused significant damage to structures in the area, including blowing a bedroom off of a single-story home.
It briefly reached EF3 in intensity when it entered a residential area, removing the second story off of a 2-story home and damaging or destroying 50-60 homes in the neighborhood. The tornado weakened to an EF2 and moved into a highly urbanized area, causing minor to moderate damage, and again removing the 2nd story off of a 2-story home.
The storm finally weakened to an EF1 and finally lifted just north of Oak Hollow Lake.
This was the first EF3 tornado to strike the Piedmont Triad
Piedmont Triad
The Piedmont Triad, or Triad, is a north-central region of the U.S. state of North Carolina that consists of the area within and surrounding the three major cities of Greensboro, Winston-Salem, and High Point. This close group or "triad" of cities lies in the Piedmont geographical region of the...
region since May 8, 2008
Mid-May 2008 tornado outbreak sequence
The Mid-May 2008 tornado outbreak sequence is a series of tornado outbreaks that affected the Southern Plains, the southeastern and Middle Atlantic region of the United States. The storm has produced 147 confirmed tornadoes starting on May 7 and lasting until late on May 15. The outbreak sequence...
, when an EF3 tornado struck Clemmons
Clemmons, North Carolina
Clemmons is a village in Forsyth County, North Carolina and a suburb of Winston-Salem. The population was 18,627 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Clemmons is located at ....
, just outside of Winston-Salem
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Winston-Salem is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina, with a 2010 population of 229,617. Winston-Salem is the county seat and largest city of Forsyth County and the fourth-largest city in the state. Winston-Salem is the second largest municipality in the Piedmont Triad region and is home to...
. The tornado caused $9.95 million in property damage, destroying 40 homes and businesses and damaging another 609 structures. The mayor of High Point declared a state of emergency.
Freeport tornado
A tornado of unknown strength hit the Freeport port, toppling a crane and killing 3 workers and injuring 4 more. Concerns have been raised within the Bahamian government that there was no tornado warningTornado warning
A tornado warning is an alert issued by government weather services to warn that severe thunderstorms with tornadoes may be imminent. It can be issued after a tornado or funnel cloud has been spotted by eye, or more commonly if there are radar indications of tornado formation...
issued by the Bahamas Department of Meteorology.
March 28, 2010
| F# Fujita scale The Fujita scale , or Fujita-Pearson scale, is a scale for rating tornado intensity, based primarily on the damage tornadoes inflict on human-built structures and vegetation... |
Location | County | Time (EST) | Path length | Damage | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida Florida Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it... |
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| EF0 | Melbourne Melbourne, Florida Melbourne is a city in Brevard County, Florida, United States. As of 2009, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 78,323. The municipal area is the second largest by size and by population in the county. Melbourne is a principal city of the Palm Bay – Melbourne – Titusville, Florida... |
Brevard Brevard County, Florida Brevard County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida, along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. As of 2007 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the population is 536,521, making it the 10th most populous county in the state. Influenced by the presence of the John F. Kennedy Space Center, Brevard... |
05:50 PM | 2.4 miles | Several windows broken out of a residence by flying debris. | |
| North Carolina North Carolina North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte... |
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| EF1 | Belmont Belmont, North Carolina Belmont is a small suburban city in Gaston County, North Carolina, United States, located about west of uptown Charlotte, North Carolina and east of Gastonia. The population was 8,705 at the 2000 census. Once known as Garibaldi, the city named in honor of August Belmont, a prominent New York banker... |
Gaston Gaston County, North Carolina Gaston County is a county located just west of Charlotte in the southern Piedmont in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the third largest county, by population, in the Charlotte Metropolitan Area, officially designated the Charlotte-Gastonia-Concord Metropolitan Statistical Area . As of... |
05:44 PM | 200 yards | 1 Injury. Damage to a mill, one overturned tractor-trailer, and a mobile home park. | |
| EF1 | Spencer Spencer, North Carolina Spencer is a town in Rowan County, North Carolina, United States, incorporated in 1905. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 3,355.-History:... |
Rowan Rowan County, North Carolina -Demographics and economics:As of the census of 2010, there were 138,428 people, 53,140 households, and 37,058 families residing in the county. The population density was 270.7 people per square mile . There were 60,211 housing units at an average density of 117.7 per square mile... |
06:45 PM | 3.38 Miles | Damage to a shopping center, a fast food restaurant, several cars, and several homes. | |
| EF2 | Linwood Linwood, North Carolina Linwood is a small unincorporated community just south of Lexington in Davidson County, North Carolina, United States. The area contains operations of several important companies in Davidson County, including Keply Hardwood, Legget-Platt, PPG Industries, and Kimberly Clark... |
Davidson Davidson County, North Carolina -Demographics:As of the census of 2010, there were 149,331 people, 58,156 households, and 42,512 families residing in the county. The population density was 267 people per square mile . There were 62,432 housing units at an average density of 113 per square mile... |
06:55 PM | 1 mile | 5 inj. Complete destruction of 3 mobile homes and significant damage to 2 others, one carport ripped off of a brick building, and damaged a metal building at an empty flea market. | |
| EF1 | 4 miles NE of Thomasville Thomasville, North Carolina Thomasville is a city in Davidson County in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The population was 21,354 at the 2010 census. The city is notable for its furniture industry as are its neighbors of High Point and Lexington. This Piedmont Triad community was established in 1852 and hosts the state's... |
Davidson Davidson County, North Carolina -Demographics:As of the census of 2010, there were 149,331 people, 58,156 households, and 42,512 families residing in the county. The population density was 267 people per square mile . There were 62,432 housing units at an average density of 113 per square mile... |
07:15 PM | 0.6 - 0.7 miles | 1 mobile home completely destroyed when it was thrown into a nearby lake (residents swam to safety), 5-6 mobile homes sustained significant damage from falling trees. Further damage to a carport and other nearby trees. | |
| EF3 | High Point High Point, North Carolina High Point is a city located in the Piedmont Triad region of North Carolina. As of 2010 the city had a total population of 104,371, according to the US Census Bureau. High Point is currently the eighth-largest municipality in North Carolina.... |
Guilford Guilford County, North Carolina Guilford County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. In 2010, the Census Bureau estimated the county's population to be 491,230. Its seat is Greensboro. Since 1938, an additional county court has been located in High Point, North Carolina, making Guilford one of only a handful... |
07:30 PM | 5 miles | 3 inj. Significant damage to a daycare facility "Apple Tree", wiped out Calloway Farms Trailer Park of Westover Drive, damaging or destroying over 600 homes and businesses. | |
| EF1 | 2.5 miles ESE of Timberlake Timberlake, North Carolina Timberlake is an unincorporated township in south-central Person County, North Carolina. The population was 4,674 at the 2000 census. It lies between Roxboro and Durham along the US Highway 501 corridor through Person County. The economy of this township is dominated by tobacco agriculture.... |
Person Person County, North Carolina Person County is a county located in the Piedmont region in north-central North Carolina in the United States. It is part of the Durham-Chapel Hill Metropolitan Area. The population was 39,464 at the 2010 census.The county seat is Roxboro... |
11:55 PM | 4 miles. | Damage to 3 modular homes (1 from winds, 2 from falling trees), a barn, and trees. | |
| South Carolina South Carolina South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence... |
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| EF1 | 8 miles NNW of Martinez Martinez, Georgia Martinez is a census-designated place in Columbia County, Georgia, United States. It is an affluent suburb of Augusta, Georgia and is part of the Augusta, Georgia metropolitan area... |
McCormick | 05:06 PM | unk. | Damage to trees in the Sumter National Forest Sumter National Forest The Sumter National Forest is one of two forests in South Carolina that are managed together by the United States Forest Service, the other being the Francis Marion National Forest. The Sumter National Forest consists of which are divided into several non-contiguous sections in western South... and surrounding areas. |
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| EF2 | 8 miles ENE of Martinez Martinez, Georgia Martinez is a census-designated place in Columbia County, Georgia, United States. It is an affluent suburb of Augusta, Georgia and is part of the Augusta, Georgia metropolitan area... |
Edgefield | 10:24 PM | unk. | Damage to numerous trees and powerlines, 2 homes, a mobile home, and a motor home. | |
| EF2 | 5 miles N of Leesville | Lexington | 11:25 PM | 6 miles | Dissipated over Lake Murray. | |
| Virginia Virginia The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there... |
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| EF0 | 5.6 miles SW of Cluster Springs Cluster Springs, Virginia Cluster Springs is a census-designated place in Halifax County, Virginia, United States. The population as of the 2010 Census was 811.-References:*... |
Halifax | 10:02 PM | 0.25 miles | One mobile home destroy and several homes damaged. One large cedar tree uprooted. | |
March 29
| F# Fujita scale The Fujita scale , or Fujita-Pearson scale, is a scale for rating tornado intensity, based primarily on the damage tornadoes inflict on human-built structures and vegetation... |
Location | County | Time (EST) | Path length | Damage | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Carolina South Carolina South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence... |
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| EF0 | 9 miles SSW Winnsboro Winnsboro, South Carolina Winnsboro is a town in Fairfield County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 3,599 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Fairfield County. Winnsboro is part of the Columbia, South Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area.... |
Fairfield | 12:03 AM | unk. | Weak EF0 took down several trees. | |
| The Bahamas The Bahamas The Bahamas , officially the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, is a nation consisting of 29 islands, 661 cays, and 2,387 islets . It is located in the Atlantic Ocean north of Cuba and Hispaniola , northwest of the Turks and Caicos Islands, and southeast of the United States... |
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| EF? | Freeport Freeport, Bahamas Freeport is a city, district and free trade zone located on the island of Grand Bahama of the North-west Bahamas. In 1955, Wallace Groves, a Virginian financier with lumber interests in Grand Bahama, was granted 50,000 acres Freeport is a city, district and free trade zone located on the island of... |
Grand Bahama Grand Bahama Grand Bahama is one of the northernmost of the islands of the Bahamas, and the closest major island to the United States, lying off the state of Florida. Grand Bahama is the fifth largest island in the Bahamas island chain of approximately 700 islands and 2,400 cays... |
11:30 AM | unk. | 3 Deaths. At least 4 Injuries. Rare Bahaman tornado of unknown strength killed 3 when it toppled a crane in Freeport. | |
External links
- Collection of information on the Piedmont tornadoes by WGHPWGHPWGHP, channel 8, is the Fox-affiliated television station serving the Greensboro/High Point/Winston-Salem, North Carolina designated market area...