762
NOUS42 KMHX 152109
PNSMHX
NCZ029-044>047-079>081-090>092-094-193>196-198-199-203>205-160915-
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEWPORT/MOREHEAD CITY NC
509 PM EDT THU OCT 15 2026
...NWS DAMAGE SURVEY FOR OCTOBER 11TH, 2026 TORNADO EVENT UPDATE #2...
DUPLIN TORNADO
RATING: EF2
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 125 MPH
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 24.43 MILES
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: 150 YARDS
FATALITIES: 0
INJURIES: 0
START DATE: 10/11/2026
START TIME: 01:38 PM EDT
START LOCATION: 2 W WALLACE / DUPLIN COUNTY / NC
START LAT/LON: 34.7395 / -78.0342
END DATE: 10/11/2026
END TIME: 02:27 PM EDT
END LOCATION: POTTERS HILL / DUPLIN COUNTY / NC
END LAT/LON: 34.9684 / -77.7115
SURVEY SUMMARY:
THE DAMAGE PATH STARTED JUST SOUTH OF NC HIGHWAY 41, TO THE WEST OF
CORNWALLIS ROAD. MULTIPLE SOFTWOOD TREES WERE SNAPPED, A HARD WOOD
TREE WAS UPROOTED, AND SOME MINOR DAMAGE OCCURED TO ONE HOME. AS THE
PATH CROSSED HIGHWAY 41, MORE TREE DAMAGE WAS FOUND CONSISTING OF
MULTIPLE PINE TREES SNAPPED AND SOME METAL ROOFING LIFTED UP ON A
FARM OUTBUILDING. THE MAXIMUM DAMAGE OCCURRED JUST NORTH OF HIGHWAY
41, WHERE A DETACHED TWO CAR GARAGE WAS LIFTED AND MOVED OFF THE
FOUNDATION COMPLETELY. THE GARAGE WAS ANCHORED BY TOE NAILING AND
REBAR/BOLTS. THE MAJORITY OF THE BOLTS WERE RIPPED OUT OF THE
CONCRETE. MORE SNAPPED HARDWOOD AND SOFTWOOD TREES WERE FOUND NEAR
THE GARAGE. ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE NEARBY HOME, A LARGE BRANCH WAS
EMBEDDED INTO THE ROOF, OPPOSITE OF THE STORM PATH. A NEARBY METAL
BUILDING WAS BENT SIDEWAYS, WITH 400 POUND METAL DOORS BEING BLOWN
AND RIPPED OFF. THESE DOORS LANDED EAST, OVER THE HOME. IT WAS AT
THE LOCATION OF THE DETACHED GARAGE THAT EF2 DAMAGE WAS FOUND, WITH
ESTIMATED TOP WINDS OF 115 MPH. THE WIND ESTIMATE WAS A BALANCE
BETWEEN THE IMPRESSIVE DAMAGE TO A WELL ANCHORED STRUCTURE (GARAGE),
BUT LITTLE TO NO DAMAGE TO THE NEARBY HOME.
THE PATH CONTINUED NORTHEAST ACROSS HIGHWAY 117. DAMAGE HERE
INCLUDED BENT OR LEANING POWER POLES, AND BROKEN WINDOWS AT A CHURCH
ALONG WITH TREE DAMAGE. WE WERE UNABLE TO DETERMINE IF THE WINDOWS
WERE BROKEN DUE TO WIND OR FLYING DEBRIS. THE PATH CONTINUED ACROSS
INTERSTATE 40, AND CONTINUED NORTHEAST PRODUCING DAMAGE TO MULTIPLE
FARMS, AND SNAPPING TREES. AS THE TORNADO CONTINUED NORTHEAST AND
CROSSED HIGHWAY 50, THE INTENSITY APPEARED TO INCREASE NEAR OR JUST
NORTH OF PASTURE BRANCH ROAD. IN ADDITION TO MORE SNAPPED TREES AND
DAMAGE TO MULTIPLE FARMS, AN ATTACHED GARAGE (VIA A BREEZEWAY) WAS
MOVED OFF ITS FOUNDATION AND DRAGGED A TRUCK THAT WAS PARKED BEHIND
IT. THE GARAGE WAS NOT ANCHORED BY TOE NAILING OR REBAR/BOLTS. TOP
WINDS HERE WERE ESTIMATED CLOSER TO 100 MPH DUE TO THE LACK OF
ANCHORING. NEARBY MULTIPLE HARDWOOD TREES WERE SNAPPED AT THE BASE.
A CONVERGENT DAMAGE PATTERN OF TREES, NARROW PATH, AND LEAF LITTER
WERE BLOWN OPPOSITE OF THE STORM PATH.
EF2 DAMAGE WAS FOUND BEHIND THIS HOUSE, WHERE A PIG FARM WAS
DESTROYED. A 1000 POUND PLUS FEED SILO ANCHORED INTO CONCRETE WITH
SIX BOLTS LIFTED OUT OF CONCRETE. NEARBY BARN HAD COMPLETE
DESTRUCTION. ANCHORING WAS TOE NAILED AND WHILE THE STRUCTURE HAD
REBAR AND BOLTS INTO THE FOUNDATION. THIS DID NOT EXTEND INTO THE
ENTIRE STRUCTURE, THEREFORE THE WIND SPEED WAS REDUCED. IT WAS AT
THIS LOCATION THE STRONGEST VELOCITY ROTATION WAS FOUND ON RADAR
WITH DEBRIS LOFTED UP TO APPROX 13,000 FEET TO 16,000 FEET.
AS THE PATH CONTINUED NORTHEAST TOWARD BEAULAVILLE, IT WAS ACROSS A
VAST SWAMPY AND WOODED AREA WHERE DAMAGE COULD NOT BE ACCESSED.
CLOSER TO BEULAVILLE, MORE SNAPPED TREES AND UPROOTED TREES WERE
FOUND ALONG CORN MILL ROAD, WHERE THE TORNADO MAY HAVE BRIEFLY
LIFTED FOR A TIME WITH ONLY MINOR DAMAGE FOUND IN BEAULAVILLE. THE
LAST KNOWN DAMAGE WAS NEAR POTTERS HILL WHERE SOME MINOR DAMAGE
OCCURRED TO A ROOF.
IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THE PATH OF THE TORNADO INDICATED IT MAY
HAVE BRIEFED LIFTED UP AT TIMES, AND MAY HAVE BEEN AN INCONSTANT
PATH ESPECIALLY NEAR BEULAVILLE TOWARD POTTERS HILL. THE MOST
CONSISTENT, CONCENTRATED DAMAGE WAS FOUND FROM WEST OF WALLACE,
NORTHEAST TO JUST WEST OF CHINQUAPIN.
A SPECIAL THANKS TO DUPLIN COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT FOR THEIR
HELP ON THIS SURVEY!
EF SCALE: THE ENHANCED FUJITA SCALE CLASSIFIES TORNADOES INTO THE
FOLLOWING CATEGORIES:
EF0.....65 TO 85 MPH
EF1.....86 TO 110 MPH
EF2.....111 TO 135 MPH
EF3.....136 TO 165 MPH
EF4.....166 TO 200 MPH
EF5.....>200 MPH
NOTE:
THE INFORMATION IN THIS STATEMENT IS PRELIMINARY AND SUBJECT TO
CHANGE PENDING FINAL REVIEW OF THE EVENT AND PUBLICATION IN
NWS STORM DATA.
MARTIN/HEDEN
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.
Main Text Page