837
NOUS42 KILM 120051
PNSILM
NCZ087-096-099-105>110-SCZ017-023-024-032-033-039-054>056-058-059-
121300-
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC
851 PM EDT SUN OCT 11 2026
..NWS DAMAGE SURVEY FOR 10/11/2026 TORNADO EVENT
EAST ARCADIA TORNADO
RATING: EF-0
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 75 MPH
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 1.68 MILES
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: 235 YARDS
FATALITIES: 0
INJURIES: 0
START DATE: 10/11/2026
START TIME: 12:54 PM EDT
START LOCATION: 1 SW EAST ARCADIA / BLADEN COUNTY / NC
START LAT/LON: 34.3718, -78.3429
END DATE: 10/11/2026
END TIME: 12:58 PM EDT
END LOCATION: 1 N EAST ARCADIA / BLADEN COUNTY / NC
END LAT/LON: 34.3929, -78.3285
SURVEY SUMMARY:
DAMAGE BEGAN NEAR EAST ARCADIA ROAD AND OLD LAKE ROAD IN BLADEN
COUNTY. SEVERAL LARGE TREES HAD BEEN SNAPPED OR UPROOTED AT THIS
LOCATION. THE DAMAGE OCCURRED TO A MIX OF SOFTWOOD AND HARDWOOD
TREES. LIMBS AND OTHER DEBRIS WERE SCATTERED THROUGHOUT A
RESIDENT'S FRONT YARD AND A NEARBY FIELD. ALONG EAST ARCADIA ROAD,
LARGE HARDWOOD LIMBS HAD BEEN DOWNED NEAR THE ROADWAY. THE DAMAGE
IN THIS AREA WAS FACING NORTHWEST AND PERSONAL ACCOUNTS INDICATED
THAT THE TORNADO HAD BEEN OBSERVED AND REMAINED NORTHWEST OF THE
RESIDENT'S HOME. THIS DAMAGE WAS LIKELY DUE TO STRONG INFLOW AHEAD
OF THE CIRCULATION.
TO THE NORTHEAST, A LARGE PINE TREE HAD BEEN KNOCKED DOWN ALONG
KENNEDY ROAD NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF EAST ARCADIA ROAD. THE
DAMAGE AT THIS LOCATION WAS FACING NORTHEAST AND WAS CONSISTENT
WITH THE DIRECTION OF THE TORNADO ON RADAR. A LARGE AMOUNT OF TREE
DEBRIS WAS ALSO OBSERVED IN THE AREA. ADDITIONAL SOFTWOOD AND
HARDWOOD TREE DEBRIS WAS OBSERVED ALONG SMITH ROAD WITH TREE LIMBS
AND DOWNED TREES PROVIDING CONFIDENCE IN THE PATH. THIS TREE
DEBRIS WAS USED TO ESTIMATE THE PATH WIDTH. PERSONAL ACCOUNTS AND
DAMAGE INDICATORS CONFIRMED THAT THIS WAS A WEAK, BUT BROAD
TORNADO.
THE MOST SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE WAS OBSERVED ALONG GRAHAM ROAD NEAR A
TURF FIELD. SEVERAL LARGE SOFTWOOD TREES HAD BEEN DOWNED WITH
LARGE LIMBS SNAPPED. A FEW SMALLER HARDWOOD TREES ALSO SUSTAINED
DAMAGE. DEBRIS WAS SCATTERED IN A SINGLE DIRECTION ACROSS THE
FIELD FROM THE TREE LINE TOWARD THE NORTHEAST FOR APPROXIMATELY
150 YARDS. A RESIDENT SHARED VIDEO OF THE TORNADO AS IT MOVED
THROUGH THE FIELD. THE CIRCULATION WAS OBVIOUS ON VIDEO AND DEBRIS
COULD BE SEEN FLYING IN MULTIPLE DIRECTIONS. CONSISTENT WITH
PERSONAL ACCOUNTS FROM OTHER LOCATIONS, THE CIRCULATION WAS BROAD
AND WEAK. THE TIME AND LOCATION IS CONSISTENT WITH A TORNADO
DEBRIS SIGNATURE ON RADAR. THIS WAS THE END OF THE TORNADO'S PATH.
NO ADDITIONAL DAMAGE WAS OBSERVED TO THE NORTHEAST BEYOND THIS
POINT. DAMAGE INDICATORS AND PUBLIC ACCOUNTS CONFIRM THAT THE
TORNADO LIFTED, CROSSING THE CAPE FEAR RIVER. THE SURVEY TEAM
OBSERVED A FEW DOWNED TREES ALONG SALT MARSH ROAD, BUT MANY OF
THESE TREES WERE UNHEALTHY OR ROTTED. IT WAS DECIDED NOT TO
INCLUDE THIS AS PART OF THE DAMAGE PATH DUE TO THE ISOLATED NATURE
OF THE DAMAGE AND POOR HEALTH OF THE DOWNED TREES. RADAR ALSO
SUPPORTS A WEAKENING CIRCULATION AT THIS POINT.
A REPORT WAS RECEIVED FROM ATKINSON, NC AROUND 1:30 PM STATING
THAT THE TORNADO HAD BEEN SPOTTED, PASSING NEAR THE TOWN. THE
SURVEY TEAM SEARCHED THE AREA FOR DAMAGE, BUT NONE WAS FOUND. THE
TEAM ALSO CONTACTED EMERGENCY SERVICES PERSONNEL WHICH CONFIRMED
THAT NO EMERGENCY SERVICES HAD BEEN REQUESTED AND THAT THERE WAS
NO KNOWN DAMAGE. IT IS LIKELY, BASED ON RADAR SIGNATURES AND
VISUAL REPORTS, THAT THE CIRCULATION COULD BE SEEN AS IT CONTINUED
INTO NORTHWESTERN PENDER COUNTY, BUT REMAINED BROAD AND ELEVATED.
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.
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