A tornado hit parts of Brunswick County, in southeastern North Carolina, just after midnight, killing at least three people, wounding at least ten more and leaving other prisoners in their homes, officials said. The county sheriff’s office classified the damage to many homes as “devastating”, especially in the Ocean Ridge Plantation area. Authorities said at least 50 houses were affected.
The twister also cut power lines, reports CBS Wilmington, a North Carolina WWAY-TV affiliate. There was no word on how many people were arrested.
The station said that first aid was going from house to house at Ocean Ridge Plantation. Some houses were uprooted from their foundations. Many trees were broken in half.
Brunswick County Sheriff John Ingram said at a news conference on Tuesday that the scene is “something I have never seen before. A lot of destruction. It will be a long process of recovery.”
The National Weather Service in Wilmington issued a tornado alert on Monday night, then said that a tornado was confirmed near Honey Island, according to WWAY.
The weather service posted news of some damage on Twitter:
Brunswick County Emergency Management said people were trapped in homes.
The Wilmington Fire Department also accessed Twitter:
At 1 am, the Leland Fire Department posted on Facebook that their units were providing mutual assistance to the Ocean Isle Beach department to assist with rescue operations.
“Stay home and away from the area,” wrote the department.
Brunswick Electric Membership Corporation said thousands of homes and businesses have lost energy.