ABUS34 KMHX 162218
PNSMHX
NCZ029-044>047-079>081-090>095-098-103-104-170116-

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEWPORT/MOREHEAD CITY NC
615 PM EDT FRI APR 16 1999

...PRELIMINARY SURVEYS SHOW AT LEAST TWO TORNADO TOUCHDOWNS IN
EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA...

ON THE NIGHT OF APRIL 15 1999 AT LEAST TWO TORNADO TOUCHDOWNS
CAN BE CONFIRMED BY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PERSONNEL. ONE TORNADO
TOUCHED DOWN IN DUPLIN COUNTY ABOUT A HALF MILE SOUTH OF KENANSVILLE.
THE TORNADO TRACKED EAST NORTHEAST BETWEEN PINK HILL AND BEULAVILLE
AND JUST TO THE NORTH OF POTTERS HILL BEFORE ENTERING JONES COUNTY.
ONCE IN JONES COUNTY THE TORNADO PASSED JUST NORTH OF HARGETTS
CROSSROADS AND TRACKED NORTH OF ROUTE 41...ENDING NEAR THE
INTERSECTION OF ROUTES 58 AND 41. IN TOTAL...THE TORNADO TRACK
COVERED NEARLY 30 MILES AND RANGED BETWEEN A HALF MILE TO AROUND
ONE MILE WIDE IN SOME PLACES.  HUNDREDS OF TREES WERE KNOCKED
DOWN TAKING POWER LINES WITH THEM.  NUMEROUS MOBILE HOMES SUFFERED
SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE OR WERE DESTROYED. MANY WEAKER STORAGE SHEDS WERE
ALSO DESTROYED AND CARS WERE FLIPPED. A FEW STRONGER PERMANENT
STRUCTURES ALSO SUFFERED ROOF AND STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. PRELIMINARY
DAMAGE ESTIMATES WOULD PLACE THIS TORNADO AS AN F2 ON THE FUJITA
SCALE AT ITS PEAK WITH WIND SPEEDS BETWEEN 113 AND 157 MPH.

THE SECOND CONFIRMED TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN ABOUT A MILE SOUTH OF
RICHLANDS IN DUPLIN COUNTY. THE TORNADO WAS ABOUT A QUARTER MILE WIDE
AND TRACKED FOR ABOUT A HALF MILE ALONG GUM BRANCH ROAD. A FEW LARGE
STORAGE SHEDS SUFFERED DAMAGE AND NUMEROUS TREES WERE DOWNED...SOME
DAMAGING HOMES AND MOBILE HOMES. A FEW STRONGER BUILDINGS ALSO
SUFFERED SOME STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. PRELIMINARY DAMAGE ESTIMATES
WOULD PLACE THIS AS AN F1 ON THE FUJITA SCALE WITH WIND SPEEDS
BETWEEN 73 AND 112 MPH.

RADAR INDICATED THAT SEVERAL OTHER TORNADOES TOUCHED DOWN INCLUDING
ONE NEAR BRIDGETON...ONE DOWNEAST FROM DAVIS TO ATLANTIC AND ONE ON
THE OUTER BANKS NEAR FRISCO.  FIELD SURVEYS WILL BE CONDUCTED ON
MONDAY.

RB/TK




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