North Carolina EF3 tornado injures 15 people during Helene

Helene sparks discussion in Congress about disaster aid

FEMA has enough resources to support relief efforts for Hurricane Helene, according to FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell. However, Congress went into recess without approving more federal funding for disaster aid in the latest spending bill. FOX News Senior Congressional Correspondent Chad Pergram reports. Sept. 28, 2024.

ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. – A tornado that was only on the ground for the length of about five football fields destroyed vehicles and heavily damaged buildings in a North Carolina community along I-95 on Friday.

The National Weather Service office in Raleigh said the twister occurred around 1:30 p.m. and was estimated to have winds of 140 mph when it rolled through the city of Rocky Mount.

"While the path was short, the damage was intense, as all but one of the masonry exterior walls was blown over at an auto repair shop, and another nearby brick building was completely leveled with none of the walls left standing. Many of the surrounding buildings were damaged from brick and masonry blocks that were picked up and thrown into the walls and windows of the nearby buildings. Dozens of vehicles, including several large trucks, were picked up and tossed around," NWS meteorologists said.

After the event, 15 people were confirmed to be injured, with at least four suffering from serious injuries and were being treated at a local medical center.

DEATH TOLL RISES AS HELENE UNLEASHES CATASTROPHIC FLOODING ACROSS SOUTHEAST, KNOCKS OUT POWER TO MILLIONS

The supercell that produced the tornado was associated with the remnants of Hurricane Helene, which made landfall along Florida’s Big Bend on Thursday as a Category 4.

Sustained winds in the hurricane were estimated by aircraft to be around 140 mph, but due to the cyclone’s forward speed, it produced widespread impacts from the Sunshine State through the Tennessee and Ohio valleys.

The Storm Prediction Center received initial reports of more than a dozen twisters, which are common during landfalling cyclones along the Gulf Coast.

Rocky Mount, North Carolina tornado

(FOX Weather)

Most sightings of tornadoes from Helene occurred in the Carolinas, where dozens of warnings were issued during the workweek as bands rotated around the hurricane.

According to damage surveys, the strongest tornado from the hurricane was the event that impacted Rocky Mount, as it was determined to be an EF3 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale.

The scale runs from an EF0, which is the weakest form of a tornado, to an EF5 that has winds of greater than 200 mph.

Following the EF3, Rocky Mount’s mayor declared a local state of emergency and pledged to rebuild following the disaster.

A tornado is assigned a rating from 0 to 5 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale to estimate its intensity in terms of damage and destruction caused along the twister’s path.

(FOX Weather)

INTERSTATE 40 PARTIALLY COLLAPSES AFTER CATASTROPHIC RAINS IN NORTH CAROLINA

In addition to tornadoes, flooding was deemed catastrophic in western parts of the Tar Heel State.

The combination of feet of water, landslides, and other debris caused significant damage to infrastructure, including Interstate 40 around the North Carolina-Tennessee border.

A portion of a major interstate was washed out during catastrophic flooding, with officials unsure when the highway will reopen.

At least 50 people were killed during the disaster, but governors in at least two southern states warn the damage figures will rise in the coming days.

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Swollen river pours over Tennessee's Nolichucky River Dam.

The swollen Nolichucky River sweeps over a dam in eastern Tennessee after 1-2 feet of rain fell in the nearby mountains. (Video courtesy: Tennessee Valley Authority)