Tornado Leaves Trail of Damage in Union County

UNION COUNTY, NC – The National Weather Service confirms an EF-0 tornado touched down in southern Union County Monday night near Jug Broome Road.

Neighbors say it came out of nowhere and took only seconds to leave behind a trail of damage.

“It was very sudden. I actually didn’t expect it at all,” says neighbor Melissa Burton.

Her driveway was left blocked by huge trees that snapped like twigs after the tornado tore through her yard.

“Within 40 seconds it was here and gone. I mean, just within seconds,” she says.

Behind her home, her swimming pool is gone and the dog house is missing. But Burton and her three kids are safe.

“I’m grateful, very grateful, because it could have been so much worse,” she says.

According to the National Weather Service, the tornado touched down three miles north-northeast of Trinity. It traveled almost a mile with wind speeds up to 85 miles per hour. Fortunately, no one was hurt.

Warren Couick says he and his dog hid in the closet. The tornado came across the field and just missed his house.

“We were very lucky. The Lord was looking after us, for sure,” Couick says.

Next door, the light of day revealed more damage than Peggy Davis realized.

“Oh, I seen all the devastation. I didn’t know happened last night,” she says.

The remnants of her shed are tangled up in the woods.

Meteorologists with the National Weather Service spent hours surveying the damage. They say this type of storm is difficult to predict.

“Here one minute. And then honestly, you know, almost a few minutes later, gone. That’s how quickly it can happen,” says Meteorologist Tony Sturey.