A screengrab of an apparent tornado near Chadbourn in Columbus County, NC, from Kristopher Collins.
MOREHEAD CITY, N.C. — The National Weather Service in Morehead City has confirmed a tornado touched down briefly in Duplin County, North Carolina, Wednesday evening, and more may be confirmed by the weekend.
According to a 911 call from a witness, a tornado was on the ground near Teachey, North Carolina, at 5:05 PM. The caller went on to say a tree fell on a tractor-trailer near Highway 117. The Morehead City branch of the National Weather Service (NWS) issued a tornado warning for Duplin County from just before 5:00 to 5:45 PM Wednesday. While one tornado already makes for an active day, two other apparent tornadoes may have touched down in nearby Columbus and Bladen counties, as well.
Kristopher Collins caught strong rotation lowering from a cloud base in Columbus County, North Carolina, around the same time as the storm in Duplin County churned to its north. While no tornado has been confirmed yet from the NWS in Wilmington, a trained field crew has been sent out to confirm damage in both Columbus and neighboring Bladen counties.
Duplin County Sheriff Blake Wallace has confirmed that no injuries nor deaths have come to light in the aftermath of the storms. It is not believed any casualties in Columbus and Bladen have occurred, either.
