Tornado touched down in Wilmington early Sunday, NWS says

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — The National Weather Service has confirmed that a tornado touched down early Sunday morning in the Kings Grant area of Wilmington.

The tornado was rated EF0, the weakest rating on the Enhanced Fujita scale, with estimated peak winds of 70 miles per hour. According to the NWS damage survey, the tornado was on the ground for approximately four minutes, traveling a path of 1.68 miles and reaching a maximum width of 30 yards.

No injuries or fatalities were reported.

The tornado first touched down around 4:27 a.m. just west of Smith Creek in New Hanover County. It moved northwest through the Kings Grant subdivision before crossing North Kerr Road near a truck rental business. From there, the storm continued across the northeastern portion of Wilmington International Airport before lifting in a wooded area north of Acorn Branch Road at approximately 4:31 a.m.

WWAY crews visited several locations along the tornado’s path on Sunday. On Cornelius Moore Avenue near Acorn Branch Road, a family living at the start of the street reported hearing strong winds overnight, along with a brief power outage. The family said Duke Energy crews were in the area around 10 a.m. to assess the power situation.

Another family, checking on a nearby farm property they own but do not reside on, said their equipment was unharmed but several structures sustained damage.

Along Blue Clay Road, near Wilmington International Airport, downed trees, scattered debris, and standing water were observed.