This week marks the “10th Anniversary†of the greatest one-day tornado outbreak in North Carolina history. Thirty confirmed tornadoes occurred that day, the greatest one-day total for North Carolina on record. A total of twenty-four individuals lost their lives across the State that day. Thirteen of the tornadoes were classified as strong (EF-2 or greater), with several hitting highly-populated areas. The North Carolina Department of Crime Control and Public Safety (now the North Carolina Department of Public Safety) reported that over 900 homes and businesses were destroyed and more than 6,400 were damaged across the state. Total structural damage in Central North Carolina was estimated at $328,610,000. The “Sanford-Raleigh Tornado†produced $172,075,000 in damage alone and the “Fayetteville-Smithfield Tornado†produced $116,100,000 in damage. For a detailed account of this tornado outbreak; go to Raleigh National Weather Service Forecast Office (at https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/cc0b50ef19334d3b9d540fb3868ee2fe). I’m sure that you will find this interactive “StoryMap†interesting, as it looks back at the science and story behind this outbreak and how it unfolded.
10th Anniversary of Tornado Outbreak
February 16, 2021–At the first board meeting of 2021, officers were elected from among the board members. Officers for 2021 are:
- Greg Lentz, President
- Laura Block, Vice-President
- Robert Moore, Secretary
- Jere Snyder, Treasurer
Jan 26, 2021-New board members elected. Three officers, Gihan Ahmed, Robert Moore, and Roland Whitley, were elected to the NC VOAD board for three year terms ending in 2024. Jere Snyder was elected to fill a vacant position expiring in 2022.