Tornado and Damaging Wind in North Carolina, September 29, 1999

Thunderstorms during the early evening of the 29th produced damaging winds, damaging lightning, and spawned a tornado.Thunderstorm winds downed several trees 3.5 miles northeast of Mt Airy.Lightning struck a house, starting a fire that caused major damage.A thunderstorm spawned a tornado 3.5 miles northeast of Mt Airy in Surry County at 1720 EST. The tornado was periodically on the ground for about 2 miles, before dissipating 5.5 miles northeast of Mt Airy. The average width of the tornado was 40 yards wide, with a maximum width of 70 yards wide. The tornado destroyed a mobile home, a large carport and associated garage, damaged or destroyed several out buildings, tore a portion of a roof off of a house, caused minor damage to several other homes, killed several chickens, uprooted numerous trees, knocked down power poles and power lines, and broke off large tree limbs. Some of the debris from the tornado was carried up to 2 miles downstream. Wooden attic stairs, that likely weighed in excess of 80 pounds, were carried about a quarter of a mile downstream. Maximum winds were estimated to be from 100 to 110 miles an hour.