Tornadoes in North Carolina, October 1, 2012

Name: Tornadoes in North Carolina, October 1, 2012
Start: 2012-10-01T16:22
End: 2012-10-01T17:30
Location: North Carolina

October 1, 2012 · NWS ILM · 4 events in 2 counties and zones

Thunderstorms developed along the wedge front and began to rotate along the west edge of the boundary. Cells exhibited strong rotation in the mid-levels and pronounced hook echoes.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $21,000
Crop damage: $500
Events: 4

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS ILM wrote it up.

Thunderstorms developed along the wedge front and began to rotate along the west edge of the boundary. Cells exhibited strong rotation in the mid-levels and pronounced hook echoes. The lack of significant low-level instability helped to limit the extent of observed damage on the ground.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Wilmington, NC wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Oct 1, 2:59 PM EST, 1 hour 23 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Oct 1, 2:59 PM EST, 1 hour 23 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Oct 1, 3:31 PM EST, 51 minutes before

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In the hours before

Local storm report, Oct 1, 2:16 PM EST, 2 hours 6 minutes before

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Special weather statement, Oct 1, 2:22 PM EST, 2 hours before

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Special weather statement, Oct 1, 4:15 PM EST, 7 minutes before

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The radar

The Wilmington radar (KLTX), 40 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:22 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

4 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.

Tornado, Columbus

When: October 1, 4:22 PM EST to 4:23 PM EST
Where: Columbus County, 0.68 mi NW of Artesia to 0.85 mi NNW of Artesia
Rating: EF0
Path length: 0.31 mi
Path width: 30 yd
Property damage: $4,000
Crop damage: $500
Reported by: NWS Storm Survey
Coordinates: 34.328, -78.577

A National Weather Service Storm Survey Team concluded an EF0 tornado briefly touched down and caused minor damage to a corn field. The tornado moved north-northeast of the field and knocked down several trees. Some of the fallen trees damaged a fence. The tornado lifted prior to reaching Highway 74. The maximum wind speed was estimated to 65 mph. The path length was just shy of a third of a mile and the maximum path width was 30 yards.

Tornado, Bladen

When: October 1, 4:58 PM EST to 4:59 PM EST
Where: Bladen County, 0.63 mi SSW of Council to 0.52 mi S of Council
Rating: EF0
Path length: 0.14 mi
Path width: 20 yd
Property damage: $3,000
Reported by: NWS Storm Survey
Coordinates: 34.411, -78.472

A National Weather Service Storm Survey Team concluded an EF0 tornado briefly touched down, moving across Elwell Ferry Road, south of Highway 211. Tree damage was observed. One of the trees snapped and fell across power lines and onto the road causing local power outages. Debris was strewn across a field on the east side of the road where the tornado quickly dissipated. The maximum wind speed was estimated to 60 mph. The path length was just over a tenth of a mile and the maximum path width was 20 yards.

Tornado, Columbus

When: October 1, 5:15 PM EST to 5:24 PM EST
Where: Columbus County, 3.51 mi SSW of Boardman to 1.78 mi SW of Boardman
Rating: EF0
Path length: 2.08 mi
Path width: 25 yd
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: NWS Storm Survey
Coordinates: 34.381, -78.945

A National Weather Service Storm Survey Team concluded an EF0 tornado touched down in a wooded area near Bud Stephens Road and north of Princess Ann Road. A few trees were snapped or uprooted in this area. The tornado crossed Bud Stephens Road and moved into an area dominated by a mix of fields and forest. Damage was observed to trees on the west side of Bud Stephens Road, but access in this area was limited. The tornado then moved across Edmund Road, causing some tree damage. Three poorly constructed sheds located behind a house on the east side of Macedonia Church Road sustained damage. The tornado then crossed Macedonia Church Road and dissipated. The maximum wind speed was estimated to 75 mph. The path length was just over 2 miles and the maximum path width was 25 yards.

Tornado, Bladen

When: October 1, 5:18 PM EST to 5:30 PM EST
Where: Bladen County, 2.04 mi ENE of Council to 4.1 mi W of Kelly
Rating: EF0
Path length: 2.87 mi
Path width: 20 yd
Property damage: $4,000
Reported by: NWS Storm Survey
Coordinates: 34.436, -78.440

A National Weather Service Storm Survey Team concluded an EF0 tornado caused spotty tree damage from near the intersection of Elwell Ferry Road and Baltimore Road to Flake Road. Large limbs were observed down near the intersection of Elwell Ferry Road and Highway 87 and near the intersection of Grimsley Road and Elwell Ferry Road. The maximum wind speed was estimated to 60 mph. The path length was just shy of 3 miles and the maximum path width was 20 yards.

What these are

Tornado: A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in North Carolina in 2012 Every state in 2012 This day in weather history The tornado archive for North Carolina, 2012 Warnings in North Carolina, October 2012

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 415016, 415028, 415077, 415067.