WILMINGTON — A tornado ripped through North Carolina's Brunswick County, killing at least three people and injuring 10 others in its trail of destruction, authorities said.
Search and rescue teams are working to help find people trapped or missing after a tornado struck overnight, damaging homes in Brunswick County, North Carolina. https://t.co/J1PSLYBaSE pic.twitter.com/8bNDFrvEd5
— ABC News (@ABC) February 16, 2021
The tornado hit just after midnight Tuesday in southeastern Brunswick County near Grissettown in the Ocean Ridge Plantation Community, destroying homes, downing powerlines that left thousands without electricity and snapping trees in half, news outlets reported.
“It’s something like I have never seen before. A lot of destruction. It’s going to be a long recovery process,” Brunswick County Sheriff John Ingram said at a press conference early Tuesday.
Brunswick County Emergency Management said people were trapped in homes.
Ingram said searches for missing people were underway and will increase during the day. He's asked people to avoid the area while crews work to clear the streets and search for victims.
The Wilmington Fire Department tweeted that it would send teams to help find people missing after the tornado.
A damaged vehicle is seen among debris after a deadly tornado tore through Brunswick County, N.C., Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021. North Carolina authorities say multiple people are dead and others were injured after a tornado ripped through Brunswick County, leaving a trail of heavy destruction. (Emily Flax/Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office via AP)
Damaged vehicles sit among debris after a deadly tornado tore through Brunswick County, N.C., Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021. North Carolina authorities say multiple people are dead and others were injured after a tornado ripped through Brunswick County, leaving a trail of heavy destruction. (Emily Flax/Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office via AP)
Firefighters respond to a site after a deadly tornado tore through Brunswick County, N.C., Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021. North Carolina authorities say multiple people are dead and others were injured after a tornado ripped through Brunswick County, leaving a trail of heavy destruction. (Emily Flax/Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office via AP)
A State Trooper blocks an intersection as emergency crews gather at a staging area near Sunset Beach, N.C. Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021. North Carolina authorities say multiple people are dead and others were injured after a tornado ripped through Brunswick County, leaving a trail of heavy destruction. (Ken Blevins /The Star-News via AP)
Emergency crews gather at a staging area near Sunset Beach, N.C., Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021. North Carolina authorities say multiple people are dead and others were injured after a tornado ripped through Brunswick County, leaving a trail of heavy destruction. (Ken Blevins /The Star-News via AP)
Emergency crews gather at a staging area near Sunset Beach, N.C. Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021. North Carolina authorities say multiple people are dead and others were injured after a tornado ripped through Brunswick County, leaving a trail of heavy destruction. (Ken Blevins /The Star-News via AP)
Emergency crews gather at a staging area near Sunset Beach, N.C. Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021. North Carolina authorities say multiple people are dead and others were injured after a tornado ripped through Brunswick County, leaving a trail of heavy destruction. (Ken Blevins /The Star-News via AP)
Emergency crews gather at a staging area near Sunset Beach, N.C. Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021. North Carolina authorities say multiple people are dead and others were injured after a tornado ripped through Brunswick County, leaving a trail of heavy destruction. (Ken Blevins /The Star-News via AP)
Fallen trees litter the ground after a tornado tore through a residential area of Brunswick County, N.C., Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021, killing multiple people and injuring others in its trail of destruction. (James Lee/The News & Observer via AP)
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