By WECT Staff | February 17, 2021 at 5:40 PM EST – Updated February 17 at 9:54 PM
BRUNSWICK COUNTY, N.C. (WECT) – Brunswick County Chairman Randy Thompson issued a state of emergency in the wake of the tornado that struck the Ocean Ridge Plantation community earlier this week.
Three people were killed, ten others were injured, and at least 60 properties were damaged or destroyed by the tornado that struck just before midnight Monday.
“I know that this is a difficult time for everybody because of this pandemic and then to have a storm of this magnitude on top of that just adds extra burdens to communities,” Cooper said during a media briefing after the tour.
“But what we’ve seen here already are people of faith, people who understand the importance of being good neighbors, and it’s been amazing to see people pull together. Our prayers do go to the families that lost loved ones. That’s a devastating situation, I know,” Cooper said.
Preliminary data from the National Weather Service indicated the tornado was a “high-end” EF-3 with estimated wind speeds of 160+ miles per hour, making it one of the strongest tornadoes to ever hit southeastern North Carolina.
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