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KENLY Authorities think a single tornado hop-scotching through northern Johnston and southwestern Wilson counties was responsible for the middle-of-the night destruction of 16 homes and deaths of two people, Gov. Mike Easley said today.
The tornado was clocked at 140 mph in Wilson County and 135 mph just outside Kenly in Johnston County, Easley said after a helicopter tour in which he viewed piles of rubble where homes once stood. He said he viewed the damage from the air, rather than the ground, to avoid interfering with emergency workers.
Seeing the chaos from that level, he said, "you're amazed that there were not more injuries."
Assessment teams expect to know the extent of the damage this afternoon. Easley said he doubted the damage would be widespread enough to warrant a federal disaster declaration, though he expects state assistance will be available to those in need.
In Johnston County, where the tornado lingered on the ground for 10 minutes, more than 40 homes were damaged, including nine that were destroyed. In Wilson County, 26 homes were damaged, including seven that were total losses.
An estimated 100 to 120 people were displaced by the storm, according to the Red Cross. Most have found temporary shelter with family or friends, and a few are in motels.
Authorities urged people who want to make donations for storm victims -- including the families of Joshua Wiggins and Maryland Gomez -- to do so through the American Red Cross. Joshua, 11, died in his grandparents' home in Elm City; Gomez, 61, was found dead in her mobile home near Kenly.
The Red Cross in Wilson County can be reached at 252-237-2171.
A series of small tornadoes might have been responsible for the damage early Saturday, Easley said, but it seemed more likely that it was "a touchdown of one that hopped and jumped about as it made its way up through the two counties."
Easley urged people to obtain NOAA weather radios, particularly if they live in rural areas that are vulnerable to tornadoes. But he acknowledged the difficulty of persuading people to do so.
"Nobody thinks about having one of these radios until they see the tornado watch, and then you can't hurry on down and pick one up," he said.
