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CLAREMONT, N.C. — A man died and four other people were injured after an EF-1 tornado hit a Claremont neighborhood on Tuesday, the National Weather Service confirmed. At least two of the victims were reported to be in critical condition.
The Catawba County Sheriff’s Office said it happened on Cindi Lane and Evening Drive off of Old Catawba Road, just south of Interstate 40. Deputies and first responders went from home to home searching for victims.
The tornado was on the ground for a short period of time around 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, the NWS said. Preliminary reports show it was a “high-end” EF-1 with winds that reached 110 mph.
Surveyors said it ended just on the other side of the Iredell County line. They’re still working to find out exactly where it began.
The man who died was identified as 39-year-old Dustin Ray Weaver. Officials are warning that a GoFundMe circulating for him will not benefit him or his family.
By Wednesday afternoon, only one of the four hospitalized victims remained in the hospital. The other three were discharged with minor injuries.
“It looks like classic tornado damage,” said Maj. Aaron Turk. “We have some houses that have no damage at all, and the next house is completely destroyed.”
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Family members and friends said the man who died was in his 30s and was trying to protect his pregnant girlfriend when the storm hit.
“He was protecting his girlfriend and the baby and he didn’t make it,” said his sister-in-law Cassandra Perrigan.
“It’s so sad. Lives lost, people you grew up with, people you’ve loved,” friend Serena Carver said. “It’s sad.”
Daniel Birtken said he was friends with the man who died.
“It’s funny because we were working on my car at 4 o’clock this morning. He was out here with me,” Birtken said. “It was raining and everything.”
“That spirit of doing as much as he could to help people couldn’t have been truer than when the storm hit,” Birtken said.
“He laid on top of his pregnant girlfriend to save her and the baby,” Birtken said.
It’s not yet clear what happened that led to the man’s death, but Birtken described hearing something horrifying.
“She heard glass breaking and she heard a big boom,” Birtken said. “(She) said the power went out. She said it was terrifying.”
‘The good Lord seemed fit for us to stay alive’
Multiple homes were destroyed. Channel 9′s Dave Faherty spoke to Leigh Wimbley and his wife, Wanda, who showed him what’s left of their home. Much of the roof came off as the couple tried to save themselves when the storm hit around lunchtime Tuesday.
“I heard the winds, the strong winds blowing and I said ‘Leigh let’s go for the closet.’ We went to go in the closet and the door blew off,” Wanda said.
“The good Lord seemed fit for us to stay alive and that’s what I’m thankful for,” Leigh said.
Neighbors said rain began falling early that morning and then the wind suddenly picked up.
“There was no sirens. There was nothing on the phones, nothing. If we didn’t hear it, we wouldn’t have known it was coming,” Casandra Perrigan said. “I screamed for my kids and threw them in a bathtub and got on top of them. I didn’t know what else to do.”
Faherty could see the tops of trees were twisted in a way that was consistent with tornado damage.
“This mobile home was about 100 feet back that way,” Robert Robinette said.
He says he lost his carport in the storm. He went to check on his friends after it blew over.
“It’s something you would see on TV. It’s terrible,” he said. “What can I say? It’s absolutely terrible. I hope everybody is OK.”
Aftermath
The National Weather Service will survey the area to see if a tornado hit.
About 30 people have been displaced, county officials said.
Neighbors said they saw what they believe was a funnel cloud and a tornado touching down, lifting sone of the mobile homes off the ground.
Severe Weather Center 9 Meteorologist Keith Monday says the storm was packing some very strong winds. It was coming out of Burke County, where reports of several trees down came in just after 12 p.m. There was no Severe Thunderstorm Warning, though.
Radar wind estimates continued to show very strong winds as the line moved into Catawba County. A review of radar wind velocities shows very brief rotation right over Claremont at 12:29 p.m. and within a minute or two, it was gone.
This storm was well north of the Tornado Watch area. Instability in that area was nearly non-existent
Those last two factors are likely the main reasons why the storm was not warned on, Monday says. It happened so quickly and was not in an area where tornadic development was necessarily expected.
Help available
The American Red Cross is helping residents at a temporary shelter that was set up at Mount Calvary Lutheran Church at 3180 West Main St. in Claremont. It’s open for those who have been relocated due to the storm. There are cots, blankets, restrooms, and food.
“The American Red Cross is closely monitoring today’s severe weather,” said Rebecca Pittman, North Carolina regional disaster officer. “We are partnering with local and state emergency response officials. Across the state, we stand ready to support impacted communities with disaster-trained volunteer teams. We encourage all to remain weather aware and heed official warnings and notices from emergency response officials.”
Residents seeking shelter at Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church are advised to bring the following:
- Medications and related medical supplies
- Personal care items (toothbrush, toothpaste, etc.)
- A change of clothes
- Food if you have special food needs
- A pillow and blanket if you prefer to use your own
For questions about the shelter’s accommodations, call 828-465-8355.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
(WATCH BELOW: Tree falls on home in north Charlotte)
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