Severe weather in February is not unusual for North Carolina. The state can see severe thunderstorms and even tornadoes any month of the year.

But what made Monday evening's tornado in Brunswick County so unusual was that it was a strong tornado, an EF3 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale. A very strong tornado can happen any time of the year, but it's a rare occurrence for North Carolina in February.

What You Need To Know

  • The Brunswick County tornado was a "high-end" EF3 tornado

  • Severe weather does occur in North Carolina during the winter season, but odds are lower than any other season

  • Between 1991 and 2010, no EF3 tornadoes occurred in North Carolina in February

On Tuesday afternoon, the National Weather Service in Wilmington rated Monday's tornado as an EF3 with estimated winds of 160 mph. This makes the tornado as a "high-end" EF3.

The wind speed range for an EF3 tornado is between 136 mph and 165 mph. That means this tornado was just short of being an EF4.

The EF Scale

So what is the "EF Scale"?

Meteorologists use the "Enhanced Fujita Scale" to rate a tornado's strength based on the damage it causes.

The scale ranges from EF0, the "weakest," to EF5, the strongest. An EF5 tornado packs winds over 200 mph. At this time, no EF5 tornado has ever been recorded in North Carolina.

Based on a search from the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information database, North Carolina has had 27 EF4 tornadoes in North Carolina and 56 EF3 tornadoes since 1950.

But only three EF3 tornadoes have ever occurred in North Carolina during February: the one on Monday evening and two that took place on February 22, 1971.

The tornadoes in February 1971 tracked across Cumberland and Sampson Counties, causing two fatalities and 60 injuries.

Statistically speaking, the odds of a tornado in February in North Carolina are extremely low. Between 1991 and 2010, North Carolina averaged zero tornadoes during February.

 

Monday night's storm is a tragic reminder that we all need to be ready to put our severe weather plan in action 12 months out of the year and 24 hours a day.

Knowing what to do and where to go before a storm strikes is your best plan to stay safe.