Devastating storms tore through areas of eastern North Carolina beginning late night on February 15 and into the early morning of February 16. 

   For the past few months the areas of the nation have seen record levels of rain and horrible storms. Aftermath of the storms that trekked through the midwest left an impact on one east coast county. Brunswick county is located just south of Wilmington and spans down to the North and South Carolina border. A tornado at this level is completely unexpected for this area, because of the flat land and how close it is to the ocean. 

   The unexpected tornado formed and was only active for around 30 minutes, but left damage to be picked up for weeks to come. The tornado, which brought up to 160 mph winds, left 22 miles of damage in its wake. Many families woke up the morning of February 16 to horrible damage to their homes and the surrounding area. This tragic tornado left three people dead and many others injured. It touched down in Sunset Beach and eventually fizzled out by midnight. 

   Following the tornado Governor Roy Cooper visited the county to assess the damage and try to qualify for assistance and relief. He spoke with families whose homes were destroyed and with the local emergency management officials to come up with a recovery and clean up plan. While debris is still being picked up today, one can see that in just minutes, lives can change forever.