People across Eastern North Carolina are beginning the difficult task of cleanup Friday morning following a series of violent storms that swept through the region yesterday. From Onslow to Pamlico County, the scale of the destruction is becoming clear as daylight reveals leveled structures and widespread debris.
In Jacksonville, the American Legion Post 265 on Broadhurst Road was completely destroyed by powerful straight-line winds. Though the building was reduced to a total loss, officials confirmed it was unoccupied at the time. Similar devastation was seen in Pitt County near Bell Arthur, where the frame of a new home collapsed under the force of 65-mph wind gusts.
The focus now shifts to damage assessment. National Weather Service teams are scheduled to arrive in the Bayboro and Merritt areas of Pamlico County today. Their primary goal is to conduct ground surveys to determine if the intense destruction in those communities was caused by a confirmed tornado or straight-line winds.
Meanwhile, power restoration efforts are making steady progress across Eastern North Carolina following yesterday’s severe storms. While outages peaked at over 27,000 statewide, current reports indicate that numbers have significantly dropped as crews work through the debris.
The most heavily impacted areas remain in the eastern coastal and inland counties where wind damage was most severe:
- Pamlico County: ~1,012 customers currently without power (down from nearly 7,000 yesterday).
- Beaufort County: ~625 customers affected.
- Washington County: ~412 customers affected.
- Craven County: ~317 customers affected.
- Martin County: ~241 customers affected.
