Triangle: NWS confirms EF-1 tornadoes in northeast Raleigh and near Louisburg

Confirmed

• The National Weather Service in Raleigh confirmed an EF-1 tornado in northeast Raleigh on Sunday. The survey said it touched down in the Stone Ridge neighborhood, just south of Interstate 540, and moved north into the Neuse Crossing neighborhood on a discontinuous path of tree and structural damage. It lifted near Mitchell Mill Road. The office listed a path of 2.51 miles, a peak width of 150 yards, and a time on the ground from 1:12 to 1:17 p.m. Sunday, about five minutes. Wake County Emergency Management helped with the survey.Confirmed by National Weather Service Raleigh public information statement, 4:07 p.m. Oct. 12
• The same office confirmed an EF-0 tornado in Clayton. The survey said the tornado followed a discontinuous path of about 3.2 to 3.33 miles from 1 mile east-southeast of Clayton to 3 miles northeast of Clayton, touching down and lifting several times between 1:15 and 1:22 p.m. Sunday. Damage included snapped and uprooted trees, minor shingle and roof damage, blown-over fences, snapped power poles, and patio furniture and signage damaged at a service station at the intersection the office listed as Highway 36 and Highway 70 in Clayton. Peak wind was listed at 85 mph.Confirmed by National Weather Service Raleigh public information statement, 4:53 p.m. Oct. 12
• Surveyors confirmed an EF-1 tornado southwest of Louisburg, with peak wind listed at 110 mph. It touched down 4 miles southwest of Louisburg at 1:42 p.m. Sunday, crossed N.C. 56 just west of Timberlake Road, and lifted 2 miles west-southwest of Louisburg at 1:47 p.m. The office listed a path of 1.93 miles and a peak width of 130 yards. Damage was mostly to trees, with some structural and fencing damage. Franklin County Emergency Management and the Franklin County Sheriff's Office helped with the survey.Confirmed by National Weather Service Raleigh public information statement, 6:15 p.m. Oct. 12
• A very short-lived EF-0 tornado was confirmed in southern Sampson County near Harrells. The survey said it crossed U.S. 421 between Matthews Road and Willard Road, about 3 miles southeast of Harrells, at 1:25 p.m. Sunday. The path was 0.18 miles wide at 30 yards, and a local storm report said it was on the ground about one minute. Peak wind in the statement was listed at 75 mph, with the write-up calling it a high-end EF-0 around 75 to 80 mph.Confirmed by National Weather Service Raleigh public information statement, 1:38 p.m. Oct. 12, and local storm report, 1:41 p.m. Oct. 12
• The four finished surveys each listed no fatalities and no injuries.Confirmed by National Weather Service Raleigh public information statements, Oct. 12
• The National Weather Service in Raleigh said at 12:06 p.m. Sunday that a radar-confirmed tornado was 9 miles east of Pittsboro, moving northeast at 20 mph, with Jordan Lake State Recreation Area among the places in the warning.Confirmed by National Weather Service Raleigh severe weather statement, 12:06 p.m. Oct. 11
• A Chatham County fire department report relayed by the weather service listed a tornado about 4 miles south-southeast of Jordan Lake at 12:03 p.m. It said many mature hardwood and pine trees were downed, snapped or twisted on Beaver Creek Road just south of Pea Ridge Road, and that the damage lined up with a radar tornado debris signature. A 911 center also reported several trees down on Beaver Creek Road, with both lanes blocked.Confirmed by National Weather Service Raleigh preliminary local storm report summary, 4:55 p.m. Oct. 11
• At 12:03 p.m., the weather service said a radar-confirmed tornado was over Fayetteville, moving northeast at 35 mph. Earlier 911 reports it posted as tornadoes described trees down near Skibo Road and Morganton Road, and storm damage around the Walmart and Sam's Club on Skibo Road that included an overturned 18-wheeler, cars lifted and dropped, roof damage, power outages and trees down.Confirmed by National Weather Service Raleigh severe weather statement, 12:04 p.m.; preliminary local storm report summary, 4:55 p.m. Oct. 11
• At 12:25 p.m., the weather service posted a tornado report of trees down and property damage around Ramsey Street and Linden on the Cumberland County side, calling it a potential start of a tornado track. In Harnett County near Linden, 911 centers reported possible tornado damage, trees down and debris at about the same time.Confirmed by National Weather Service Raleigh preliminary local storm report summary, 4:55 p.m. Oct. 11
• At 1:18 p.m., the weather service said a radar-confirmed tornado was near Wake Forest, about 9 miles northeast of Raleigh, moving northeast. A 1:23 p.m. update called it a large and extremely dangerous tornado near Wake Forest, about 11 miles northeast of Raleigh. Around 1:10 to 1:17 p.m., Wake County 911 reports relayed by the office described possible tornado damage in northeast Raleigh, including a tree on a house on Amber Bluffs Crescent, tree damage on Speight Circle, and trees down on Tunas Street and Singleleaf Lane southwest of Rolesville.Confirmed by National Weather Service Raleigh severe weather statements, 1:19 p.m. and 1:23 p.m.; preliminary local storm report summary, 4:55 p.m. Oct. 11
• At 1:20 p.m., the weather service said a radar-confirmed tornado was over Clayton, about 10 miles north of Smithfield, moving northeast. A 1:29 p.m. update placed a confirmed tornado 7 miles south of Zebulon as that storm continued northeast. Wake County 911 reports around 1:38 p.m. described trees, debris and a closed road about 3 to 4 miles north-northeast of Wendell, with possible tornado damage.Confirmed by National Weather Service Raleigh severe weather statements, 1:20 p.m. and 1:29 p.m.; preliminary local storm report summary, 4:55 p.m. Oct. 11
• At 1:45 p.m., the weather service said a radar-confirmed tornado was over Louisburg, moving northeast. Franklin County 911 reports included trees down from a possible tornado about 3 miles west-southwest of Louisburg, a large tree blocking a road southeast of Kittrell, and power lines down on Hillsboro Street in Youngsville. A public tornado report was also listed about 6 miles west of Bunn at 1:40 p.m., with no further detail.Confirmed by National Weather Service Raleigh severe weather statement, 1:46 p.m.; preliminary local storm report summary, 4:55 p.m. Oct. 11
• Other Sunday wind damage in the coverage area included trees on power lines along Crawford Dairy Road in Orange County, a large tree on power lines on Gum Springs Church Road in Chatham County, a tree on a house on Cass Holt Road in southern Wake County, trees down at Interstate 440 Exit 8 in Raleigh, and trees or power lines down in several other Raleigh neighborhoods. The weather service labeled those as thunderstorm wind damage unless a report said a tornado was possible.Confirmed by National Weather Service Raleigh preliminary local storm report summary, 4:55 p.m. Oct. 11
• Duke University told students, faculty and staff that a tornado watch covered Durham, Wake and surrounding counties until 5 p.m. Sunday. It later said a tornado warning that included the main campus in Durham had expired at 1 p.m., and that areas east of campus were still under tornado warnings as storms moved on.Confirmed by Duke Today, Oct. 11, 2026
• The Raleigh forecast office's 8:15 p.m. Sunday discussion said the tornado watch for central North Carolina had been cancelled and that the strong storms had left the area. Its 3:28 p.m. Hazardous Weather Outlook said no hazardous weather was expected Sunday afternoon and night. As of 8:15 p.m., the office listed no watches or warnings.Confirmed by National Weather Service Raleigh forecast discussion, 8:15 p.m., and Hazardous Weather Outlook, 3:28 p.m. Oct. 11
• The Raleigh office's 2 p.m. Monday forecast discussion said much of the coming workweek should be unseasonably warm and dry. A cooler weekend is expected after a late-Friday front, with patchy frost possible.Confirmed by National Weather Service Raleigh forecast discussion, 2 p.m. Oct. 12