National Weather Service confirms EF-2 tornado in Greensboro

April 16, 2018

WWAY News,

GREENSBORO, N.C. (WTVD) — The National Weather Service sent a survey crew to the Triad Monday to determine the strength of the tornado that struck Greensboro Sunday.

The tornado developed shortly after 5 p.m. Sunday afternoon and produced widespread damage as it tracked northward near the Highway 29 corridor.

The preliminary report from the National Weather Service determined that the tornado was an EF-2 with a maximum wind speed of 135 mph. This may change as they continue their survey.

City officials said in a news conference Monday afternoon that more than 300 homes and businesses. One hundred of those were either severely damaged or destroyed.

Neighborhoods near Hampton Elementary School on the east side of Greensboro appear to have been hit the hardest.

A view from the sky shows downed trees and structures that were completely destroyed.

Officials say about 21,000 people are still without power in the city.

One person died after his car was crushed by a tree. Guilford County EMA said a man died when a tornado picked up a tree and it landed on the man’s car, crushing him. The man’s spouse was also in the car with him at the time. His spouse survived.