F4 Tornado Slams Cleveland County NC on May 5, 1989

Most people had little or no warning. In 1989 NEXRAD Doppler radar was at least five years away in this part of the U.S. The local TV stations didn't have advanced radar with shear markers, wind speeds, storm tracks, and time of impact. They couldn't track a tornado that was in progress. Everybody relied mostly on storm spotters to confirm that there was a tornado on the ground.

A few days after the tornado, I went to look at the damage firsthand. I wish I'd had access to a video camera back then. I was amazed at what I saw. Trees were uprooted and snapped off like matchsticks. The remaining tree trunks had the bark stripped off of them. In some cases there were vacant lots where houses once stood. Everything had been swept away including the foundations and all the plumbing. No one could survive that unless they were completely underground.

It's been 19 years since Cleveland County has seen an F4 tornado. I can't help but wonder if we're due for another one.

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[wildguy5708]

I wasnt born when this happened but dang thats a lot of destruction

[boardman49]

Be glad you weren't there. It was terrible.

[djstitch]

I remember this very well as I was in Gaston County and the skies were black and green.. Never seen this before.. and then drove out through Lawndale and Toluca and it was horrible.

[boardman49]

I lived in Gaston County back then. I had no idea how bad it was until the news reports began to come in.

[Tim777G]

I'll never forget this day! I wasn't in it, but don't live ony 4 or 5 miles from where the tornado hit.

[boardman49]

I remember that day really well. Did you go out and look at the damage?

[IIDragonslay3rII]

The F4 tornado went all the way through Pitt County and tore up the Eastern Pines Area. I wasn't born when it happend but the lady who lives next door to me lived in the neighborhood that was hit. She heard a roaring noise at night. The next morning the houses across the street were gone but her house stood standing with little to no damage. She saw the destruction and realized the tornado passed over her house.

[fawaz008]

God have mercy !!

[mountainboy1980]

I survived this, some of my neighbors weren't so lucky.  I hope I never see anything like this again in my life!

[mountainboy1980]

I survived this, some of my neighbors weren't so lucky.  I hope I never see anything like this again in my life!

[milepost484]

Wow, what memories. I was going to visit my dad for the weekend and he and my mom met each other in Shelby to drop me off to one another. Dad and I were on Hwy 18 going back to Granite Falls, NC to his home and within two miles of Toluca when this tornado hit, traffic just all of a sudden stopped on 18 and someone stopped to tell us about the storm and road was closed. We had to detour all the way to Marion, NC on Hwy 226 to get back to I-40 and east again.

[reichma05]

I was 2 years old when this happened. I'm from Forsyth County. A huge oak tree hit my families house; there wasn't much damage.