Isaias's Leftovers Spawn at Least 5 Tornadoes in Central NC; Homes Damaged, 2,000 Without Power

Isaias's Leftovers Spawn a Tornado Outbreak in Central NC

Hurricane Isaias is gone, but its trouble isn't. Around midday on Sunday, October 11, the storm's remnants spun off at least five confirmed tornadoes across central North Carolina, damaging homes and uprooting trees around Raleigh and Fayetteville. The National Weather Service office in Raleigh says it is "reasonably confident" close to half a dozen tornadoes touched down and caused damage, with another three to six possible touchdowns still being verified, WRAL reported.

Northeast Raleigh Took the Worst of It

Northeast Raleigh appears to have been hit hardest. Wake County had at least three confirmed tornadoes: one near Jordan Lake just after noon and another in northeast Raleigh around 1:20 p.m. Residents in neighborhoods along the Neuse River — including 5401 North and Neuse Crossing — shared photos and videos of downed trees, damaged homes, and debris blowing down streets in sudden, intense winds. The weather service said at least four of the tornadoes damaged or destroyed "several dozen" buildings.

Survey Teams Out Sunday and Monday

The National Weather Service sent two survey teams to two suspected touchdown sites on Sunday, with three more teams heading out Monday to check the rest. Final counts and intensity ratings will wait for the on-the-ground surveys. North Carolina emergency management officials said state and local teams remain in response mode but will soon shift to damage assessment and work with federal partners on support for affected communities.

About 2,000 Without Power, No Injuries Reported

The good news: as of 4 p.m. Sunday, no injuries had been reported. Duke Energy's outage map showed roughly 2,000 customers without power after the storms moved through, concentrated in Vance and Cumberland counties — no widespread outages. Fayetteville also reported damage, and county agencies were still tallying the totals.

Why a Dying Hurricane Breeds Tornadoes

Tornado risk shifting inland as a hurricane weakens is a well-known pattern. "A hurricane is a spinning storm, and when it hits land, the ground slows the wind near the surface while the wind above keeps moving," AccuWeather expert meteorologist Nick Arman explained. "That dynamic gives thunderstorms a twist, and a twist can become a tornado." Isaias came ashore as a Category 2 hurricane near Destin, Florida, on October 9 and tracked north, its leftover circulation twisting the skies over the Carolinas. NWS meteorologist Mike Strickler had flagged the setup as early as Friday, warning of possible "isolated tornadoes" Sunday amid humid, windy air.

Watches Not Fully Lifted Yet

On Sunday the weather service issued a tornado watch for southeastern North Carolina — Brunswick, New Hanover, and Pender counties — through 5 p.m., while a flood watch expired at 11 a.m. Forecasters warned that as Isaias's remnants continue up the spine of the Appalachians, the central Appalachians and mid-Atlantic still face localized heavy rain and urban flooding Sunday. Isaias had already been linked to at least four deaths in Florida and Alabama — North Carolina got off lightly this round, but the full damage picture waits on Monday's survey results.