2230:00z
UNISYS Infrared GOES East Satellite (click here for 12 hour loop)
Fairly strong strong winds were in Wilmington during the torrential rains. Rains so heavy they acted as though it were fog and limited visibility.
When standing outside in the rain, the winds were definitely strong enough to lean against to maintain balance. The ceiling was very low and there were meso-tornadic clouds lining the entire structure of the storm.
The rain fell so hard, it created mud that splashed up on the sides of walls and onto sidewalks. There was no staying dry. In order to maintain dry clothing a person would have to be covered in rain gear from head to toe. It was no time before I was soaked, even my rain jacket leaked around the cuffs into my arms as the wind was driving the rain sideways. It was sincerely a storm to respect.
May 30, 2012 5:41 PM
...The remnants of Tropical Storm Beryl (click here) spun off a tornado that destroyed three homes and damaged dozens of others near the North Carolina coast Wednesday as the system sped toward the Atlantic, authorities said.
Between 40 and 50 homes were damaged near Peletier in the western part of Carteret County, said county Emergency Services Director Jo Ann Smith. She said there were no reports of injuries.
Many homes suffered only minor damage, but three were destroyed when the winds came through shortly before noon, she said.
Casey Dail, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Morehead City, said investigators confirmed it was a tornado that caused the damage but said the strength of the twister had not yet been determined.
The remnants of the storm were skimming the North Carolina coast and prompting flood watches in eastern North Carolina. Beryl was expected to gain strength even as it loses its tropical characteristics.
Heavy rains from the storm caused some scattered street and lowland flooding near Wilmington, N.C., as the system approached. Loris., S.C., near the border of the two Carolinas, received more than 3 inches of rain, and radar showed heavy showers along the Interstate 95 corridor in the two states...
