Tornado tears through Carolina Shores community hours before Hurricane Dorian’s arrival

Across the county line in nearby Brunswick County, homes in Carolina Shores were devastated by a tornado Thursday morning as Hurricane Dorian moved into the area.

The Farm at Brunswick homeowner Brian Hess was in his house with his wife, two daughters and two grandkids when the tornado hit.

He said a wooden beam came through the house, almost hitting his head.

“We heard the tornado come up, like a train,” he said. “I ran upstairs to try to get my daughter out. And that’s when it all hit the house and the house kind of exploded.”

Neighbor Kathy Desiderio was out surveying the damage and walking her dog, Lily. She’s lived in the neighborhood for six years, but said the houses hit by the tornado were all about a year old.

She received the tornado warning for the neighborhood Thursday morning.

“I went diving for the bathroom,” she said. “All of a sudden, I saw debris flying.”

Her house was largely undamaged by the nearby tornado.

This story was originally published September 5, 2019 at 2:00 PM.