The tornado damaged at least 50 homes, snapped trees in half and downed powerlines that left thousands without electricity.
The tornado was spawned by the same ongoing winter storm that has draped the nation in heavy snow and ice.
Another round of severe weather may be likely for the region as a second major winter storm travels from Texas to Maine.
Three people were killed in a tornado that tore through a southeastern North Carolina town early Tuesday.
The deadly twister, which authorities said left at least 10 people injured, hit just after midnight Monday in southeastern Brunswick County near Grissettown in the Ocean Ridge Plantation community.
Yet most other states managed to roll out the vaccine more quickly than North Carolina, which has so far administered only about one-third of its allotment. That speed matters, as federal officials have said future distributions may be based on how quickly states are putting shots into arms.
But exactly why North Carolina has fallen behind is complicated.
A survey of dozens of county health departments across the state by the N.C. Watchdog Reporting Network shows a range of problems that have hampered their ability to vaccinate people in the first phase of the rollout namely front-line health workers and the elderly. Problems include:
The N.C. Watchdog Reporting Network surveyed local health departments across the state to find out why North Carolina has ranked near the bottom of states in administering the COVID-19 vaccine. We found a lack of manpower, technical problems and logistical hurdles.