Tuesday marks 39 years since one of the deadliest tornado outbreaks for the Carolinas.
Twenty-two tornadoes ripped through South and North Carolina on March 28, 1984, killing 57 people. Some reports estimate another 1,200 were injured.
One of the first tornadoes that afternoon was reported in Newberry, South Carolina. An F2 tornado destroyed several buildings along the small town's Main Street, including a dance academy where students survived the storm huddled under a staircase. One person was killed at an automotive supply store nearby.
The first tornado to strike North Carolina that day was an F4 tornado that moved into Scotland County from Marlboro County, South Carolina. A second F4 tornado formed just east of that tornado and tracked toward the town of Red Springs in Robeson County.
The tornado killed one person, and 280 were injured. Almost every building in Red Springs sustained some damage.
Another F4 tornado ripped across Sampson, Duplin and Wayne Counties. The tornado left a path of destruction as much as three-quarters of a mile wide and killed three people. Mount Olive College reported extensive damage.
The deadliest tornado that day was an F4 tornado. It passed over Wayne, Lenoir, Greene and Pitt Counties, killing 16. This tornado left a path of destruction as much as three-quarters of a mile wide across Snow Hill, Winterville, Ayden, and Greenville and damaged an estimated 300 homes.
Damage was reported across the campus of East Carolina University.
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