'A path of destruction.' Three dead after tornado rips through coastal NC community Mark Price, Dale Shoemaker, Alan Blondin, and Jenna Farhat, The Charlotte Observer Feb. 16—Three people were killed and at least 10 were injured after a suspected tornado hit Brunswick County along the North Carolina coast late Monday, officials say. The damage in the southern part of the coastal county was described as "devastating," with nearly 40,000 people without power after the storm. The three people who died were in the Ocean Ridge Plantation development, where at least 50 homes were damaged, officials said. The area features golf courses and describes itself as "southeastern North Carolina's most exclusive and luxurious golf and beach community."