A tornado warning covering Montgomery and Moore counties sent residents scrambling for shelter Sunday morning, after a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was tracked near Biscoe, southeast of Troy, moving northeast at 35 mph. The National Weather Service office in Raleigh issued the warning at 10:05 a.m. and set it to expire at 10:30 a.m., giving residents a narrow window to get to safety.
The storm was near Biscoe, southeast of Troy, when the warning went out, according to an updated advisory from the Charlotte Observer, which reported the warning was credited to automated reporting tools built on templates reviewed by newsroom journalists. Forecasters said flying debris poses a danger to anyone caught without shelter, and warned the storm would likely cause damage to roofs, windows, vehicles, and trees across its path. Mobile homes in the storm's track, the report noted, would be damaged or destroyed.
Why Anson County's Housing Stock Raises the Stakes
That mobile-home warning carries extra weight in Anson County, where housing is older than in almost anywhere else in the state. A 2025 report from the North Carolina Department of Commerce found that 61.7% of housing units in the county were built before 1980, the highest share of pre-1980 housing stock of any of North Carolina's 100 counties — highlighting the age of the county's housing stock.
The same state data shows mobile homes make up 11.3% of North Carolina's housing stock, roughly double the national average of 5.7%. That prevalence matters because, per the National Weather Service, manufactured home residents account for 54% of all home tornado fatalities nationwide and face a mortality risk 15 to 20 times higher than people in permanent, site-built homes.
What The NWS Told Residents To Do
Forecasters were direct about where not to go: sheds, storage facilities, mobile homes, and tents are not safe tornado shelters, the agency said. People outdoors, in mobile homes, or in vehicles were told to move to the closest substantial shelter and protect themselves from flying debris. Anyone caught driving during a tornado was advised to head toward the nearest shelter, or, if none is available, to crouch in the car and protect their head or seek a low-lying ditch or ravine.
Indoors, the guidance was to move to a basement or interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building, away from windows, and to go to a basement, safe room, or windowless interior room as soon as a warning is issued. At workplaces and schools, the agency advised following tornado drill procedures and heading to designated shelter areas while avoiding windows and large open spaces such as cafeterias, gymnasiums, or auditoriums. Residents with time to spare were told to bring pets indoors.
A County With a History of Severe Storms
Sunday's warning is a reminder that Anson County's relationship with tornadoes runs deep. The county was struck by the deadliest tornado in its recorded history on February 19, 1884, during the multi-state Enigma outbreak, when an F4 tornado killed 23 people and injured 100 more, according to TornadoArchive. More recently, the county's most active single day for tornadoes came on April 13, 2020, when two confirmed tornadoes touched down during a broader regional outbreak across the Southeast.
North Carolina sees an average of nearly 30 tornadoes a year, with May the peak month at 17% of annual tornadic activity, per the same tracking service. Spring remains the primary severe weather season statewide. The warning covered Montgomery and Moore counties. Anson County is home to an estimated 21,800 residents, according to USAFacts, and Wadesboro is a town in the county.
Longer-Term Fixes Already Underway
Federal emergency officials recommend every household keep a basic disaster supplies kit on hand for tornado scenarios, including a gallon of water per person for at least three days, a three-day food supply, a cell phone with chargers and a backup battery, a battery-powered or hand-crank radio, a flashlight, first-aid kit, whistle, and dust mask, plastic sheeting and duct tape, moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties, and a manual can opener along with local maps.
In July, Anson County civic leaders and housing researchers convened through UNC Chapel Hill's Carolina Across 100 initiative, known locally as Building Anson, to address housing quality and aging residential infrastructure across the county — efforts that could shape how resilient the area's homes are the next time a tornado warning interrupts a Sunday morning.
