Riegelwood, North Carolina facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Riegelwood, North Carolina
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Riegelwood Watertower
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 Riegelwood, North Carolina
Location in North Carolina
Riegelwood, North Carolina
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | North Carolina |
| County | Columbus Pender |
| Area | |
| • Total | 3.37 sq mi (8.74 km2) |
| • Land | 3.08 sq mi (7.99 km2) |
| • Water | 0.29 sq mi (0.75 km2) |
| Elevation | 43 ft (13 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 545 |
| • Density | 176.72/sq mi (68.22/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code |
28456
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| Area codes | 910, 472 |
| FIPS code | 37-56600 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2628650 |
Riegelwood is a small community in North Carolina, United States. It is not an official town but is recognized as a census-designated place (CDP). This means it's an area that the government counts for population data. Riegelwood is special because it spreads across three different counties: Brunswick, Pender, and Columbus.
In 2010, about 579 people lived in Riegelwood. The community is known for having a saw mill and a paper mill, which are important local businesses.
Contents
History of Riegelwood
Riegelwood has some interesting history. The Black Rock Plantation House is a very old building in the area. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2014. This means it's an important historical site that is protected.
Geography and Location
Riegelwood is located in the eastern part of Columbus County. It sits close to the Cape Fear River, where a large International Paper plant is located.
How to Get Around
North Carolina Highway 87 goes right through Riegelwood. This highway connects the community to other places. If you head southeast for about 2 miles (3.2 km), you'll reach Delco, where you can find U.S. Routes 74 and 76. Going northwest for about 30 miles (48 km) will take you to Elizabethtown. The city of Wilmington is about 19 miles (31 km) to the southeast, also accessible via U.S. Routes 74/76.
Size of the Area
The Riegelwood census-designated place covers a total area of about 3.4 square miles (8.8 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 3.1 square miles (8.1 square kilometers), is land. The rest, about 0.3 square miles (0.7 square kilometers), is water, making up about 8.28% of the total area.
Population Information
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 2020 | 545 | — | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
The population of Riegelwood changes over time. In 2020, the community had 545 residents. This information comes from the official U.S. Census.
Severe Weather Event in 2006
Riegelwood experienced a serious weather event in November 2006.
The Tornado Event
On November 16, 2006, a severe thunderstorm warning was issued for eastern Columbus County. Soon after, a tornado warning was put out for the same area. At 6:37 AM, a strong tornado touched down. It struck a mobile home park in Riegelwood. This tornado was part of a larger weather event that affected the southern United States over three days.
Tornado Strength and Impact
The day after the tornado, a team from the NOAA National Weather Service studied the damage. They determined that the tornado was an F3 on the Fujita scale. This means it had very strong winds, reaching close to 200 miles per hour (320 km/h) in some spots. The widest part of the tornado was about 300 yards (270 m) where the F3 damage occurred. The tornado's path of damage stretched for about 7 miles (11 km). Most of this path had F1 damage, with winds less than 100 miles per hour (160 km/h).
The tornado caused significant damage in Riegelwood. The local sheriff reported that about thirty homes were destroyed in the F3 damage area. A few other buildings were also damaged in western Pender County, near Currie.
See also
In Spanish: Riegelwood (Carolina del Norte) para niños
