A tornado has ripped through part of North Carolina in the US killing at least three people and injuring 10 others in its trail of destruction, authorities said.

The tornado hit just after midnight local time on Tuesday in Brunswick County, near Grissettown in the Ocean Ridge Plantation Community, destroying homes, downing power lines that left thousands without electricity and snapping trees in half, news outlets reported.

“It’s something like I have never seen before. A lot of destruction. It’s going to be a long recovery process,” Brunswick County Sheriff John Ingram said at a press conference.

Brunswick County Emergency Management said people were trapped in homes.

Mr Ingram said searches for missing people were under way and will increase during the day.

He has asked people to avoid the area while crews work to clear the streets and search for victims.

The Wilmington Fire Department said it would send teams to help find people missing after the tornado.