ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. — The Rocky Mount Pfizer facility is not opening anytime soon as crews work to restore function and power after Wednesday’s tornado.

The pharmaceutical giant's CEO was on site Friday to survey the damage.

“Clearly nature is strong — so too is ingenuity and the human spirit," said Pfizer top executive Albert Bourla. "A great deal of work needs to be done, but I assure everyone, most importantly the people of the Rocky Mount community, that we will put Pfizer’s full power behind this effort."

Production lines were not hurt by the EF3 tornado, but the warehouse had significant damage. Bourla confirmed the warehouse is where raw materials, syringes and injectables are kept. These are some of the resources that North Carolina and national hospitals rely on. 

A timeline for reopening has not been set because the recovery efforts have only begun.

All 3,200 Pfizer employees who were inside the plant at the time of the tornado are OK and accounted for, Bourla said.

A supply chain expert from N.C. State University said damage to the plant highlights issues with oversight and how drugs are manufactured in the country.

“I think it speaks to the challenges of our supply chains today, especially in the pharmaceutical sector," professor Rob Handfield said. "There’s a lot of shortages of genetic drugs, of many other kinds of drugs, and we have very little visibility of where those drugs are coming from."

Finished medicines have been moved to nearby sites for storage.

As part of the recovery, Pfizer will make a donation to the American Red Cross North Carolina chapter and United Way Tar River Region. These funds are to support relief and recovery needs. 

Pfizer is also exploring alternative manufacturing in North Carolina, including in Sanford, Bourla said.

The Rocky Mount plant produces nearly 25% of all the company’s injectables, which includes anesthesia and analgesia, on-site.