A home in rural Lucama, North Carolina, collapsed after a tornado hit just before 3 a.m. Thursday. Bryan Barnes, 60, was found dead in the rubble, according to his family.
The tornado, spawned by Tropical Storm Debby, damaged a school, a church and three other homes in the rural Wilson County community, according to emergency officials.
“We took my mom to the beach. We had a good week. Had three tornado warnings last night. I called him or texted him about 3:15. Are you OK? Didn't hear from him," said Pam Umberger, Barnes's sister.
“I just didn't want to believe anything. I still don't want to believe anything, although I know it's true,” she said, speaking at the destroyed home Thursday afternoon.
"I was hoping that they were going to find him maybe unconscious or something, but fine. I was just very, very disappointed and unhappy when it didn't turn out that way," said Frances Smith, a relative of Barnes who lived nearby.
"Well, Bryan, he is... was... a character in the real sense. I'm not sure there's anything he couldn't do. And, people liked him. He was outgoing and friendly, generous and just a good neighbor, a good friend, a good person to know," she said.
The storm caused major damage to Springfield Middle School on Wiggins Mill Road in Lucama and the nearby Friendship Primitive Baptist Church.
"The impact appears to be focused on the sixth- and seventh-grade halls where sections of the roof and walls are missing or compromised. I headed out to the school right after hearing about the damage and walked the building with members of our local fire departments and maintenance staff," Wilson County Schools Superintendent Lane Mills said.
"I am thankful that students and staff were not in the building during the time of the storm," Mills said. "It was heartbreaking to see the school right after the event, and I want to thank all of the caring folks that have already reached out to offer assistance and support."
Forecasters issued dozens of tornado warnings in eastern North Carolina on Wednesday and Thursday as Debby made its way toward the state.
A tornado tore the roof off a home Wednesday in Sampson County. No one was hurt.
Much of eastern North Carolina was under a tornado watch until 8 p.m. Thursday, and the watch was later extended to 7 a.m. Friday.
Tornadoes with tropical systems are often brief, but can still cause significant damage. These often occur with little lead time for warnings.