A tornado that struck Rocky Mount on Friday injured 15 people, four of them seriously, and damaged buildings, authorities said. A state of emergency was also issued in Rocky Mount after the devasting storm swept through the area.
"It was chaos, it was crazy," said Jose Christian, who works at the Hing Ta Restaurant on Wesleyan Boulevard in Rocky Mount and was inside when the storm struck.
"The tornado shredded everything," he said. "It was only a couple of seconds."
Rocky Mount Mayor C. Saunders Roberson Jr. declared a state of emergency Friday evening through Sunday due to the destruction caused by the tornado.
More than a dozen buildings were damaged, authorities said, and four structures were destroyed, Spectrum News meteorologists reported.
Major damage was reported at New Beginnings Christian Church in Rocky Mount.
Jonathan Edwards, Nash County public information manager, told Spectrum News 1 that people were being treated at the hospital for injuries due to the storm.
He urged everyone to continue to stay plugged into local media and updates on conditions to stay safe.
Nash County, which includes part of Rocky Mount, is no stranger to tornado damage. In July 2023, a powerful EF3 tornado tore through the area, injuring 16 people, shutting down Interstate 95 and causing damage to buildings, including a major Pfizer pharmaceutical plant.
Deaths related to Helene have happened in North Carolina already. One person was killed and another was seriously injured when a tree fell on a home in northwest Charlotte early Friday morning, according to officials. A 4-year-old girl was also killed in Catawba County Thursday when heavy rainfall from Helene caused the vehicle she was traveling in to crash.