AUTRYVILLE, N.C. (AP) - The Latest on severe weather in North Carolina (all times local):
6 p.m.
Officials in a North Carolina county say a possible tornado has damaged an elementary school.
In Yadkin County, a gymnasium at an elementary school had two walls blown out and part of its roof ripped away. There were also reports of several vehicles flipped and property damage to homes.
WXII-TV in Winston-Salem reports people in the Courtney General Store in Yadkinville said residents locked themselves inside a bathroom and heard noises that “sounded like a train.”
The sheriff in Stokes County is reporting a tornado touched down around 4:15 p.m. There was no immediate word there of damages or injuries.
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4:45 p.m.
Local reports indicate a possible tornado has caused serious property damage in a North Carolina county.
The Statesville Record & Landmark reports at least two mobile homes have been destroyed in a portion of Iredell County near U.S. Highway 64.
The newspaper also reports numerous trees have been toppled and there are multiple reports of property damage near the Davie County line. Some of the trees blocked local roads, and power lines were down as well.
The National Weather Service reported a storm with rotation was spotted near Troutman, south of Statesville, and moved east toward Cool Springs and the intersection of three counties near Interstate 40.
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4 p.m.
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper has spoken with the mayor of Autryville nearly one day after a tornado passed through the town.
Cooper spoke on Wednesday with Mayor Larry Autry about the damage the town sustained, including damages to the fire department.
Autry told the governor that state Emergency Management officials have been in contact with him about helping.
A state of emergency is in effect for Autryville after the tornado with winds of 110 mph damaged the fire station and several mobile homes on Tuesday.
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2:10 p.m.
The National Weather Service says central North Carolina could get strong and severe storms as two fronts passes through the state.
Forecasters said Wednesday that a warm front will lift northward through the state, followed by the passage of a cold front from the west. Scattered thunderstorms will develop as the warm front passes, and then more numerous storms will sweep across the area late afternoon through early tonight.
The forecast says some of the storms will likely become severe, especially during the afternoon and into the evening. There is also the risk of isolated tornadoes and damaging straight line wind gusts.
On Thursday, more storms are expected, with some forecast to be severe with damaging straight line wind gusts and hail the size of golf balls.
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8:44 a.m.
A state of emergency is in effect in a small town in eastern North Carolina after a tornado with winds of 110 mph damaged a fire station and several mobile homes.
No serious injuries were reported when the tornado touched down three times in Sampson County late Tuesday afternoon. A curfew from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. was imposed in Autryville, a town of about 200 people about 15 miles east of Fayetteville.
Weather service officials will visit Parkton in Robeson County to determine whether a tornado damaged some buildings about an hour before the storm ripped through Autryville.
Sampson County Sheriff Jimmy Thornton said one man was treated by emergency personnel after suffering minor injuries when a mobile home overturned. Thornton said all other injuries were scrapes and bruises.
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