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Tornado hit Siler City during storm, governor to tour damage in Hillsborough
Storm topples trees, spares house of Rep. Graig Meyer
Severe weather toppled trees surrounding the house of Rep. Graig Meyer in the White Cross community near Chapel Hill, NC Friday afternoon, April 19, 2019. Amazingly, no trees hit the house, but the family couldn’t make it off their property.
Severe weather toppled trees surrounding the house of Rep. Graig Meyer in the White Cross community near Chapel Hill, NC Friday afternoon, April 19, 2019. Amazingly, no trees hit the house, but the family couldn’t make it off their property.
RALEIGH
The National Weather Service confirmed that a tornado touched down northwest of Siler City Friday, damaging trees, power lines and rooftops.
The tornado was classified as EF-1, meaning winds reaches speeds as high as 110 mph. No major injuries have been reported from the storm as of Saturday morning. The National Weather Service said it issued 31 warnings for tornadoes and 17 more for severe thunderstorms.
Meteorologists at ABC11 were waiting on word from the weather service Saturday on whether tornadoes were confirmed elsewhere. ABC11 meteorologist Don “Big Weather” Schwenneker said spotters reported six twisters in the area Friday night and will analyze the damage Saturday.
The Triangle had not faced such a severe weather risk in three years, Schwenneker said.
“It was an extremely unusual day,” he said Saturday. “Anytime we get through a major weather event and nobody dies, it’s a good day.”
Homes along Old 86, south of Interstate 40 in Orange County, showed rooftops torn off and timber strewn across yards.
Severe damage was reported at Maple View Farm in Hillsborough, where a pair of barns were damaged and a cow had minor injuries, according to media reports.
Gov. Roy Cooper is scheduled to tour the farm Saturday. The farm makes award-winning ice cream.
In Raleigh, the train and paddle boats at Pullen Park will not operate Saturday because of fallen trees across the park, according to the city.