EF-3 tornado rips roof off County Commissioner's home in Battleboro

BATTLEBORO, N.C. (WTVD) — Dozens of homes and a pair of churches were damaged along the Nash-Edgecombe county line when a tornado tore through the community Wednesday.

One of the homes damaged belongs to Edgecombe County Commissioner Evelyn Powell.

Powell was not home at the time, but her husband was. He heard about the tornado on the news and managed to get inside, shut the door and move to safety just seconds before the tornado hit, tearing off their roof.

Powell is taking it all in stride.

“I’m blessed,” she said. “I have great neighbors.”

She said many times working as a commissioner, she was the one to help those in need in her community. Now neighbors are returning the favor.

SEE ALSO | More ABC11 coverage of the destructive tornado

Groups with tools, trucks and saws were hard at work getting things cleaned up Thursday.

Powell said many people in the community work at the nearby Pfizer manufacturing plant, and with their jobs up in the air, many were busy instead helping neighbors.

In addition to the homes destroyed, the EF-3 tornado also hit a local watermelon processing plant. One of the crews cleaning up told ABC11 everyone working there was safe, although it took an hour to help rescue someone stuck after they hid under a crate for safety.

SEE ALSO | Video from Battleboro captures tornado winding through Nash County