Winds from Tropical Storm Michael cause heavy damage across North Carolina
Officials told ABC11's Gloria Rodriguez that a tree fell on a person at the N.C. State Fair, which is scheduled to open Friday.
The large tree fell on a pickup that officials said gateman Goley Boggs was in. The fair was closed but Boggs was manning the gate. He had taken refuge in a camper during the storm.
Boggs, who has been working at the fairgrounds for five years, was taken to WakeMed and is expected to be OK.
"He did receive minor injuries and was transported to WakeMed," said State Fair manager Kent Yelverton. "He was alert and walked to the ambulance. We're very happy that he was not injured more seriously than he was."
The fair is expected to open as scheduled Friday at 10 a.m.
The fairgrounds sustained relatively little damage from the storm -- a few tents were damaged on the grounds, said Andrea Ashby of the NC Department of Agriculture, but nothing else.
As Tropical Storm Michael rolled across North Carolina on Thursday, it produced life-threatening flash flooding and powerful winds.
The winds brought down trees all across the Triangle, blocking roads and taking down power lines.
As of 9 p.m., more than 604,000 people in the state were without power.
The wind brought down a tree in Chapel Hill near the Carolina Inn, causing it to fall on the historic hotel. Minor damage was reported.
In Durham, a large tree smashed an abandoned home on West Corporation Street.
Over in Chatham County, a tree was uprooted and fell onto a house in Siler City.
Near downtown Raleigh, street lights were taken down by high winds.
More than 5,500 people were without power in Roxboro, where several trees were downed.
In the city with only one operational traffic light, which was out due to the storm Thursday, officials issued a State of Emergency.
