Tornado touches down in Pitt County, NWS in Raleigh confirms
National Weather Service in Raleigh confirmed a tornado touched down in Pitt County Thursday morning.
Because of this, a tornado warning is issued until 5:45 a.m. in Edgecombe County.
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Debby spawned five confirmed tornadoes so far Thursday -- and that doesn't include one twister Wednesday.
They were:
Wednesday
Thursday
Debby, which entered North Carolina as a tropical storm but has since weakened into a tropical depression, continued to slam central North Carolina.
Tornadoes caused some extensive damage to multiple buildings and killed a man.
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A tornado watch remains in effect until 7 a.m. Friday. A flood watch is also in effect through Friday evening.
As of 10:45 p.m., nearly 28,000 people across the state remained without power.
In the 11 p.m., update, Debby remained a tropical depression with sustained winds of 30 mph and was heading full steam into Virginia moving north-northeast at 26 mph. Tornado threats remain overnight from eastern North Carolina into Virginia and Maryland. On Friday, the tornado threats will mostly be for parts of New Jersey, eastern Pennsylvania and southeast New York.
As for the ABC11 viewing area, skies should be clearing by Friday afternoon and evening with highs in the mid-80s. Saturday brings a mix of clouds and sun with temperatures around 90 and a chance for storms.
National Weather Service in Raleigh confirmed a tornado touched down in Pitt County Thursday morning.
Because of this, a tornado warning is issued until 5:45 a.m. in Edgecombe County.
A tornado in Wilson County damaged Springfield Middle School.
This is located in Lucama on Wiggins Mill Road.
According to Wilson County Emergency Management Director Gordon Deno, homes were also damaged. There were no injuries reported.
Emergency officials said not to drive in this area.
A tornado watch is issued in multiple counties, including Wilson, until 1 p.m. Friday.
As the triangle prepares for the effects of Tropical Storm Debby, many people are doing what they can to stock up on things like food and gas.
Residents appeared to be cautiously optimistic, and ready to stay inside to ride out the wind and rain to come.
"I don't get the eggs and bread and milk or anything. Like that. I'm just gassing up my car," said Garner resident Lisa Trueblood. "I got extra gas, extra water and filling my tab, things like that, making sure I have non-perishables, flashlights, candles."
With multiple school cancellations on Thursday, Princess Capehart told ABC11 she's thankful to have childcare for her toddlers.
"They can still open. So that's a lifesaver," she said.
The City of Durham is bracing for the potential effects of Tropical Storm Debby as low-lying communities anxiously await the storm's arrival.
Signs are up in the Forest Hills Park community that serve as reminders that some roads are subject to flood. It's where ABC11 met David Goodman who was mowing his lawn. There is potential for flooding, but he is not worried about that.
"I'm more concerned about trees if there were to be heavy wind because we have so many trees. In fact, the last storm that went through we had a huge branch that came 15 feet from the house," said Goodman. "Trying to get a quickie mowing you know? If you can get half the front yard. It's better than nothing."
The City of Durham said it encouraged residents to charge phones and pack emergency kits. Public Works crews spent Wednesday clearing out clogged storm drains and lowering water levels at the reservoir to prevent flooding.