Storms ripped through the south Wednesday and Thursday, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake and even forcing a couple of North Carolina news anchors to evacuate a High Point studio while a rotation passed overhead.
“Ok guys, I am not able to see anything right now because we have just walked out into the makeup room,” a slightly panicked but composed anchor said on FOX 8 WGHP around 5 p.m. on Thursday, according to a recording posted on Twitter.
“In my 35+ years here, I’ve never experienced anything like it,” WGHP anchor Neill McNeill wrote on Twitter after the storm passed, noting that they were all safe. “The roof and lights above us started vibrating.”
SEVERE WEATHER SHIFTS INTO SOUTHEAST, BRINGING TORNADOES, DANGEROUS STORMS
Tornado warnings were issued throughout North Carolina on Thursday evening.
Gov. Roy Cooper declared a state of emergency ahead of the storm.
No serious injuries have been reported in North Carolina, but multiple homes and structures were torn apart.
At least two people were hurt in southwest Alabama on Wednesday when a tornado destroyed houses and ripped up trees, but Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey said overall, “We have a lot to be grateful for as it could have been much worse.”
NATIONAL WEATHER FORECAST: STORM SYSTEM THAT SPAWNED TORNADOES NOW TARGETING SOUTHEAST, MID-ATLANTIC
Atlanta was hit with heavy rain and winds of up to 50 mph.
More than 70,000 homes and businesses from east Texas to Alabama were without power at one point.
Debris litters weather-damaged properties at the intersection of County Road 24 and 37 in Clanton, Ala., the morning following a large outbreak of severe storms across the southeast, Thursday, March 18, 2021. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)
(Associated Press)
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As the weekend begins, the weather will likely settle down but strong winds may stick around.
“On Friday, winds will increase across much of NC with the strongest winds expected in the northern coastal area,” NC Emergency Management wrote on Twitter. “A Wind Advisory is in effect for northern Coastal areas Friday-Saturday. Winds could get to 40-55 mph and cause some power outages.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.