Tornado leaves path of destruction in North Carolina county, photos and videos show

Irene Wright

A North Carolina county is recovering after a 150-mph tornado ripped through the community.

The National Weather Service confirmed the touchdown of an EF3 tornado just after 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 19, in Nash County.

Storms of that magnitude can bring wind speeds between 136 and 165 mph, according to the National Weather Service.

The tornado crossed Interstate 95, uprooting trees and throwing debris on the road, and causing a 5-mile stretch to be closed for hours, Fox Weather reported.

A preliminary report from the National Weather Service said the tornado was on the ground for 16.5 miles, and the tornado was 600 yards across at its widest, equivalent to six football fields.

It was the first EF-3 tornado ever observed in the region in July, the National Weather Service said.

An initial tornado response report from Nash County said EMS treated 13 people with minor injuries, and two individuals were transported to a hospital for further evaluation.

A report from the National Weather Service increased that number to 16, and said two were life-threatening, but not fatal.

Nash County Emergency Services also estimates 89 structures were damaged, but a complete assessment won’t be possible until all downed electrical lines were cleared and it was safe to move around neighborhoods.

A section of a Pfizer facility in Rocky Mounty sustained heavy tornado damage Wednesday, July, 19, 2023.
A section of a Pfizer facility in Rocky Mounty sustained heavy tornado damage Wednesday, July, 19, 2023.

In the tornado’s path was PGS Rocky Mount, a Pfizer manufacturing plant.

Initial reports from Nash County Sheriff Keith Stone indicate as many as 50,000 pallets of medicine could have been destroyed by the storm.

The facility is one of the largest sterile injectable facilities in the world, WNCN reported, and produces 25% of all sterile injectables used in U.S. hospitals.

More than 175 Pfizer vehicles were damaged, WRAL reported, as well as major power lines to and from the facility.

Photos and videos of the destruction were shared on social media platforms.

Rocky Mount is about 60 miles northeast of Raleigh.

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