WANCHESE, N.C. — The damage left behind in Wanchese on Roanoke Island Thursday evening appears to be from an EF-0 tornado, according to the National Weather Service's preliminary findings.
“I just heard the wind blowing and I looked out the front door and right over there it just dropped. I dropped my phone and just ran in and prayed," said Larri Flynt, long-time Wanchese resident.
Flynt captured the moment the storm touched down Thursday evening, living in Wanchese for 55-years, she said she's never seen anything like this.
“I thought it was coming towards me," said Flynt.
Larri is one of a number of residents who experienced the frightening storm as it happened, something they’ve never seen before. The damage we observed on Friday included destroyed trees, damaged roofs and cars from trees that had fallen and heavily damaged bleachers near the baseball field at Pigum Walker Park.
Sara Gaskins and Phoebe Gibbs were inside their truck outside of their home on Brinkly Drive when it happened.
“I was so shook up. It scared me," said Gibbs.
Even witnessing a tree next to the house as it split and fell over.
“It was the biggest boom ever," said Gaskins.
It shook the whole ground," said Gibbs.
The National Weather Service was in Wanchese on Friday investigating. The agency reports the storm produced top winds of 75 to 80 milers per hour.
“We noticed some shingles uplifted on one side of the building. Then if you go around the other side of the building, shingles uplifted in the opposite direction. That's a really clear signature that it was a tornado that caused this damage in our community," said Erik Heden, warning coordination meteorologist with NWS in Morehead City.
For residents still picking up the pieces after the storm, they are just happy nobody was hurt.
“Praise the Lord. Thankful, very thankful," said Flynt.
“Hopefully one never comes through here again. Because it could be worse next time than what it was this time," said Gibbs.
A team from NWS Morehead City shared Friday afternoon that its preliminary findings show damage in the area was from an EF-0 tornado, with top winds of 75 to 80 miles per hour. A final assessment is expected to be shared later Friday night. NWS shared safety tips for severe weather as well.
"It really is a good reminder, we're clear blue skies right now, if you follow your safety tips, if you get a warning, if you seek shelter inside, as soon as you hear that thunder, if you're away from windows, lowest level of your home, this type of damage, it stinks to the homeowner or to the park, but you will be perfectly safe if you're inside a building. Just always have a way to get multiple warnings. Make sure your cell phone is charged up. You don't have it on do not disturb if it were late at night, always good to have a NOAA weather radio, something that's going to wake you up at night," said Heden.
Watch: Damage from possible OBX tornado
We'll update this story with the full findings from NWS when they are published.
