Severe weather topples wall at North Carolina facility
Local weather reported half-dollar-sized hail and 60 mph wind gusts
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A wall at a North Carolina distribution center was ripped apart by a severe storm on Friday, but none of the 30 workers inside the facility was hurt, an official said.
Orange County Emergency Services Director Kirby Sunders said high winds, possibly a tornado, struck the Gildan Distribution Center in Mebane at around 5:18 p.m. Saunders said 30 employees were inside the distribution center when the winds ripped off large chunks of an exterior wall.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Saunders also said the storm caused damage to several natural gas lines. In all, three buildings were damaged in Mebane, he said.
The Gildan Distribution Center in Mebane. (Google Maps)
The weather service also reported half-dollar-sized hail and 60 mph (96 km/h) wind gusts near Raleigh-Durham International Airport just before 4 p.m., but there were no immediate reports of damages.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Lightning strikes also sparked fires at two separate locations, WNCN reported. One fire was reported just before 4 p.m. at a home in Durham. Lightning caused another fire at a home on the northern edge of Raleigh. Lightning also damaged a Durham apartment building, but there was no fire, officials said.