Storm causes damage in Bertie

Published 11:22 pm Friday, March 31, 2017

Strong thunderstorms that rolled through the local area around 6:30 p.m. Friday have caused property damage in Bertie County.

Property damage was reported in the Powellsville / Trap area along NC 42, according to Bertie County Emergency Management Director Mitch Cooper. That damage may have been caused by a tornado.

“Thankfully, there were no injuries reported,” Cooper said.

He added that the National Weather Service would have to confirm if a tornado did indeed touch down.

“We have reports from two eyewitnesses that they saw what appeared to be a tornado,” Cooper stated. “One individual saw trees snapping in a wooded area behind Powellsville Pet Clinic while another reported seeing a possible tornado on the Sally Freeman Road.”

Cooper said the following areas were affected:

Brown Road – unoccupied mobile home impacted;

600 block of Quebec Road – damage to farm shop and farm equipment;

300 block of Quebec Road – damage to unoccupied mobile home;

300 block of Quebec Road – occupied mobile home damaged; and

Sally Freeman Road – tree limbs and power lines downed.

“Family members at the occupied home on Quebec Road said they rode out the storm in their living room,” Cooper said.

There were reports of hail – ranging from pea size to bigger than golf ball – reported during the storm in both Bertie and Hertford counties.

 

 

About Cal Bryant

Cal Bryant, a 40-year veteran of the newspaper industry, serves as the Editor at Roanoke-Chowan Publications, publishers of the Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald, Gates County Index, and Front Porch Living magazine.

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