Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

MURFREESBORO – Twisted and snapped trees line the shoulders of Vinson Mill Road near here after a tornado, spawned from Hurricane Isaias, damaged several structures in Tuesday’s pre-dawn hours.

Later on Tuesday, Hertford County Emergency Management Director Chris Smith was is in the process of performing a damage assessment from the tornado, which struck overnight during one of the significant squalls (rain bands) to spin off the hurricane.

“Our initial assessment there found damage to 15 structures,” he noted.

Two homes were evacuated during the peak of the storm. Evacuees are sheltering in motel rooms through an effort of the American Red Cross, Smith said.

Meanwhile, Smith said the process to restore electrical service in Hertford County may take more than one day.

As of 11 a.m. Tuesday, nearly 4,000 homes throughout the county lost power due Hurricane Isaias. Dominion Power reported 3,392 homes without electricity while 572 member-owners of Roanoke Electric Cooperative were impacted.

“This could take a few days for some to get back to full power,” said Hertford County Emergency Management Director Chris Smith.

He added that the county’s roads are passable.

“DOT is clearing the few trees we had off roadways,” Smith stated.

The only other major issue in the hurricane’s aftermath was a power failure at a sewer lift station in Murfreesboro. Smith said Hertford County Emergency Management and Gates County Emergency Management are assisting with that situation by supplying generators.