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A line of thunderstorms moved through Wilson County on Friday afternoon, downing trees and turning over a structure at Smithfield Grain.
Storms moved in between 4 and 5 p.m., first downing trees in the Lucama area before doing the same in Wilson.
A metal storage building was picked up and thrown into power lines at the Smithfield Grain complex at the corner of Miller Road and U.S. 301 North.
For a time, the intact structure leaned against a power pole before falling back toward the grain silos.
Wilson Energy responded to the scene to repair the downed power lines the structure hit.
Downed trees were reported on Frank Price Church Road, Wiggins Mills Road, St. Mary’s Church Road, Raleigh Road, Anderson Street and Pearson Street.
A power pole was reported down at the intersection of Slabtown Road and Morningside Road near Black Creek.
According to Wilson Energy, some 377 customers lost electric service in the Lucama area as the storms moved through.
Jamie Ellis of Wilson was inside her home on Anderson Street when she heard the wind suddenly pick up.
“It was almost like a little tornado. I could see the wind outside. It was bad,” Ellis said. “It was whipping and then I head a crack.”
Ellis jumped up to see if a tree had fallen on her car.
It hadn’t, but instead, a tree fell across the road.
Ellis said it’s the fourth tree she has lost in the last three years.
“It breaks my heart,” she said, looking at the huge gash left in the tree as it was split in half by the high winds.
“It makes you wonder about what is left there,” Ellis said.
