GASTON COUNTY, N.C. — A weak tornado touched down over northern Gaston County and moved into Lincoln County, eventually crossing Lincolnton on Friday, the National Weather Service confirmed.
The NWS Damage Survey concluded that the tornado left one person injured when a large tree fell onto a house. Most of the damage was limited to trees, such as uprooted trees or snapped tree limbs.
As people across the Carolinas recover from the damage, wood piles of chopped fallen trees are visible on the streets. One tree fell on top of a Jeep.
"It sounded like a roar," one person told NBC Charlotte. "Almost like a train coming through."
The estimated time of the tornado was just before 3:30 p.m. and the NWS says the estimated maximum wind speed was 76 mph with a path length of 7.17 miles.
"We had a tree down in our backyard, so it was pretty intense," a resident said. "You could tell it was a lot different. You could tell it was something different."
Another tree fell on a woman's property, hitting a car, garage, and even a pool. The tornado also took out the windows at a barber shop, with customers inside.
"The wind and rain everything pretty much hunkered down and took cover," one resident said. "Immediately after it was an eerie silence you could hear the whistle and the sirens going off and you knew something had happened"
Homeowners say it will take a few more days of cleanup and repairs before things are back to normal.
