Several people were sent to the hospital and a section of Interstate 95 was shut down after a large tornado touched down in northeastern North Carolina Wednesday afternoon.
The confirmed tornado was reported on the ground near Rocky Mount, North Carolina, which is about 44 miles northeast of Raleigh, just after 12:30 p.m. EDT. Shortly after 4 p.m., local time, the National Weather Service (NWS) office in Raleigh, North Carolina, found at least EF2 tornado damage in Dortches, North Carolina, indicating winds had reached up to 135 mph. The rating is preliminary as the storm survey is still ongoing.
