EF-1 tornado confirmed near RTP, where roof ripped off Pfizer office building

By Eric Miller, WRAL multimedia journalist

Raleigh, N.C. — The National Weather Service on Friday confirmed an EF-1 tornado touched down in southeastern Durham County near RTP during Thursday’s severe storms.

Strong winds and heavy rain caused damage and crashes across the Triangle on Thursday afternoon.

Dozens of crashes were reported as people rushed to get home while the storm pelted across the Triangle.

• US-264 near Lizard Lick Road was closed after a truck overturned.
• Power lines fell across US-401 near Ramsey Street. The road is closed between E. Reevees Bridge and Giles roads
• Part of Interstate 40 west near Exit 306 was closed due to a crash

The wind and rain forcing drivers like Benjamin Eller to pull over on the side of I-540, and hunker down inside their cars.

“I was blocking my head like this, cause the wind was hitting the window right here,” said Eller. “There was stuff blowing everywhere, I couldn’t even see the debris”

Eller saw another driver’s window shatter, and the storm tear a road sign clean off its base.

“I called my mom on the phone cause she was on speed dial, and I was like ‘I’m in a tornado.’ And I didn’t want to be by myself if I go flying through the air,” said Eller.

Across the interstate, those same winds ripped the roof off of Pfizer’s office building in the Research Triangle Park.

Durham Division Chief Jim Cole saying no one inside was hurt.

“There’s no structural damage at all,” said Cole. “It coulda caused a lot more damage. We really got lucky with it.”

At least 55 flights were delayed out of the airport and 10 flights were canceled, according to the website FlightAware.

Around 700 people were without power in Raleigh and that number is only expected to go up.