Tornado damages Wilson Co. Middle School (2024)

A tornado in Wilson County damaged Springfield Middle School.

This is located in Lucama on Wiggins Mill Road.

According to Wilson County Emergency Management Director Gordon Deno, homes were also damaged. There were no injuries reported.

Emergency officials said not to drive in this area.

A tornado watch is issued in multiple counties, including Wilson, until 1 p.m. Friday.

As the triangle prepares for the effects of Tropical Storm Debby, many people are doing what they can to stock up on things like food and gas.

Residents appeared to be cautiously optimistic, and ready to stay inside to ride out the wind and rain to come.

"I don't get the eggs and bread and milk or anything. Like that. I'm just gassing up my car," said Garner resident Lisa Trueblood. "I got extra gas, extra water and filling my tab, things like that, making sure I have non-perishables, flashlights, candles."

With multiple school cancellations on Thursday, Princess Capehart told ABC11 she's thankful to have childcare for her toddlers.

"They can still open. So that's a lifesaver," she said.

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The City of Durham is bracing for the potential effects of Tropical Storm Debby as low-lying communities anxiously await the storm's arrival.

Signs are up in the Forest Hills Park community that serve as reminders that some roads are subject to flood. It's where ABC11 met David Goodman who was mowing his lawn. There is potential for flooding, but he is not worried about that.

"I'm more concerned about trees if there were to be heavy wind because we have so many trees. In fact, the last storm that went through we had a huge branch that came 15 feet from the house," said Goodman. "Trying to get a quickie mowing you know? If you can get half the front yard. It's better than nothing."

The City of Durham said it encouraged residents to charge phones and pack emergency kits. Public Works crews spent Wednesday clearing out clogged storm drains and lowering water levels at the reservoir to prevent flooding.

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Several businesses along Ash Street in Goldsboro, a section of which runs perpendicular to Stoney Creek -- which frequently spills over its banks in heavy rain, got ready by putting out sandbags and boarding windows.

"We're just trying to get everything up from below the knee level because issues about how high the river gets," said Heather Lane, an employee at The Lantern Inn.

The Lantern was one of the countless businesses closed Thursday, and Lane said they may close Friday, too. In the meantime, she said they're raising all their furniture, storing dining ware and getting their patio ready for the expected floodwaters.

"We've been trying to prepare, but you can't really much prepare because the weather changes from day to day. So we're trying to keep up with it and try to prepare as we go on," Lane said.

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