8 tornadoes touch down in central North Carolina

The National Weather Service has confirmed seven tornadoes hit central North Carolina Saturday, including two with winds estimated at 160 mph.

Tornadoes are ranked on the Enhanced Fujita Scale from the weakest, an EF0, to the strongest, an EF5. An EF1 has winds froms 86 to 110 miles to hour, an EF2 has winds 111 to 135 and an EF3 has winds 136  to 165. Tornadoes in North Carolina rarely go above EF1.

Here are the tornado strengths from Saturday:

• Cumberland/Sampson Counties - EF2
• Wayne County - EF0
• Cumberland/Harnett/Johnston Counties - EF3
• Micro, Johnston County - EF1
• Wilson County - EF2
• Wake/Lee Counties - EF3
• Roxboro, Person County - EF2
• Halifax County - EF2

The two strongest had paths that stretched more than 60 miles.

So far this week, Gov. Bev Perdue has toured storm damage across the state including stops in Bertie, Halifax Wake and Wilson Counties.

North Carolina Emergency Management said Sunday that 22 people from Bertie, Bladen, Cumberland, Harnett, Johnston, Lee and Wake Counties were killed during the storms.  Emergency management also said that 80 people had to be taken to local hospitals.  Statewide 130 people were transported to local hospitals.

Saturday night, Gov. Perdue declared a State of Emergency for all of North Carolina.  A State of Emergency allows the governor to use resources to help people recover from the storm. More than a dozen counties also have declared local States of Emergency.

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Cumberland County confirms one fatality in the county. The City of Raleigh confirms four fatalities and at least two dozen injuries. Lee County confirms two people were killed.

Reports of tornadoes came from Lee, Alamance, Person, Wake and Cumberland Counties.

Johnston County, Cumberland County, Fayetteville and Wake County have each declared a state of emergency. Authorities are asking people to stay out of affected areas to allow emergency crews to get through the affected area.

Shelters have been set-up throughout central N.C. For a list of those shelters, click here.

At least 15 counties in the central and eastern part of the state have reported damage from possible tornadoes and severe winds. Urban search and rescue teams have been deployed to help find people that may be trapped in damaged buildings.

In Wake County, debris, trees and power lines are down in the streets throughout the county. Most severe damage reported on South Saunders Street near Western Blvd. and I-40; Stony Brook mobile home park; neighborhoods surround Shaw University; Buffalo Road and New Hope Rd; Yonkers Road area; and in Holly Springs. A 10 p.m. curfew was issued for Holly Springs Sunday.

An entire mobile home park was destroyed by the storms near the town of Micro with more than 100 people reportedly displaced.

In Fayetteville, agencies are working to respond to damage along Reilly Road corridor, Ramsey Street, Andrews Road and around McArthur Road. There are reports of damage to structures and downed trees and power lines have caused roads to become impassable.

Sanford also sustained a lot of damage. A Lowes hardware store was completely destroyed. Other businesses nearby were also damaged. Officials have issued an 8 p.m. curfew for all of Lee County.

In Person County, Roxboro Police report six homes demolished in the Bethel Hill Community.

At the height of the storm, approximately 20,000 people were without power in Fayetteville. Progress Energy reports more than 32,000 were without power in Wake County, more than 4,000 in Johnston County and 9,359 were without power in Lee County.

Report an Outage
Progress Energy: 1-800-419-6356
Duke Energy: 1-800-769-3766

Late Saturday night, U.S. Senator Kay Hagan said: "My thoughts and prayers are with the families who lost loved ones in this violent storm. My office and I continue to monitor the damage from the severe weather system striking our state today -- some of the worst weather to hit North Carolina since 1984. I will be working with the Governor's office, as well as federal, state and local emergency responders to deliver help to those in need as quickly as possible."

NC Congresswoman Renee Ellmers said: "I have been in touch with state and local officials and have offered my full support. I am getting regular first hand reports of damage from the ground. Members of my staff have already visited some of the sites of the worst damage in Harnett County and we will continue to assess damage across the District."

The same system that hit our state prompted 98 tornado reports across the South and Midwest Friday, making it one of the busiest severe weather days since last summer.  The severe weather outbreak has also resulted in 17 deaths Thursday and Friday in Oklahoma, Arkansas and Alabama.

Alabama's governor declared a state of emergency for the entire state.  Mississippi’s governor declared a state of emergency for more than a dozen counties.

"It is very rare that North Carolina sees a moderate risk for severe storms, let alone a high risk," NBC-17 Meteorologist Jeremy Baker said. "When the main line of storms moved through, the high risk was validated with several strong, long-tracked tornadoes.”

If you see breaking news or severe weather happening in your area, share it with us. Send photos and videos to newstips@wncn.com or become a fan of NBC-17 on Facebook.

Weather Safety Tips

• Stay away from downed power lines. Only utility workers can tell if a line is still active or if electricity has been turned off.
• Maintain proper ventilation when using generators. These machines give off harmful fumes that can cause serious problems if they are inhaled. Do not try to refuel a running or "hot" generator.
• Keeping off of roadways unless travel is truly necessary. If the traffic signal is totally dark, all drivers are to stop at the intersection, then proceed as if the intersection had stop signs controlling all approaches unless law enforcement is directing traffic.
• Use good safety practices when operating yard equipment. If using a chainsaw or other heavy machinery, be sure to wear goggles and other safety equipment.