Downed trees and power outages in Roanoke Rapids after strong storms moved through
COVERAGE. YOU CAN COUNT ON.
>> GOOD EVENING AND THANK YOU
FOR JOINING US TONIGHT. I'M
JULIAN GRACE. WE'RE STAYING ON
TOP OF BREAKING NEWS RIGHT NOW
RIGHT HERE AT THE TOP OF THE
6 O'CLOCK, THE ROANOKE RAPIDS
POLICE DEPARTMENT IS HOLDING A
NEWS CONFERENCE GIVING IT
UPDATE ON WEATHER-RELATED
DAMAGE WILL HAVE MORE ON THOSE
UPDATES IN JUST A FEW MINUTES.
WINDS OVERNIGHT CAUSED DOWNED
TREES AND POWER OUTAGES AROUND
THE CITY. WRAL'S ERIC MILLER
TALKED TO SOME PEOPLE TODAY WHO
SAY THEY'RE LUCKY TO BE ALIVE
AFTER THE STORM.
>> HERE IN ROANOKE RAPIDS THIS
AFTERNOON, THE WIND IS
CONTINUING TO WHIP THROUGH IN
THE STREETS ARE CHOKED WITH
ALMOST AS MANY POWER CRUISES
DOWN TREES. THESE RESPONDERS
WORKING TO PICK UP THESE DAMAGE
ALL OVER TOWN BECAME FAR TOO
CLOSE TO TAKING LIVES ON
JEFFERSON STREET. IT LOOKS LIKE
A TRAGEDY. A WHOLE NEW LOOK
FOR FOR GENERATIONS NOW
SPANISH. BUT IF YOU LOOK
CLOSER, YOU'LL SEE GREECE.
YOUR WILL TELL YOU, YOU'RE
REALLY LOOKING AT A MIRACLE BY
THE GRACE OF GOD THAT DID NOT
TAKE INTO MIAMI.
>> CRUISER AND HER 10 YEAR-OLD
SON HAD JUST GOTTEN HOME
YESTERDAY AROUND 6 WHEN THE
STORM HIT IN THE STREET.
PHIL, WE'RE GETTING REALLY FOR
DINNER. YESTERDAY WAS NOT PART
BY THE TREE, CRUSHED HER SON'S
ROOM THAT USED TO BE A GAME AND
CHAIR. THAT'S WHERE HE WAS AT
IT. MISSED IT BY JUST ENGINES.
HE WAS SCREAMING FOR ME AND I
COULDN'T LOCATE HIM. YES,
>> AND SO HE MADE IT OUT.
MY WHOLE THING WAS GET OUT.
I NEED YOU TO GET OUT AND AWAY
FROM THE HOUSE AND HE DID.
YOU ACTUALLY GO UP BEFORE I
COULD GET OUT OF MY ROOM.
WE WERE TRAPPED DIFFERENTLY
AND HE GOT OUT.
>> AT THE SAME TIME CREWS YOU
WAS FIGHTING FOR HER OWN LUNCH
WILL BE TRAPPED IN HER BEDROOM
AND OUR COMMUNITY. THAT
INSULATION RIGHT HERE. YOU SEE
WHAT I WANT TO BE SAYS WHEN
IT FELL WAS ACTUALLY BETWEEN
THIS IS A BAD AND THE DRESSERS
RIGHT HERE. I WAS STANDING IN
BETWEEN. SO ALL OF THIS TOWING
COMPANY HERE, SHE AND HER SON
BOTH SOMEHOW METED OUT. WE PICK
FROM THE FRONT PORCH TO
FREEDOM. REAL ABOUT THAT LITTLE
BRAISED COUPLE ECZEMA AND AND
ACROSS THE BACK ACROSS TOWN,
DAMAGE WAS EASY TO FUND WITH
THOUSANDS IN THE DARK GENERATE
TOME DID MANY NEIGHBORHOODS AND
DRIVERS HAD TO NAVIGATE
INTERSECTIONS WITH NO TRAFFIC
LOOKS. THE STORM ALSO LEFT
BEHIND SNAPPED POWER POLES AND
EVEN A TRUCK DANGLING IN THE
AIR BY THE ROOTS OF AN UPTURN
TREE OF MONROE STREET. WE
SURVIVED IT. QUIT AND WRITER
LIVES JUST ACROSS THE STREET.
HIS HOUSE, HE'S FINE. HE'S
BRACING FOR POTENTIALLY DAYS
WITHOUT POWER FOR HIS OXYGEN
HAVEN'T USE ALL
>> BRUTAL. MODERN. THANK YOU,
JOE SIEGRIST. WHAT ELSE SHE'S
TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT COMES
NEXT. PICKING UP THE PIECES
AFTER THE TEAM'S NEAR MISS.
>> WE'RE GOING TO SAY WE'RE
GOING TO SEE WHAT CAN BE SAVED
AND WHAT CAN BE SAVED.
>> AND WILL THAT FROM THE START