Severe wind damage tore away around half an external wall from the Gildan Distribution Center in Mebane on Friday, while the area was under a Tornado Warning.
MORE ABOUT THIS COMING UP IN LESS THAN 15 MINUTES, LENA. ALL RIGHT. TO THEN, MIKE, WE CONTINUE TO HAVE REPORTS OF AND ORANGE COUNTY AND THE SIDE OF MEBANE IN ORANGE COUNTY WRAL’S LESLIE MORENO JUST ARRIVED ON THE SCENE TO GIVE US A FIRST LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED. LESLIE. >> DAVID, SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE HERE BEHIND ME. TAKE A LOOK ALMOST MORE THAN HALF OF THE SIDE OF THIS WALL OF THE BUILDING HERE IS COMPLETELY TORN OFF. THIS IS ON EAST WASHINGTON STREET THIS IS AT THE GILDED GOALTO DISTRIBUTION CENTER. YOU CAN SEE THE PAO’S AND BREAK THEIR PIECES OF THE BUILDING HANGING OFF. WE SPOKE TO OFFICIALS HERE ON SCENE WHO SAY THEY ARE ABOUT TO DO A SEARCH OF THE BUILDING. THEY’RE NOT SURE IF THERE WAS ANYONE INSIDE WHEN THIS HAPPENED. I ASKED HIM IF THIS WAS WEATHER RELATED. THEY TOLD ME THEY COULD NOT SAY, BUT WE DO KNOW THERE WERE SEVERE STORMS THAT ROLLED THROUGH THE AREA HERE. I DID ALSO JUST SPEAK TO THE PLANT MANAGER OF THE DISTRIBUTION CENTER HERE. HE SAYS HE’S ALSO GETTING TO DO GETTING READY TO DO A WALK THROUGH TO KIND OF GET AN IDEA OF THE EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE HERE. OFFICIALS ARE ALSO LIKE I MENTIONED, GETTING READY TO GO INSIDE AND DO THAT SEARCH RIGHT NOW. WE ARE GOING TO BE TALKING TO THE PLANT MANAGER MANAGER HERE IN JUST A FEW MINUTES. WE’LL BE ABLE TO GET AN UPDATE ON WHAT EXACTLY HAPPENED. WE DID ALSO SEE SOME WITNESSES, SOME PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THE AREA WE’RE GOING TO SEE WE CAN TALK TO THEM AND FIGURE OUT WHAT EXACTLY HAPPENED HERE IN OF EVERYONE. HE’S OK, DAVID. >> YOU KNOW, IT’S AMAZING SEEING THE SUN POP OUT THERE, BUT ALSO EVERYONE SEEMS PRETTY CALM AROUND THERE FOR A LOT OF WHAT SUCH A LARGE SWATH OF DAMAGE. AGAIN, NO REPORTS OF ANYONE BEING HURT RIGHT >> YEAH. AS OF NOW THEY DON’T BELIEVE ANYONE WAS INSIDE. BUT AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, UNDERSTAND THEY DO HAVE TO DO A VERY THOROUGH SEARCH TO MAKE SURE THERE WAS, IN FACT, NO EMPLOYEES, NO STOP ANYONE AROUND. WE DO. YOU HAVE OFFICIALS WAITING FOR ME. SO I AM ABLE TO A TALK TO THEM WILL BE ABLE TO GET AN UPDATE HERE AND WE’LL LET YOU GUYS KNOW BOTH ON AIR AND ONLINE.
