NWS: EF-1 Tornado Confirmed In Gaston And Cleveland Counties

Update: May 9, 2024 2:45pm

The National Weather Service has confirmed an EF-1 tornado touched down Wednesday afternoon in Cleveland and Gaston Counties with winds reaching 110 miles per hour. Click HERE to see photos of storm damage throughout the Carolinas.

Original Story Posted: May 8, 2024 at 10:59pm

GASTON COUNTY, N.C. — A state of emergency has been declared in Gaston County Wednesday afternoon after a severe storm tore through the area.

County officials say one person is dead and others are hurt, with more than 20,000 homes still without power.

Gaston County Emergency Management team says it received hundreds of calls for help and damage is piling up as responders continue clean up efforts.

Those who were outside when the storm hit say the sky went dark, with heavy rain and furious winds hitting from all directions.

Gastonia resident Crystal Sturkey was caught in the storm, and says she hid out in a mechanics garage while destruction hit all around her.

“I’m thinking oh dear God it’s going to get worse. At this time I see the tops of the pines start snapping off,” Sturkey said.

Emergency Management confirmed for WCCB that one person died after a tree fell on their vehicle, and a second person in the car was hurt and taken to the hospital. Sturkey says she has friends with injuries of their own.

“They say that six of them were taken by ambulance, so I’m praying they’re okay,” Sturkey said.

Emergency Management estimates that 45-percent of the County’s power customers lost electricity in the storm. Many stop lights were knocked out, and some business were forced to close due to loss of power and destruction caused by the storm.

Officials say crews will be out all night in an effort to clean debris and restore power for all. Emergency Management asks residents to keep unnecessary travel to a minimum so responders can work quickly.