Hangars Damaged, Planes Flipped at NC Airport

HICKORY, N.C. - Small planes were flipped over and two hangars were damaged at the Hickory Regional Airport after strong storms whipped through the area late Monday afternoon.

Darin Nesmith was in a nearby hangar

"I was just worried about saving myself, and all I saw was that wall of water come through, and then it flipped that hangar over,” he said.

Airport officials believe a tornado touched down, but that has not been confirmed by the National Weather Service.

No injuries were reported.

On Tuesday, the city of Hickory declared a state of emergency. Officials said the worst hit areas were concentrated in northwest Hickory, from the airport to many neighborhoods in the northwest quadrant.

Not only was the airport hit hard but so were several homes in Long View and Hickory.

A few miles away from the airport, Freddy Adrian showed Channel 9 where he was watching television in his bedroom. He left the room just in time as a tree came crashing down on his home.

"I gave thanks to God that I'm alive, you know," said Adrian.

Channel 9 saw homes damaged in several Long View neighborhoods. In other areas, firefighters had trouble assessing the damage because there were so many trees down.

Eyewitness News reporter Dave Faherty spoke with a young mother who scrambled to protect her daughter during the storm.

"I hid in a closet and put my bed in front of the closet,” she said. “It was scary. I'm glad that God was watching over us."

Several agencies are working to assess the damage and help with clean-up efforts. Conditions were still dangerous Tuesday, with fallen power lines and trees in the roadways. Residents were encouraged to avoid the affected areas if possible.