According to Nash County Emergency Management, 15 people were injured after a confirmed tornado Friday afternoon in Rocky Mount.

The National Weather Service said an EF3 tornado touched down around 1:31 p.m. Friday with estimated peak winds of 140 mph.

Four of the injuries are considered serious, Rocky Mount and Nash County officials said. However, city and county leaders said no children were injured.

“It sounded like a train, like a freight train coming,” Demetrius Slade said. “That’s when it started hitting and debris was flying around.”

Slade said he saw the tornado pick up a car, spin it around and throw it into a restaurant. He added that his car was near the two who were struck by the tornado.

“It was a fear,” he said.

According to Nash County Emergency Management, 14 structures were damaged by the tornado.

“Right now we are in the recovery phase,” said Rocky Mount Fire Chief Darvin Moore. “We’re just trying to get everything under control.

“We’re actually doing a damage assessment and making sure all the power is shut off, the utilities are shut off (and) the gas is shut off.”

On Friday, Rocky Mount Mayor C. Saunders Roberson declared a state of emergency due to the damage caused by the tornado.

Cars were thrown into the air and crashed into buildings in Rocky Mount on North Wesleyan Boulevard.

On Friday afternoon, WRAL News received several reports and radio traffic along Benvenue Road and Tiffany Boulevard near North Wesleyan Boulevard.

Sonny Cardinale of Rocky Mount ate at a restaurant on North Wesleyan Boulevard on Friday.

“I grabbed a few other people and pulled them under the table,” Cardinale said. “It was just terrible.”

Cardinale reunited with his wife after the tornado.

A viewer submitted images of damage to a restaurant and a semi-truck on its side near a Days Inn and Suites.

Rocky Mount businesses with losses include:

• Hing Ta Restaurant at 1275 North Wesleyan Boulevard
• A Million Books: 1100 North Wesleyan Blvd.
• El Tapatio Mexican Restaurant: 1296 North Wesleyan Blvd.
• Furniture Fair, 1310 North Wesleyan Blvd.
• Christian Center for New Beginnings: 653 Tiffany Blvd.

Rocky Mount Tornado photo gallery: Click or tap here to view images of the damage

Tornado in Sampson County

The National Weather Service also confirmed that there was an EF1 tornado in Sampson County at 11:25 a.m. Friday near Garland.

Sampson County Emergency Services said two storage buildings and a single-family home were damaged. However, Sampson County Emergency Medical Services said there were no injuries.

The area had downed trees and power lines on Helltown Road near the Bladen County line.

The National Weather Service team will assess the damage in the coming days to determine the strength of the tornado.

Current tornadoes near Rocky Mount

Two other tornadoes occurred in the Rocky Mount area last year: