The fire department said teams requested by the state emergency management are deploying to locate the missing people.
Earlier, the National Weather Service Wilmington Office said in a tweet, “Structural damage and power lines down along Highway 17 near Highway 904 in the Grissettown area (Brunswick County). Avoid the area.”
Grissettown sits along US-17, about 45 miles south of Wilmington and 30 miles north of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
A tornado warning was issued for the county and it expired at 12:15 a.m. ET, the NWS said.
CNN has reached out to the Brunswick County Emergency Management Office to get additional details on damage
Storms will continue in the area and tornado watches are still in effect for Eastern North Carolina, according to CNN meteorologist Michael Guy
Areas to the north of Wilmington including the Outer Banks through to Elizabeth City remain under watches until 8 a.m., he said.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
Source: CNN – US News