Tornado destroys hanger, planes at Hickory 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.

The National Weather Service confirmed Wednesday there as an EF-2 tornado at the airport. Further analysis is pending.

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.

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.

More storm damage coverage:

• Officials to survey possible tornado in Caldwell County
• Storm damage forces area schools to close, delay opening
• Hangars damaged, small planes flipped as storms slam Hickory
• Harsh winds peel roof off Lawndale post office in Cleveland County
• Red Cross opens shelters for families affected by storms

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.

Read more top trending stories on wsoctv.com:

• State of Emergency declared in Catawba Co. due to damage, outages
• Hangars damaged, small planes flipped as storm slams Hickory
• VIEWER VIDEO: Damage from possible tornado caught on cellphone
• WATCH: Keith Monday's Tuesday forecast outlook
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