Update: The National Weather Service has announced another storm is expected to pass through Lenoir, Jones, Greene and Duplin counties. Strong thunderstorms are expected through 11 p.m.
Areas to be affected are Arba, Institute La Grange, Dawson, Faison and Falling Creek. The line of thunderstorms extends from Jason to 11 miles northwest of faison, or along a line extending from 7 miles north of La Grange to 13 miles west of Mount Olive and moving southeast at 15 miles per hour
Be on the watch for pea-sized hail and gusty winds up to 40 miles per hour and seek shelter.
Previous story: A brief storm swept through the city shortly before 8:30 p.m. wreaking damage in the area around Kinston High School.
“A few power lines were knocked down by the storm,” Jerri King, deputy director of Emergency Services, said.
An undetermined number of residences are without power.
Several poles and lines are down around Greenmead Drive and Cunningham Road and arching was observed coming from a downed line near the intersection.
A spokesman from the National Weather Service in Newport said the radar hadn’t shown any severe weather, but did show a number of storms passing through the area. Winds at the airport were about 7 miles per hour, but isolated winds must have exceeded 30 miles per hour to bring down poles and there could have been lightning, the spokesman said.
At 8:47 p.m., the NWS issued a weather statement that strong winds of 30-40 miles per hour and possible pea-sized hail could pass through Lenoir, Jones, Duplin and Onslow counties until about 9:45 p.m. Watch for flooded areas.
No further information was available. Look for an updated story in The Free Press.
Margaret Fisher can be reached at 252-559-1082 or Margaret.Fisher@Kinston.com. Follow her on Twitter @MargaretFishr.