Tornado forms in Edgecombe County during Tuesday morning storms, NWS officials say

PINETOPS, N.C. (WNCN) – The National Weather Service in Raleigh confirmed a tornado touched down in Edgecombe County early Tuesday morning.

A tornado debris signature appeared around 3:45 a.m. near the intersection of N.C. Highway 42 and Drake Farm Road in Pinetops, according to NWS officials.

As a result of the storms, Edgecombe County Public Schools announced that all schools will operate on a two-hour delay on Tuesday morning.

School leaders said this delay will give them time to assess road conditions and check for any potential damage to their schools to ensure the safety of all students and staff.

"We will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as needed," Edgecombe County school leaders wrote in a social media post. "Stay safe, and thank you for your patience and understanding."

This comes hours after damage was seen Monday evening following a tornado warning for part of Edgecombe County late Monday afternoon.

The tornado warning was issued at 5:10 p.m. for central Edgecombe County when radar indicated a severe thunderstorm over Tarboro, according to NWS officials.

The tornado warning -- in which radar "indicated rotation" -- was extended later into parts of Halifax County until 6:15 p.m.

After the warning, damage was apparent in parts of Tarboro, with CBS 17 crews spotting several tree limbs down and trees on homes and cars.

In northeast Tarboro, a tree was down on cars parked at a home. Also, a large tree was knocked over and part of it fell onto a home near Wooten Street at Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.

Elsewhere in the area, tree limbs were down, and trash cans were knocked over.

The National Weather Service said there was "possible tornado damage" in the same area reported at 5:10 p.m.

The damage report said trees were down two miles north of Princeville, in the same area where CBS 17 crews spotted the damage Monday evening.

There were no immediate reports of injuries.