A severe thunderstorm rumbled through the region Friday afternoon, toppling trees, including one that fell onto Business 40, backing up traffic as crews worked to clear it.
A tree fell onto Korner's Folly, damaging the iconic house's roof. High winds also ripped the roof off a building at a business near downtown Kernersville.
No injuries were reported.
After days of storms, the weather is expected to clear today. The forecast calls for a 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms this morning, before becoming partly sunny with highs in the low 80s. The low tonight should be in the mid-60s, with a 20 percent chance of rain.
The National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm warning about noon for 40 counties in central North Carolina, including Forsyth, Davie, Davidson, Stokes and Guilford.
A flash-flood watch is also in effect for 22 counties — including Forsyth, Guilford, and Davidson — until 6 a.m. today.
Friday's storm, which had winds clocked at more than 60 mph, rolled through Kernersville about 2 p.m., said Ron Humble, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Raleigh.
Several trees fell along South Main Street, including the one that clipped Korner's Folly. The house was built in 1880 by Jule Gilmer Korner as his home and as a showplace for his interior-design business.
"You can't replace this house," said Jules Korner IV, a descendant of the original owner.
Korner, who lives in Washington, was attending a funeral near Kernersville when the storm hit.
The storm ripped the roof off a building at Hedgecock Lumber Co. at 229 Church St., and trees fell on cars on Old Winston Road near Business 40, the weather service said. The storm also knocked down trees near the Sedge Garden community in Forsyth County.
A pine tree fell in the yard of Sheilah Moore, who lives in the 800 block of Old Winston Road. A large oak tree fell in the backyard of her neighbor's house.
"It is amazing that the storm did this much damage," Moore said.
Another large tree fell on a pickup parked in the yard of Debbie Kurth, who also lives on Old Winston Road. The tree caved the pickup's roof and shattered its windshield.
"I was driving in that mess," Kurth said. "When I pulled into the yard, saw that tree, I said, "Oh my goodness.'
The afternoon storm followed overnight and early-morning storms that knocked down branches and caused damage in western Forsyth County. The winds toppled the steeple at Immanuel Baptist Church on Lewisville-Clemmons Road.
Friday's storms also brought heavy rain, hail and flooding to other parts of the state, causing power outages and a temporary grounding of flights at Raleigh-Durham International Airport.
Officials in Chapel Hill said heavy rain forced them to detour several bus routes Friday afternoon. In Durham, a business park was evacuated because of rising water. Hail was reported in parts of Wake and Granville counties.
At Raleigh-Durham International Airport, no flights were allowed to land or take off for about an hour because of the intensity of the storm, an airport spokeswoman said. Normal service resumed about 4 p.m.
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