Chain of Tornadoes Tears Through North Carolina

(March 29) -- Up to eight tornadoes tore across central North Carolina on Sunday night, injuring at least 12 people, displacing up to 70 others and causing extensive property damage and power outages, various local news affiliates reported.

Several news crews, storm chasers and amateur videographers were on the scene risking life and limb to capture compelling images of the violent weather.

Accompanied by rain, baseball-sized hail and 70-mph winds, the tornado chain caused the most damage in the Triad region in the north-central part of the state, which includes three major cities: Greensboro, Winston-Salem and High Point. Meanwhile, one tornado touched down only 8 miles west of Charlotte, the state's largest city, reported AccuWeather. Tornado warnings were also issued for northern Georgia Sunday night, but that state appears to have been spared the worst.

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Several homes and businesses were severely damaged or destroyed over the course of the evening, including many mobile homes. The area reported to be hit the hardest is north-central Davidson County, where local officials have declared a state of emergency, according to the area Web site DigiTriad.

Although no deaths had been reported as of 11 a.m. EDT today, at least one resident was rushed to the hospital after suffering a heart attack, according to the Weather Channel.

Many affected residents also compared the intensity and violence of the storm front to what they experienced in 1989 when Hurricane Hugo swept through the state, spawning several tornadoes in the process. Hugo killed seven people and caused an estimated $1 billion in damages to the state.

A Sunday, March 28, 2010 photo provided by Eric Sifford shows a funnel cloud seen at about 7 pm near I-85 and Highway 50 in Linwood, N.C.

Eric Sifford, AP

A funnel cloud appears to touch down Sunday in Linwood, N.C. Storms that raked the state Sunday night also included high winds and baseball-sized hail.