Fatality Reported, Schools Closed As Greensboro Officials Assess Storm Damage

One person has died and significant damage is reported in the aftermath of a tornado that swept through parts of Greensboro Sunday afternoon. At a press conference, City of Greensboro officials say there are thousands without power and many downed trees and power lines with most of the damage occurring on the eastern part of the city.

Greensboro City Manager Jim Westmoreland confirmed the death of a motorist who was hit by a tree on the corner of Summit Avenue and East Cone Blvd. Westmoreland said there were no additional reports of fatalities or injuries at the time.

Guilford County Schools are closed Monday. Guilford County Schools Superintendent Sharon Contreras said Hampton, Peeler and Erwin Elementary sustained the most damage, and there are other schools that need to be assessed.

In addition to these, Contreras said the schools that are closed include: Dudley High School, The Academy at Lincoln Middle, Bessemer Elementary, Brown Summit Middle School, Bluford Elementary, The Middle College at Bennett, Faulkner Elementary.

“These storms take a lot of time to recover from,” says Westmoreland. “Bear with us. It's going to take a while to be able to clear the mess out there that's both trees and power lines that are down. And it's going to take us a while to do a complete assessment of this.”

The city opened an evacuation center for those affected at the Glenwood Recreation Center.

Greensboro officials say they should have an update on the clean-up progress late Monday morning.

This story has been updated to reflect that all Guilford County Schools are closed Monday.