RALEIGH – The Department of Crime Control and Public Safety said crews found a woman dead early Saturday morning in the wreckage of her Johnston County home.

The woman’s husband was taken to WakeMed. It happened just after 3 a.m. near the intersection of Scott and Bridgers roads.

At a press conference in Kenly, N.C., Fire Chief Paul Whitehurst said that preliminary figures point to a F2 tornado with wind speeds of 130 to 135 miles per hour. He said there were two injuries and one fatality in Johnston County.

Whitehurst added that the Department of Transportation is working to clear roads of debris and Progress Energy is working to restore power to places where it was knocked out during the storm.

“We have at least six houses, I believe it’s six, that are totally destroyed, and we have many more that are damaged,” Whitehurst said.

Whitehurst added that although there were reports of missing people, officials have been able to account for everyone.

“The Johnston County sheriff’s office was actually able to go to the hospital and interview one of the family members and confirm that he was not there,” Whitehurst said. “So we have accounted for everyone.”

The Wilson County Sheriff’s Office also confirmed that 11-year-old Joshua Wiggins was killed when the tornado destroyed his grandparents' London Church Road home in Elm City.

Their report said Wiggins, a student at Wells Elementary School, was staying with his grandparents at the time.

Gordon Deno with the Wilson County Emergency Damage Team said that in the area there are two houses that have been destroyed and others that have been damaged.

“We have had wind damage in the past in Wilson County that did this same type of damage,” Deno said. “But this is the first time we’ve had a fatality.”

Wilson County Sheriff’s Office Major John Farmer said he inspected the damage in the area.

“It looks like a war zone here,” Farmer said. “I just can’t describe it.”

Wilson County EMS officials said that three other residents were taken to the hospital with non life-threatening injuries and that
Wiggins is Wilson County’s only reported fatality.

A shelter has been opened at the Kenly Free Will Baptist Church for storm victims.