Rocky Mount building collapses during Tuesday storms

An empty building on Main Street in downtown Rocky Mount collapsed Tuesday as severe weather moved through the area.

Main Street and Western Avenue were both covered in bricks, steel pipes and pieces of wood after the front facade of the building came down.

Owners tell WRAL News the brick building was empty but was under construction with plans to be restored and transformed.

Much of Main Street and Western Avenue remained blocked at 6 a.m. Wednesday morning.

Areas southeast of Raleigh saw the most rain Tuesday -- up to 3 inches -- while areas northwest of the Triangle saw far less.

Heavy rain flooded the parking lot of Lowe's off U.S. Highway 70 in Garner. In Elm City, a car attempted to drive through a flooded street before it lost control and ended up in the grass.

In Micro, strong winds picked up a trampoline and sent it blowing several houses away before it crashed into a tree.

WRAL meteorologist Elizabeth Gardner said similar storms could return Wednesday afternoon, moving into the area by 3 p.m. and lingering into the night.