'I never seen anything like that': Contractor at Pfizer witnesses EF3 tornado
Marvin Hicks, who works as a contractor at the Pfizer plant in Rocky Mount, witnessed the EF3 tornado that hit that plant on Wednesday.
Hicks, a Pfizer forklift technician for the past 9 years, was walking back to the shop when he received a WRAL weather alert on his phone.
He and his coworkers gathered in the hallway, and that's when the tornado hit.
"The wind was strong and the power went out," Hicks said. "We just sat there in the building as the tornado passed."
Afterward, Hicks went outside and saw the damage. He said he had never experienced anything like it before, not even Hurricane Fran.
Hicks felt safe inside the plant as the storm passed, thanks to the weather alert he had received on his phone. Two hours earlier, he had installed a dash cam in his car, and he later discovered that it had captured video footage of the tornado.
Hicks said that the part of the building that handles product stored and ready to be shipped was hit the hardest by the tornado.
"Just think how quick something like that can happen," Hicks said. "A storm only lasted seconds but leaves months and months of repair. So it’s scary."
The plant is one of Nash County's largest employers, employing more than 3,200 people.
The CEO of Pfizer announced Friday the company is planning to pay all employees during the closure of the plant.
The company has set up assistance programs for wellness and disaster recovery.
The Pfizer Foundation will donate to the American Red Cross North Carolina Chapter and United Way Tar River Region to help rebuild the community.
Anyone who would like to help, can make a donation to the Twin County Tornado Disaster Relief Fund once the Rocky Mount Area Chamber of Commerce sets it up.
