As the nation watched a deadly tornado rip through North Carolina today, a California-based antenna distributor put out word that its own systems had withstood a less severe weather system that whistled into Atlanta two months ago.

 

San Jose’s NextG Networks Inc. says its system served on March 14 as an important wireless communications network for emergency responders, 911 callers and government officials.

 

“As the tornado passed through downtown Atlanta, our network operations center was in contact with the affected operator,” said Richard Walker, NextG’s director of network operations. “Our technicians were available and on site starting immediately after the storm to ensure that our mobile services were fully restored as quickly as possible. We’re proud of our network’s performance during this devastating storm.”

 

The earlier tornado caused injuries, destroyed property and downed utility lines, the company said.

 

At that point, Next G’s so-called “distributed-antenna-system” nodes automatically switched to customers to a battery back-up power, which opened communications during a critical 90-minute period after the tornado struck, the company said.

 

NextG personnel were on-site before and after authorities opened the area to non-emergency personnel, and the company said its entire network system was restored to normal operation immediately upon utility power restoration.

 

Today’s tornado in central North Carolina caused far more extensive damage, killing one person and seriously injuring three others as it swept across the Southeast, damaging homes and businesses in at least three other states.

 

Authorities began combing through the wreckage Friday caused by a reported tornado that killed one person and injured three others in central North Carolina.

 

A possible tornado touched down on the outskirts of Greensboro late Thursday as severe storms swept across the Southeast, damaging homes and businesses in at least three other states.

 

One person was killed in a small truck that overturned in a parking lot west of Greensboro, according to news reports.

 

Earlier in the day, an apparent tornado also wrecked a shopping area in Mississippi and strong winds flipped a mobile home in Alabama. In south-central Tennessee, at least four homes and a few barns were damaged.

 

The storm left numerous trees and power lines down, some on top of homes.

The North Carolina Highway Patrol said the storm blew several tractor-trailers off Interstate 40 but could not confirm the number.

 

Storms also ripped through Virginia late Thursday and early Friday, damaging homes and threatening to flood some areas.

 

Portions of northern and central Virginia and southern Maryland had been under a flood warning this morning.