Tornado watch in effect for northeastern N.C., storms in Va.

The National Weather Service has issued a tornado watch for northeastern North Carolina that will expire at midnight and is warning of strong thunderstorms moving across southeastern Virginia.

The tornado watch did not include Hampton Roads or Dare County in North Carolina.

At about 11:39 p.m., the Weather Service radar indicated a strong line of thunderstorms moving across Tidewater and northeastern North Carolina. The line of thunderstorms stretched from Ocean View to 11 miles west of Sunbury, N.C. and was moving east at 35 mph.

Wind gusts of up to 40 mph are expected.

The storm, which was sweeping through to the eastern part of North Carolina, may have already spawned a twister that touched down in Wilson County, damaging at least a dozen homes and injuring three. The National Weather Service said there were indications of at least one tornado, but no confirmations would be made until Wednesday.

One minor injury was reported tonight in Sims, where officials think the twister touched down. As many as a dozen homes were damaged and 25 people were forced to seek refuge in a shelter set up at an elementary school.

Two minor injuries were reported in Nash County, where officials say two mobile homes were destroyed and power lines were brought down.

National Weather Service meteorologist Ron Humble said the series of storms was the result of a front stalled across the state from northeast to southwest, combined with an upper-level system. Temperatures north of the front had dropped into the upper 50s to low 60s, while south of the front, temperatures were in the 70s, creating the stormy conditions.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.