Lowe's Staff Save Dozens as Storm Hit NC Store

SANFORD, N.C. (AP) — Authorities credited the manager and employees of a home improvement store for saving lives as a storm ripped through the town of Sanford.

Police Capt. J.R. Weeks said Sunday that search and rescue crews combing through a local Lowe's store report no fatalities from the weekend storm.

Weeks says credit goes to store manager Michael Hollowell and employees who moved customers to a safe zone in the back of the store. The storm flattened concrete walls and ripped the steel roof off the building.

Hollowell says around 100 employees and customers crammed shoulder-to-shoulder in the dark as the storm hit. He says just about everyone started screaming when the steel roof curled off most of the building.

The manager says that he doesn't consider himself a hero.