Pfizer injectable manufacturing plant damaged by North Carolina tornado

Pfizer's Rocky Mount, N.C., plant, one of the world's largest sterile injectable facilities, was heavily damaged in a tornado, the pharmaceutical company said. 

The plant, which contains more than 1.4 million square feet of manufacturing space over 250 acres, was damaged by a tornado that touched down Wednesday afternoon. The company did not report any serious injuries and said all employees were evacuated safely. 

The National Weather Service said the twister was on the ground for 16.5 miles and reached peak wind speeds of 150 mph. 

"I’ve got reports of 50,000 pallets of medicine that are strewn across the facility and damaged through the rain and the wind," Nash County Sheriff Keith Stone said, according to The Associated Press.

Pfizer says its Rocky Mount plant produces 400 million units annually and nearly 25% of all sterile injectables that are used in U.S. hospitals.

The plant produces various products, including anti-infectives, therapeutics, anesthesia, analgesia and neuromuscular blockers, according to Pfizer. Those products are available in small vials and syringes as well as in larger containers such as IV bags and bottles. 

University of Utah Health Senior Pharmacy Director Erin Fox said the damage "will likely lead to long-term shortages while Pfizer works to either move production to other sites or rebuilds," according to the wire service. 

Local officials said more than a dozen people were injured in the tornado.

Madeleine Hubbard is an international correspondent for Just the News. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram.