Damage done to Holly Springs fields

In the foreground, a small limb still sits in the Holly Springs High School softball field's fence where it was lodged during Saturday's tornado. In the background, 90 percent of the outfield wall has collapsed and will need replacing.

Photos by J. Mike Blake

One of Saturday's tornadoes hit the area near Highway 55 and Avent Ferry Road in Holly Springs, and that devastation was still apparent today. Parts of Avent Ferry Road are still blocked off and almost every house on either side of Highway 55 had a tarp on the roof and someone removing limbs out front.

That intersection is just 1.3 miles away from Holly Springs High School, which had some of its athletic fields affected by the tornado's fury.

"Most of the damage was there at the softball field ... it took a pretty big hit," Holly Springs athletics director Andy Wheeler said. Wheeler inspected the damage early Saturday evening after the storm passed through.

At the Golden Hawks softball field, almost the entire outfield wall was flattened. The top of the dugouts and the batting cage suffered damage too. The school's tennis courts had a bar fly off a section of fence, allowing the winds to lean it backwards.

They were the only two fields noticeably affected.

Aside from some debris, the tennis courts are still playable. The school's tennis season is close to its end anyway, with the conference tournament beginning the Wednesday after this week's spring break.

The same can't be said of the softball field.

Wheeler said work will start Monday on how to best fix the damage -- particularly the outfield wall. There are still two more weeks of regular-season softball left after spring break, with playoff games to follow.

Fixing the wall means replacing it.

"All the poles are bent, broken and pulled out of the ground," Wheeler said. "We've got several options. I don't know that we could get that one fixed but maybe what we could do is go with some temporary fencing."

Wheeler said he will work with the town, which also uses the field, as well as Wake County Public Schools to find the best solution.

"We definitely want it fixed by the time our girls come back to play," Wheeler said.

Wheeler said he will also inspect the scoreboards and lights at each facility on Monday. The school did not have power Saturday after the storm, which is why they have not been tested yet.

Still, Wheeler said given how close the twister touched down, the school was fortunate to not suffer damage at any of its other fields.

"It could be worse," he said. "We're pretty lucky."

Some photos of the damage are below, but you can see more by clicking here.