God has a sense of humor.
A tornado wreaked havoc on a Pfizer plant in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, on Wednesday, causing extensive damage to the facility known for its production of medical supplies for hospitals worldwide.
The National Weather Service reported that the tornado, which touched down near the town at approximately 12:30 p.m., was classified as an EF3, with wind speeds reaching up to 150 mph. This extensive power resulted in significant damage to a key building at the pharmaceutical plant.
One Pfizer employee described the tornado’s rapid onset to ABC11, stating it happened in a span of 60 to 90 seconds, giving little time to react.
First, the lights flickered inside the facility and then it sounded like a “bomb went off,” according to the employee. He and his group promptly ran to a designated safety area.
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According to Nash County Sheriff Keith Stone, the Pfizer plant houses large quantities of medicine, much of which was scattered by the tornado’s force. The plant’s warehouse area suffered the brunt of the damage.
“I’ve got reports of 50,000 pallets of medicine that are strewn across the facility and damaged through the rain and the wind,” Stone said.
Despite the destruction inflicted on the facility and its stockpile, there were no injuries reported as of Wednesday evening, according to a statement from Pfizer.
In their statement, Pfizer confirmed the damage, stating, “We can confirm that the Pfizer Rocky Mount facility was damaged by the tornado.”
“Pfizer colleagues at the site followed our established safety protocol and were able to evacuate. They are safe and accounted for.”
We can confirm that the Pfizer Rocky Mount facility was damaged by the tornado. Pfizer colleagues at the site followed our established safety protocol and were able to evacuate. They are safe and accounted for.
— Pfizer Inc. (@pfizer) July 19, 2023
The potential impact on the healthcare supply chain is unknown at this time as Pfizer continues to assess the damage.
“We are assessing the situation to determine the impact on production. Our thoughts are with our colleagues, our patients, and the community as we rebuild from this weather incident.”
We are assessing the situation to determine the impact on production. Our thoughts are with our colleagues, our patients, and the community as we rebuild from this weather incident.
— Pfizer Inc. (@pfizer) July 19, 2023
The Pfizer plant is considered one of the largest sterile injectable facilities globally, according to its website.
The Rocky Mount, North Carolina site is one of the largest sterile injectable facilities in the world, with more than 1.4 million square feet of manufacturing space on 250 acres in Eastern North Carolina. Nearly 25 percent of all sterile injectables used in U.S. hospitals are produced at the site.
At this facility, a wide range of products are produced, including anesthesia, analgesia, therapeutics, anti-infectives and neuromuscular blockers. These products are available in small volume presentations, such as ampules, vials and syringes, and large volume presentations, such as IV bags and semi-rigid bottles.
More than 400 million units leaving the Rocky Mount site annually help treat patients around the world.
