One person was killed and three others injured in what authorities say was a tornado that moved through central North Carolina, said Patty McQuillan, spokeswoman for the state Department of Crime Control and Public Safety.

The National Weather Service said late Thursday that law enforcement officers reported a tornado 6 miles northwest of Greensboro around 11:29 p.m.

The Winston-Salem Journal quoted the state Highway Patrol as saying the storm blew three tractor-trailers off Interstate 40 near N.C. 68.

McQuillan said eastbound lanes of I-40 were briefly closed because of downed trees.

The Emergency Operations Center reported that two businesses and one house were damaged in Guilford County, McQuillan said.

Emergency officials also reported structural collapses in Forsyth and Davie counties. It wasn't known what kind of buildings were damaged.