[e_engineer]

two 800-feet-tall water towers flew in the air

This can't be right. They must have meant 80 ft.

[GovernmentShrinker]

800 feet does sound awfully tall for water towers, but 80 sounds awfully short. The 800 figure has turned up on multiple news outlets.

[GovernmentShrinker]

There's a water tower in Kuwait that's over 600 feet (with a slightly shorter companion) -- but that apparently qualifies it as a global landmark. So I think you're right that there can't be 800 footers in Kinston, NC.
http://www.structurae.de/en/structures/data/str00289.php