Nash County Emergency Management Director Brian Brantley said the man was walking outside his home in a rural area of the county around 10:20 a.m. Saturday when the limb hit him.
Paramedics were called to the scene, but the man was already dead. Wind gusts in the area had reached more than 60 mph as Irene's outer bands passed through.
Brantley says more details, including the man's name and age, will be released later.
