Thousands still without power after severe weather outbreak

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Thousands of people are still without power Friday after severe thunderstorms rocked the Charlotte area Thursday.

In a text message sent to affected customers Thursday evening, Duke Energy explained, “Today’s severe storms caused significant damage across the Carolinas. Crews have begun making repairs and assessing damage.”

As of 6 a.m. Friday, 9,900 customers are without electricity in Mecklenburg County. Hundreds of other outages have been reported in surrounding counties, led by 600 in Rowan County.

South Carolina Emergency Management reported over 38,000 power outages statewide. Two emergency are open in Greenwood and Spartanburg counties. The state reports 83 roads are closed due to flooding, including more than a dozen in York County.

Many outages do not have an estimated time for restoration. In their text message Thursday, Duke Energy admits customers may not learn of that restoration until Noon Friday, at which point they may still need to wait for work to be completed at the scheduled time.

Severe storms Thursday prompted the National Weather Service to issue several tornado warnings for Charlotte and the surrounding areas.

SCHOOL CLOSINGS: Numerous schools are closed or delayed Friday

Countless trees fell across the area as winds ripped over 60 mph at times. A long period of rain before the storms, made the ground very soft and likely contributed to the number of downed trees.

On their website, Duke Energy says fallen trees or limbs caused damage to their equipment.

The National Weather Service will visit Charlotte and the surrounding areas Friday to survey storm damage. The investigators will determine what caused the damage, and how strong it was.

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