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Charlotte metro saw plenty of severe weather, eyes still on the skies
Damage was reported in Iredell and Alexander counties from possible tornadoes earlier Tuesday associated with Tropical Depression Fred.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. â Just after 8 p.m., the National Weather Service issued a pair of tornado warnings: one for York County in South Carolina, the other in Cleveland County, North Carolina. Both warnings expired at 8:45 p.m. and were the latest in a set of warnings that popped up across the Charlotte metro throughout Tuesday.
A Tornado Watch for much of upstate South Carolina and western North Carolina, including the greater Charlotte metro area, has been extended until 2 a.m. The threat of continued severe weather is the result of Tropical Depression Fred, which has brought severe, tropical thunderstorms to the Carolinas.
A Tornado Watch is in effect for counties along and to the west of Interstate 77 in both North Carolina and South Carolina. The Tornado Watch includes the City of Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, Union County, and Cabarrus County.
The National Weather Service issues watches whenever there is the possibility for those forms of severe weather in the hours to follow. When an individual storm threatens a tornado, the National Weather Service issues a Tornado Warning.
Tornado damage
Storm damage was reported earlier Tuesday from possible tornadoes across.
Around 11:30 a.m., law enforcement in Alexander County reported seeing a tornado on the ground along Old Mountain Road, which is located near the border of Alexander and Iredell county lines.
Brandon Pope recorded video of that possible tornado and shared the video with WCNC Charlotte.
This same storm is responsible for storm damage to houses and buildings along Smith Farm Road near Stony Point in Alexander County.
“So we all had cell phones and we had them charged, had them with us just in case we needed them,” Cindy Wessollek, a resident of Alexander County, told WCNC Charlotte’s Brandon Goldner after the storms produced damage Tuesday.
In Caldwell County, trees and powerlines have fallen along McGalliard Falls Ave. in Valdese as a result of the severe storm.
If you find yourself inside a Tornado Warning, you want to get to the most interior room on the lowest level of a sturdy structure. The most ideal location is a basement. In the absence of a basement, examples of safe places include interior bathrooms and closets.
Flash flood threat
Flash flooding is occurring in the Carolinas as severe, tropical storms from Tropical Depression Fred bringd large rain amounts to both North Carolina and South Carolina.
By 6 p.m. Tuesday, more than 6 inches of rain had fallen in portions of the western North Carolina mountains — and additional rainfall was expected.
Upwards of 10 inches of rain are possible in localized areas across the mountains. In addition to flooding, there is a risk of landslides as a result of the heavy rains.
The National Weather Service has issued numerous Flash Flood Warnings with a Flash Flood Watch in effect throughout the night.
A Flash Flood Warning is issued when life-threatening flooding is occurring.
Video recorded near Asheville shows creeks, rivers, and streams overflowing their banks.
WCNC Charlotte Chief Meteorologist Brad Panovich cautions the excess rainfall from the mountains will spend days flowing downstream through the rivers of the Carolinas.
