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Powerful thunderstorms slammed into Charlotte and nearby areas Tuesday night, downing trees, knocking out power to thousands, and triggering flash flood warnings.
At least five Charlotte houses were hit by falling trees, and Charlotte-Mecklenburg police reported numerous streets blocked by high water and downed trees, but no injuries have been reported.
The National Weather Service issued a Flash Flood Warning for southern Mecklenburg County until 10:30 p.m.
The storms caused damage in a swath of counties stretching from Chester and York in South Carolina, northeast to Union and Cabarrus in North Carolina. But Mecklenburg County appeared to be hardest-hit.
Chris Horne, of the National Weather Service office in Greer, S.C., said automated gauges indicate up to 2 inches of rain fell during a one-hour span in some parts of Mecklenburg County between 7 and 8 p.m.
Additional thunderstorms formed later in the evening, adding to the rainfall totals. Western Mecklenburg County, largely spared by the first round of storms, was slammed by heavy rain later in the evening.
Authorities said Little Sugar Creek had exceeded flood stage near Hillside Avenue in south Charlotte at 9:15 p.m. A short time earlier, Briar Creek at Providence Road and McMullen Creek at Lincrest Place were near flood stage.
But strong winds and lightning also were problems.
Charlotte fire Capt. Rob Brisley said firefighters received about 115 calls for service between 7 and 9:30 p.m. He said trees fell on houses at five sites:
-- 1300 block of Polk St. (tree on a house; family of five displaced
-- 400 block of West 26th St (tree on a duplex; family displaced)
-- 300 block of West 27th St. (tree on a house; family displaced)
-- 3200 block of Wiseman Drive (tree on a house)
-- 6700 block of Elm Forest Drive (tree on a house; family of four displaced)
In addition, Brisley reported lightning strikes at houses or businesses in the 7000 block of Sycamore Grove Court; 4500 block of Fox Brook Lane; 1400 block of Tom Hunter Road; 2700 block of West Boulevard; and the 3800 block of Meadow Ridge Drive.
Most areas of Charlotte received at least 1 inch of rain during the evening. The heaviest totals are in east and southeast Charlotte, with gauges at Piney Grove Elementary School (off Idlewild Road near Harris Boulevard) and on Sardis Road at McAlpine Creek reporting about 2 inches.
The storm that swept across Charlotte around 7:30 p.m. knocked down a number of trees. Duke Energy reported at 10:15 p.m. that about 10,500 customers in Mecklenburg County were without power. More than 1,000 customers in York and Union (N.C.) also were without power.
At 9:20 p.m., police reported road blockages due to the storm at these locations:
East
-- 8000 block of Country Oaks Road, off Harris Boulevard near Idlewild Road.
-- 7900 block of Monfreya Court, in Piney Grove area
North
-- Dalton Avenue at North Graham Street (traffic signal out)
-- 3000 block of North Davidson Street
-- Statesville Avenue at Oaklawn Avenue Northeast
-- Kilborne Drive at Eastway Drive (traffic signal out)
-- Matheson Avenue and North Brevard Street
-- North Sharon Amity Road at Hickory Grove Road (power outage, traffic signal not working).
-- Parkwood Avenue at The Plaza (traffic signal out)
Southeast
-- Carmel Road at Fairview Road (traffic signal out)
-- Fairview Road at Cameron Valley Parkway, near SouthPark (traffic signal out)
-- Providence Road at Sardis Road (traffic signal out)
-- Robinhood Road at Addison Drive
South
-- Boblink Lane at Wandering Way Drive
Uptown
-- McDowell Street at East 7th Street
West
-- 2200 block of Freedom Drive
When a flash flood warning is issued, it means that flooding is imminent or occurring.
If you are in the warning area move to higher ground immediately. Residents living along streams and creeks should take immediate precautions to protect life and property. Do not drive your vehicle onto areas where the water covers the roadway. Even modern sport utility vehicles cannot be safely driven through floodwaters.
