Tornado watch issued for Charlotte area. 65-mph winds, hail possible, NWS says
The Charlotte area is under a tornado watch until 11 p.m. Thursday, according to a National Weather Service alert.
“A couple of tornadoes,” hail up to a half inch and gusts as strong as 65 mph are possible, NWS meteorologists said on social media site X, formerly Twitter.
At 6:39 p.m., the weather service issued a tornado warning for the Catawba County communities of Maiden, Newton and Claremont, saying radar indicated a tornado in the area.
A tornado warning means a tornado has been sighted or indicated by radar. A watch means a tornado is possible.
Concord, Spencer and Granite Quarry were under a severe thunderstorm warning until 8:45 p.m., with nickel-size hail and 65-mph gusts possible, according to the weather service.
Similar severe-thunderstorm warnings were issued earlier in the evening for Matthews, Indian Trail and Marshville.
Straight line winds damaged a home in the 14000 block of Highway 801 in the Rowan County community of Mount Ulla, just east of Mooresville, emergency officials said.
The winds knocked trees onto cars and blew part of the roof off Mount Ulla Elementary School, officials said. No injuries were reported.
In Concord, fallen power lines and trees blocked seven intersections, and at least 2,500 Duke Energy customers lost power, city officials said on X.
The intersections were Edgewood Drive at Church Street North; Franklin Avenue at Spring Street Northwest; Stough Road at Marlboro Drive; Spring Street at Marsh and Franklin avenues; 2nd Street at Cabarrus Avenue; Ann Street at Eudy Drive; and Odell Drive at Elm Avenue.
“Find alternate routes and stay safe,” police said on X.
Friday morning, crews continued to restore power, clear roads and remove debris, according to Concord Emergency Management.
The same system that walloped Louisiana and Mississippi on Wednesday prompted hazardous weather alerts for the Charlotte area and other parts of the Carolinas for much of Thursday.
“A dynamic storm system brings rain and embedded t-storms to our area from late tonight through Thursday morning,” the National Weather Service office in Greer, South Carolina, posted on social media just after 1 p.m. Wednesday.
“Heavy rainfall is expected, which could cause localized flooding,” according to the alert. “A severe storm or 2 producing damaging wind gusts and perhaps a brief, weak tornado cannot be ruled out.”
Still, the unstable weather system should weaken considerably by the time it gets here, a National Weather Service meteorologist said earlier Wednesday.
The Charlotte area saw bouts of heavy rain with thunderstorms from the system Thursday night.
The weather service’s Greer office warned of the threat of severe weather in a hazardous weather outlook bulletin at 4:15 a.m. Wednesday and again at 4:25 a.m. Thursday.
“Widespread showers and scattered thunderstorms will cross the area this morning,” according to Thursday’s alert. “Scattered showers and thunderstorms are expected this afternoon and early evening.
The alert also warned that “some the storms may produce heavy rainfall, possibly leading to isolated flooding. An isolated severe storm is possible this afternoon and early evening, with damaging winds the main threat.
“Very gusty non-thunderstorm winds are expected to develop overnight,” NWS forecasters said in the alert.
The area also included the Carolinas’ mountains, N.C. foothills and Upstate South Carolina.
The systemhighlighted the importance of having a severe-weather plan for your household, meteorologist Josh Palmer of the weather service office in Greer, South Carolina, told The Charlotte Observer.
Such plans include where it’s safest to seek shelter in your home, and the emergency supplies you should always have on hand.
Charlotte forecast
Friday should be sunny but breezy, with gusts up to 29 mph, the National Weather Service Charlotte forecast showed.
The rains should all move out of the area and to the east Thursday night, Palmer said.
Sunny to mostly sunny skies are predicted through at least Tuesday, with forecast highs bouncing around from 74 on Thursday to 68 on Friday, 75 on Saturday, 84 on Sunday, 86 on Monday and 85 on Tuesday and Wednesday.
This story was originally published April 10, 2024 at 11:06 AM.