2nd tornado with 110 mph winds moved through 3 counties, NWS says

CHARLOTTE — An EF-1 tornado on Monday tracked from Conover across Mooresville and ended near China Grove, the National Weather Service tweeted Wednesday.

Damage across Catawba, Iredell, and Rowan counties “consisted of numerous trees uprooted and snapped and some minor damage to building exteriors,” NWS stated.

The National Weather Service said the tornado traveled more than 37 miles, with peak winds at 110 miles per hour.

It had a maximum width of 550 yards, according to NWS.

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The National Weather Service also said a high-end EF-0 tornado hit northern Mecklenburg County on Monday afternoon.

It wasn’t hard to see Tuesday where the storms left behind a path of destruction. Chopper 9 Skyzoom flew over the damage in Huntersville, Catawba County and Iredell County.

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Chopper 9 tour of damage from Monday's storms

NWS officials said northern Mecklenburg County was hit with 85 mph winds. They plane to release more specific information about the affected areas by Tuesday afternoon.

Along Bud Henderson Road in Huntersville, crews were working to clear downed trees and debris that had blown off homes in the area.

People in other parts of Mecklenburg County were also cleaning up. Strong winds blew a massive tree onto a home along Rand Stone Court in south Charlotte.

“The next thing we knew, the walls where the roof was, were caving in,” said resident Scott Mercer on Tuesday. “And I mean, it happened in an instant. It was like a bomb went off.”

Mercer was sitting in his sunroom when the tree crashed through his house.

The tree did not hit him, but he said falling debris did, which caused him to pass out.

“The next thing I knew, I was kind of bleeding,” he said. “And there were paramedics in our house. And I was kind of walking around kind of dazed a little bit.”

Mercer went to a hospital and returned home Tuesday morning.

“I got seven staples in my head,” he said. “But I mean outside of that, just some nicks and bruises. And I feel like I’ve been in a train wreck, but you wouldn’t necessarily know it by looking at me. But you look at that, and it’s crazy. I mean, I can’t believe no one died in that. So, thank God.”

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