CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Strong storms blew into the Charlotte area Tuesday night, toppling trees, knocking out power, and stranding passengers at the airport.

Crews were busy early Wednesday morning trying to remove a huge tree that fell across Park Road Tuesday night. The tree landed on an SUV and several power lines, closing the road at 9 p.m. The driver was okay.

In Mecklenburg and Union counties, about 3,000 people were without power as of 5:30 a.m. Wednesday. Many of those without power were in south Charlotte. However, officials expected power to be restored by about 7:30 a.m.

Just after midnight, strong winds caused a tree to crash down on top of a duplex on Winfield Drive in east Charlotte. Four people were inside both units, but no one was hurt. All of the residents had to stay elsewhere. The tree also knocked the power out there.

The severe weather also created problems at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport. Many fliers were stranded, but it’s unclear if flights were canceled or delayed.

A group of about two dozen teenagers were stuck at the airport, trying to return home to Florida from Germany. The group told Eyewitness News that they couldn’t get to their bags for warmer clothing and that they had spent all of their money in Germany, so they couldn’t afford a hotel room.

MEDIC said they responded to at least 10 calls at the airport, mainly from passengers with existing health problems who didn’t have access to their medications after they got stuck.