Overnight storms knock out power to more than 2,000 across Charlotte

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — More than 2,000 people started their Tuesday morning without power after storms swept through the Charlotte area overnight.

Officials said that about 500 people were without power on the Elizabeth-Dilworth neighborhood line and another 400 people lost power in Hidden Valley.

In north Charlotte, a power line came down on Craighead Road.

Channel 9 reporter Blaine Tolison saw the damage firsthand, as the live power line burned through a large portion of the sidewalk.

Several agencies, including the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department and Duke Energy, responded to the area to block cars from coming through. Channel 9 could see sparks flying from the power lines and smoke coming from a transformer.

That same line of storms swept through Alabama also. There was significant damage in the Birmingham area after a tornado tore through the area Monday night.

One man staying at a Hampton Inn in Fultondale, Alabama described what happened when he realized a tornado was outside his window.

“Grabbed a towel, put it over me and just rode it out,” Richard Ring said. “All of a sudden the windows blew out in my room and the lights went out, sirens shrieked and it was just surreal.”

The National Weather Service detected the tornado shortly before 11 p.m. Monday. It brought heavy winds, rain and hail to the area.

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