CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A strong storm system moved its way east across the Charlotte area Wednesday evening, producing heavy rain, gusty winds, hail and lightning.
[IMAGES: Storm damage in Lincoln County]
A microburst likely caused damage in Lincoln County near Iron Station, where winds reached up to 50 mph.
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Hundreds of people were still without power across the region early Thursday morning.
[OUTAGE MAP: Current Duke Energy outages]
According to Duke Energy, there were still more than 1,200 Mecklenburg County customers in the dark at 6 a.m., which was down significantly from more than 3,600 at the peak of the storm.
Crews worked into the night to remove large trees that toppled across the city, including a massive one that fell across Quail Hollow Road in south Charlotte.
[SUMMER OUTLOOK: Season looking warm, average precipitation]
By 6 a.m., that tree had been cut up and removed from the road.
In east Charlotte, another large tree was blocking an inbound lane on Albemarle Road, just past Harrisburg Road. Witnesses told Channel 9 that lightning struck the tree, and it fell into power lines and blocked part of the road.
Duke Energy said they hoped to have power restored to every customer by 7 p.m. Thursday.
Weather Resources:
Cox Media Group
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