Know where the nearest safe room is, such as a basement or interior room and away from windows and go there immediately if you hear or see a tornado. Example video title will go here for this video. Joe Marusak has been a reporter for The Charlotte Observer since 1989 covering the people, municipalities and major news events of the region, and was a news bureau editor for the paper. The biggest threats from Friday's storms were damaging winds, heavy rain, large hail, lightning and isolated tornadoes, with a flood risk for some areas depending on local rain totals. First, go to the lowest level of your home immediately. Instead, pull over. Similar to thunderstorms, the National Weather Service may issue a Tornado Watch ahead of storms. Through the late afternoon and evening hours, the line associated with an advancing cold front continues to move through eastern portions of the Carolinas. How hot could it get? Example video title will go here for this video. Why fans love it, Driver arrested after video shows him nearly hitting students at their school bus stop. Heres the latest forecast. Weather IQ: Find your safe place on 'Safe Place Selfie Day', Weather IQ: The most important tool to forecast thunderstorms, Weather IQ: Understanding watches and warnings. Ready NC has made a simple preparedness kit list you can get together well in advance: Chief Meteorologist Brad Panovich gives the all-clear for severe weather after 14 tornado warnings. High Winds, Storms Strafe . When at home, you and your family need to go to their safe place. A tree was also blocking part of the road, with power dark in the immediate area. You need to head to the lowest level, but use the stairs because the elevator could lose power. News anchor Fred Shropshire is leaving Charlotte station WCNC. The first batch of rain that moved into the region Wednesday morning lasted until about 4:30 p.m., when clouds briefly cleared in some areas to allow in some sun. The tornado watches issued until 7 p.m. for 22 N.C. counties meant conditions in the atmosphere were ripe for them to form. Since 2010, some 336 tornadoes have touched down in North Carolina, according to data from the National . Eastern North Carolina could see some supercells by 7 p.m. and into Thursday night. At 6:15 p.m., at least 112 flights were delayed and four canceled at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, according to FlightAware.com, which tracks flights at U.S. airports. Low forecast at @mspairport, @flySFO and @flySEA. Gilead, NC around 3:45 p.m. As of 11 p.m., roughly 1,000 customers in the Norwood area were still without power. Amazing structure to the storm near the Lincoln/Gaston county line. This. Severe storms darted through the Charlotte area on Thursday, prompting tornado warnings, more than 100 flight delays and a move to remote learning by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. Right Now. Tornado: There will be some spin to the atmosphere and there is a chance for a spin-up tornado but the treats are very low at this time. Hail: Currently this threat is the lowest severe parameter for the area. DO NOT seek shelter under a bridge or overpass. CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - Local and state leaders urgently want residents to be prepared for the potential of damaging winds, large hail and possible tornadoes in Mecklenburg County and the entire state of North Carolina on Thursday. An EF1 tornado can push a car and an EF2 can lift it off the road. Power out in Valdese were reports of a tornado occurred. The National Weather Service issued the tornado watch, which means conditions are right for the possibility of tornadoes, for upstate South Carolina and western North Carolina, including the . Now is the time to think of where your safe shelter is in the event of any tornado warnings tomorrow. Charlotte, NC Warnings, Watches and Advisories. Parts of the Charlotte area, including Mint Hill, were under a tornado warning until 1:45 p.m. More than 1,200 people were without power as of 4:30 p.m. Thursday, according to Duke Energy. CHARLOTTE, N.C. As the National Weather Service continues to investigate storm damage across the Charlotte metro area from severe weather Thursday, officials have confirmed a tornado did . Next Up. This watch included, but was not limited to: Alexander, Anson, Ashe, Avery, Burke, Cabarrus, Caldwell, Catawba, Cleveland, Gaston, Iredell, Lancaster Lincoln, McDowell, Mecklenburg, Richmond, Rowan, Union and Watauga counties. At 7:41 p.m., the National Weather Service said a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located nine miles south of Blowing Rock, or eight miles south of Blowing Rock In Caldwell County, moving northeast at 25 mph. Friday was a Weather Aware Day for the Charlotte region as storms brought the threat of damaging winds, hail and isolated tornadoes to the Carolinas. The best way to prepare for severe weather Thursday is to be ready now. At 6:30 p.m., a severe thunderstorm warning was in effect for Charlotte, Rock. The main impacts are cloud-to-ground lightning, isolated tornadoes, and heavy rainfall leading to the potential for isolated flash flooding.. Have shoes and pants on before moving to your safe place. But if there is no time. "You can see it does build a little towards the middle of the day," Panovich explained. They entered their dogs in fights and watched them die. No injuries or home or business damage was immediately reported. If you have helmets, put them on. If you are outdoors, in a mobile home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter and protect yourself from flying debris. Severe weather requires some preparation in advance, even when it's not the season for storms. Meteorologists expected a 5-10% chance of seeing a tornado in Charlotte and communities south and east. He currently reports on breaking news. If you are out in the open, and there is no nearby shelter, find the lowest-lying area away from trees and anything that could produce debris. A Tornado Watch has been issued for Alexander, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Cleveland, Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln and Rutherford counties until 12 a.m. Strong to severe storms are possible into our Wednesday evening hours, with scattered rain possible overnight into early Thursday, as a cold front moves through. Damaging wind gusts will be the greatest threat from any severe storms today. Thursday will remain mild, with highs around 70 degrees, with mostly cloudy skies, and a few rain showers . You should always wear shoes because if there is damage, you may have to walk through nails or broken glass. The National Weather Service will issue tornado warnings on individual storms that are likely, or are already producing, a tornado warning. In South Carolina, York County sheriff's deputies alerted residents in Clover, South Carolina to downed power lines and a tree in a roadway. Damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur. Inside that structure, you want . In addition, the NWS issued 1,114 severe thunderstorm warnings, and recorded 101 large hail events and 344 damaging thunderstorm wind events. He explained the cloud in the photo, which was taken near Pineville during the tornado warning, was a photograph of a wall cloud and not a tornado. Official website for the city of Charlotte, North Carolina. You can listen now on Android, iPhone, Amazon, and other internet-connected devices. Crouch on the floor and cover your head as much as you can. Severe thunderstorm warnings also remained in effect in Anson and Richmond counties, east of Charlotte. Charlotte current severe weather warnings, watches and advisories as reported by the NOAA National . "If it's going to happen, it's going to happen this afternoon as the front pushes off the east," Panovich said. Meteorologist Chris Mulcahy tracked the severe weather from inside the Chevy Storm Tracker. First, go to the lowest level of your home immediately. In a tweet sent out at 3:20 p.m., YCSO said the lines were down near Lawrence Road and Beamguard Road. One of the worst places you can be during a tornado is in your car. For all still hoping: Snow has defied meteorological winter in Charlotte before, Make the most of spring-like weather in Charlotte with these outdoor activities, If theres a winter heat wave in Charlotte now, this is what can you expect for spring. Strong to severe storms are possible through this evening, with damaging winds and an isolated tornado the biggest threat. No damage was reported as a result of flooding. Roughly 1,029 were reported to be without power near Richburg, SC just before 2 p.m., according to Duke Energy. Here are his plans. It headed northeast along a. Now two NC men face prison. Heres the latest forecast. Dense Fog Advisory. As of 11 p.m., roughly 1,000 customers were still without power. Right Now. If you like weather,watchBrad Panovich and the WCNC Charlotte First Warn Weather Team on their YouTube channel, Weather IQ. Panovich said the best timeframe for severe weather will likely be from around noon to 2 p.m. By 4 p.m., the trailing edge of storms will be moving through with a threat of strong storms. A Tornado Watch was also issued for Alexander, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Cleveland, Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln and Rutherford counties until 12 a.m. A Flash Flood Warning was issued around 10:55 p.m. for Burke and Caldwell County in NC until 2:00 a.m. Thursday. A place like under the staircase, an interior hallway or a room with no windows is your safe place. But what about your car? An EF1 tornado can push a car and an EF2 can lift it off the road. While damaging winds will be the greatest threat, there's enough spin in the atmosphere that a few brief tornadoes may spin up. When there is an active tornado warning, you need to know where you should go. One of the tornadoes was confirmed Wednesday by a National Weather Service storm damage survey team. A tornado warning continued for Cabarrus County at 6 p.m. Panovich said that line could combine with instability in the atmosphere, creating the ingredients for strong thunderstorms. The dangers of hail: Severe Weather Preparedness Week: How to prepare for severe thunderstorms like Brad Panovich, Severe Weather Preparedness Week: Tornadoes and straight-line winds, Severe Weather Preparedness Week: Lightning safety. Move to a basement or an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building. The storm that spawned the tornado entered Alexander from Iredell County along Old Mountain Road, Alexander County officials said. See a list of all of the Official Weather Advisories, Warnings, and Severe Weather Alerts for Charlotte, NC. Charlotte Waffle House found with live roach, unclean equipment during health inspection, The top-ranked pie in North Carolina doesnt look like pie at all. The roadway was quickly cleared and reopened. Please enable scripts and reload this page. Numerous trees are down, county officials said in a news release, adding that emergency crews were assessing the extent of damage. Showers and thunderstorms before 3am, then a slight chance of showers between 3am and 4am. Do not try to outrun a tornado in your vehicle, and do not stop under an overpass or a bridge. There have been 2,400 power outages reported in Catawba County as of 8:15 p.m. Strong to severe storms are possible into our Wednesday evening hours, with scattered rain possible overnight into early Thursday, as a cold front moves through. Officials also recommend staying alert by listening to weather radios that broadcast alerts from the National Weather Service. The City of Morganton said city crews were working as quickly and safely to restore power to approximately 1,000 customers in the northern part of the city being affected by a power outage due to rain and wind conditions. Arrival delays of up to a half-hour were reported, after all inbound flights were held at their originating airports until 4:30 p.m. to avoid Charlotte-area thunderstorms, according to FlightAware. @NWSGSP @CarolinaWxGroup @wxbrad @EricThomasWBTV @JamesWCCB #ncwx #wncwx pic.twitter.com/JJuzDkFzDI, POSSIBLE TORNADO SIGHTING in Iredell County this afternoon.