Fallen tree blocks Charlotte streetcar; power restored for thousands in NC
A line of rain moving through Charlotte and the surrounding areas knocked out power to thousands and brought trees down as well.
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Around 11:45 a.m. Friday, the Charlotte Area Transit System said a tree fell on the tracks of the streetcar on Beatties Ford Road, near Johnson C. Smith University in west Charlotte. It took out the lines that help it operate.
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In a tweet, CATS said the car is only running between the Sunnyside Avenue and Charlotte Transportation Center stations.
CATS requested a bus bridge between the CTC and French Street stations.
For CATS, when it rains, it pours.
And today, rain and wind took down a tree, knocking down the streetcar’s power lines near JCSU. It doesn’t look like an easy fix. A bus bridge is in place @wsoctv pic.twitter.com/voI1JvfKgg— Joe Bruno (@JoeBrunoWSOC9) April 7, 2023
Around noon Friday, 2,000 people were without power. Only a few hundred remained by 4:30 p.m.
>> To stay updated on outage information, click here.
According to Duke Energy, the outage was caused by an object that hit the power lines around Uptown.
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In Conover, a tree took down lines, keeping one family from getting to the airport. The homeowner said the winds picked up and she heard the tree crash in her yard.
“I heard a big loud boom and I got up and looked,” Carolyn Loritts told Channel 9′s Dave Faherty. “I was real nervous and looked and there was the tree. Knocked my power out. Everything.”
No one was hurt in that incident.
Conover- a tree took down lines and is keeping one family from getting to the airport. The homeowner says the winds picked up and she heard the tree crash in her yard. Thankfully no one was hurt. pic.twitter.com/w0s3fr7kPo
— Dave Faherty (@FahertyWSOC9) April 7, 2023
Over in Caldwell County, Highway 268 was closed for more than an hour around 1 p.m. after a large tree came down before lunchtime. Firefighters there shared pictures with Channel 9.
Firefighters across the foothills were responding to calls of trees down Friday. There wasn’t much wind early in the day, but the ground was saturated and the temperature was dropping throughout the day.
Breaking Caldwell- Highway 268 has been closed for more than an hour after a large tree came down before lunchtime. Firefighters there shared these pictures. Watch channel 9 for our weather coverage this weekend. pic.twitter.com/2JgRdOXkWw
— Dave Faherty (@FahertyWSOC9) April 7, 2023
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
(WATCH BELOW: Crews repair 2 separate water pipes in Charlotte; customers experience outages)
