Power outages from storms force 4 Gaston County schools to close Wednesday

A line of strong thunderstorms that packed heavy winds, rain, and lightning knocked down dozens of trees Tuesday night causing widespread damage and power outages, mostly in Cherryville.

There have been several traffic lights that have lost power, according to reports.

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The damage and power outages were so extensive that it forced Gaston County officials to close four area schools on Wednesday:

Cherryville Elementary School
W. Blaine Beam Intermediate School
John Chavis Middle School
Cherryville High School

At 9 p.m., roughly 3,000 Duke Energy customers were without power in the Cherryville area.

People were advised to stay off the roads in Cherryville and shelter in place, if possible.

Gaston County officials said to avoid calling 911 unless it’s a true emergency. They said to use its non-emergency line when possible: 704-435-1730.

Cherryville fire station will serve as a shelter, officials said.

There was a storm-related injury there, as well, according to paramedics. That person was taken to a hospital in Cleveland County.

Cherryville wasn’t the only place hit by Tuesday’s thunderstorms.

The National Weather Service issued severe thunderstorm warnings for counties from the mountains and east toward the Charlotte area.

A severe thunderstorm watch for some counties remained in effect until midnight.

Tuesday night's storm update with Meteorologist John Ahrens

ABOVE: The latest forecast update from Severe Weather Center 9. To stay on top of changing weather conditions, be sure to download our free WSOC-TV weather app.

FORECAST:

Things should wind down around midnight with calmer conditions in store on Wednesday.
There will be a nice break from the heat and humidity with highs mostly in the upper-70s for the rest of the week.
There could be a chance of rain Saturday with conditions clearing up in time for Sunday.

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