Cleanup begins after storms topple trees, knock out power across region

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. — Hundreds of people across Mecklenburg County were waking up without power early Thursday morning after Wednesday's powerful storms knocked down trees across the area.

As of 10 a.m., more than 200 Duke Energy customers were still without power, down from 4,700 that were in the dark around midnight.

Wind speeds topped 50 mph during the storm, toppling these large trees. There are still 1,400 power outages in Mecklenburg County. @wsoctv pic.twitter.com/Op8QuRsYsz
— Mark Barber (@MBarberWSOC9) July 6, 2017

[CLICK HERE to see Duke Energy's outage map]

Pierce Pope was on his way home Wednesday evening when his mother got a text saying a tree toppled onto their home in Huntersville.

[FORECAST: More afternoon storms expected to fire up across region]

“I was like, ‘Oh, there's no hole in the roof. It’s probably just one of those smaller trees,” Pope said. “And then, when we were home, I was like, ‘I was so wrong.’”

Luckily for Pope, his parents and brothers are all OK.

The powerful storm system that swept through Charlotte on Wednesday afternoon brought down trees, power lines and branches throughout the area.

[IMAGES: Trees knocked down by storms]

Neighbors living off Sao Paula Drive near Beatties Ford Road spent the evening cleaning up the mess left from wind speeds close to 50 mph.

“God has a way of sending us rain,” Elando Johnson said. “I am just happy no one got hurt.”

A massive tree crashed down along Beatties Ford Road not far away, landing on a house and dragging down power lines.

HAPPENING NOW | Duke Energy crews are trying to restore power to 1,500 homes & businesses after strong storm slammed Mecklenburg Co. @wsoctv pic.twitter.com/Z0dJPBlva4
— Mark Barber (@MBarberWSOC9) July 6, 2017

Duke crews were trying to fix the power pole and police had to close one lane throughout the night and into the morning.

A large tree crashed down on McCoy Road at Beatties Ford Road as well as on Miranda Road.

Trees also blocked the road on Canter Post Drive at Mount Holly-Huntersville Road.

In Mountain Island Lake, Channel 9 spotted another massive tree on a home and in north Charlotte some neighborhood streets were blocked for hours because of downed trees and power lines.

A tree landed on a car in the 4800 block of Sherborne Drive.

“It was sparking and eventually the whole thing just fell,” Austin Rhudy said.

As for the Pope family's tree, mom Chanda Pope said that the cleanup may take a while.

“It's just not something you want to come home to, for sure,” she said.