Charlotte, North Carolina News
Articles 1 - 10 of most recent articles
CATS, Public Safety On City Council Agenda Tonight
The budget, public safety, and adding more light rail cars to the line will be among the major topics at tonight's City Council Meeting.
WBTV.com – 57 minutes ago ¦ comment?
The budget, public safety, and adding more light rail cars to the line will be among the major topics at tonight's City Council Meeting.
WBTV.com – 57 minutes ago ¦ comment?
Slow Economy Hits Local Summer Camps
Camp directors in South Carolina say a slowing economy is forcing families to delay decisions about summer camp and ask for more financial help.
WBTV.com – 57 minutes ago ¦ comment?
Camp directors in South Carolina say a slowing economy is forcing families to delay decisions about summer camp and ask for more financial help.
WBTV.com – 57 minutes ago ¦ comment?
Scavenger Hunt Yields Honest Abe in Pennies, Flying Potatoes
Dozens of University of Chicago students have returned from a four-day assignment that included some bizarre homework.
WBTV.com – 57 minutes ago ¦ comment?
Dozens of University of Chicago students have returned from a four-day assignment that included some bizarre homework.
WBTV.com – 57 minutes ago ¦ comment?
No Stimulus Check For Some Taxpayers
Hundreds of thousands of taxpayers from legal immigrants to soldiers based abroad are missing out on the tax rebates going out to millions of others to stimulate the economy.
WBTV.com – 57 minutes ago ¦ comment?
Hundreds of thousands of taxpayers from legal immigrants to soldiers based abroad are missing out on the tax rebates going out to millions of others to stimulate the economy.
WBTV.com – 57 minutes ago ¦ comment?
Car Snaps Power Pole
Utility crews are busy in North Charlotte this morning after a man wrecked his car into a power pole.
WBTV.com – 57 minutes ago ¦ comment?
Utility crews are busy in North Charlotte this morning after a man wrecked his car into a power pole.
WBTV.com – 57 minutes ago ¦ comment?
Danger drives son to sell store
A little more than a year after Mahendrabhai Gordham "Omar" Patel was gunned down in his Fort Mill convenience store, his son is closing its doors.Jigar Patel said he would like to keep his father's dream alive, but it's too dangerous."I want to hang on to my dad's legacy, but nowadays, it isn't safe," Jigar said. "People will rob you for two dollars. I'm my mother's only child."Jigar said he does not want his mother to work alone at the store, Sunoco Petro Mart, as she sometimes does while he's in classes at UNC Charlotte and Central Piedmont Community College. He wants to become a doctor.On Wednesday, another couple will take over the store's management. Selling the store will allow Jigar to finish college and "let my dad's legacy run through my future success," he said.Still, he said, leaving makes him sad."Everybody walking in and out is family," he said. "I know what cigarette they smoke, what beer they drink and even what car they drive."Omar Patel, 48, opened the store on Tom Hall Street in 2002, and sometimes toiled for more than 10 hours before napping on a pallet in the back.No one has been arrested in Patel's Jan. 22, 2007, shooting death, Fort Mill police Capt. Bryan Zachary said. It was the only homicide reported to the Fort Mill Police Department in 2007, and it remains under investigation by the State Law Enforcement Division and Fort Mill police.
Charlotte.com – 1 hour, 11 minutes ago ¦ comment?
A little more than a year after Mahendrabhai Gordham "Omar" Patel was gunned down in his Fort Mill convenience store, his son is closing its doors.Jigar Patel said he would like to keep his father's dream alive, but it's too dangerous."I want to hang on to my dad's legacy, but nowadays, it isn't safe," Jigar said. "People will rob you for two dollars. I'm my mother's only child."Jigar said he does not want his mother to work alone at the store, Sunoco Petro Mart, as she sometimes does while he's in classes at UNC Charlotte and Central Piedmont Community College. He wants to become a doctor.On Wednesday, another couple will take over the store's management. Selling the store will allow Jigar to finish college and "let my dad's legacy run through my future success," he said.Still, he said, leaving makes him sad."Everybody walking in and out is family," he said. "I know what cigarette they smoke, what beer they drink and even what car they drive."Omar Patel, 48, opened the store on Tom Hall Street in 2002, and sometimes toiled for more than 10 hours before napping on a pallet in the back.No one has been arrested in Patel's Jan. 22, 2007, shooting death, Fort Mill police Capt. Bryan Zachary said. It was the only homicide reported to the Fort Mill Police Department in 2007, and it remains under investigation by the State Law Enforcement Division and Fort Mill police.
Charlotte.com – 1 hour, 11 minutes ago ¦ comment?
Bracing for construction bumps en route to IKEA
Andrew Poulos and his family didn't want to fight city hall.They only wanted to expand their restaurant, a popular Showmars that until 2003 was at 7605 University City Boulevard.The city, however, wanted part of the land for a road-improvement project that's just gearing up today, in preparation for the opening of IKEA, the Swedish home furnishings store planned near University City Boulevard and North Tryon Street."Why go against something when you can go with it and benefit?" Poulos said, speaking from a larger, more handsome Showmars at 115 McCullough Drive, a short drive from the original site. "It put us in a better location."As the Charlotte Department of Transportation unveiled plans for improving the flow of traffic near IKEA's site with two new intersections, some business owners in the projects' paths were designing schematics of their own.They want a better location, too.Most said the planned road improvements will give them what they want -- one way or another.For many, the strategy is to weather the storm of bulldozers and barricades. CDOT estimates building the two new intersections along North Tryon Street will take about three years.One intersection is at North Tryon Street and University City Boulevard. The other is nearby at Sandy Avenue."This is our plan. We want to see it happen," said Steve Magowan, owner of University Volvo, which opened in 1986.He's a University City Partners board member. In that capacity, Magowan has offered input about road improvements along North Tryon Street."We've seen a lot, and this, too, will pass," Magowan said. "The new intersections will slow traffic, and that's good for business."Fast Signs owner Keith Beaty said the road improvements are long overdue."We get a lot of complaints from our customers," he said. "Right now there's no easy way to get here from (Interstate) 85 except to go around and come back. I'm glad the intersection is going in. When they stop, they'll be right beside my business."Yet Beaty also believes some motorists will avoid the area and his shop, at 7407 N. Tryon St. beside the southbound lanes. He'll do what's necessary."Most of my customers will call and I'll say, `I'll come to you,' " he said. "Service and quality keep us running."At least one business is getting out before the terrain becomes more of a skills test. That could occur when construction of the two intersections begins in earnest, by early to mid-2009.Mark Green will be long gone by then. The veterinarian expects that by June 2 he'll complete Mallard Creek Animal Hospital's consolidation at 2110 Ben Craig Drive. More of his customers are in that area now.He opened that office in 2004 in anticipation of the road projects, for which voters approved money in a 1998 referendum."We realized we don't want to be an Independence Boulevard-type business that is put out of business by a major road construction project," Green said. "I didn't think my clients would want to fight through that."Construction along Independence limited access to many businesses, blocking their driveways or changing access points. Traffic moves more quickly now with fewer slowdowns.Green predicts a better outcome for North Tryon Street businesses near IKEA. Once construction is completed, the traffic signals will slow traffic.He hopes the improvements will make his property at 7305 N. Tryon St. near Stetson Drive more attractive to buyers."We're, frankly, waiting to see what developer comes along," he said.He and Magowan agree on the long-term benefits of the projects even if they have different views on how to take advantage of them."We're going to be here," Magowan said.
Charlotte.com – 1 hour, 13 minutes ago ¦ comment?
Andrew Poulos and his family didn't want to fight city hall.They only wanted to expand their restaurant, a popular Showmars that until 2003 was at 7605 University City Boulevard.The city, however, wanted part of the land for a road-improvement project that's just gearing up today, in preparation for the opening of IKEA, the Swedish home furnishings store planned near University City Boulevard and North Tryon Street."Why go against something when you can go with it and benefit?" Poulos said, speaking from a larger, more handsome Showmars at 115 McCullough Drive, a short drive from the original site. "It put us in a better location."As the Charlotte Department of Transportation unveiled plans for improving the flow of traffic near IKEA's site with two new intersections, some business owners in the projects' paths were designing schematics of their own.They want a better location, too.Most said the planned road improvements will give them what they want -- one way or another.For many, the strategy is to weather the storm of bulldozers and barricades. CDOT estimates building the two new intersections along North Tryon Street will take about three years.One intersection is at North Tryon Street and University City Boulevard. The other is nearby at Sandy Avenue."This is our plan. We want to see it happen," said Steve Magowan, owner of University Volvo, which opened in 1986.He's a University City Partners board member. In that capacity, Magowan has offered input about road improvements along North Tryon Street."We've seen a lot, and this, too, will pass," Magowan said. "The new intersections will slow traffic, and that's good for business."Fast Signs owner Keith Beaty said the road improvements are long overdue."We get a lot of complaints from our customers," he said. "Right now there's no easy way to get here from (Interstate) 85 except to go around and come back. I'm glad the intersection is going in. When they stop, they'll be right beside my business."Yet Beaty also believes some motorists will avoid the area and his shop, at 7407 N. Tryon St. beside the southbound lanes. He'll do what's necessary."Most of my customers will call and I'll say, `I'll come to you,' " he said. "Service and quality keep us running."At least one business is getting out before the terrain becomes more of a skills test. That could occur when construction of the two intersections begins in earnest, by early to mid-2009.Mark Green will be long gone by then. The veterinarian expects that by June 2 he'll complete Mallard Creek Animal Hospital's consolidation at 2110 Ben Craig Drive. More of his customers are in that area now.He opened that office in 2004 in anticipation of the road projects, for which voters approved money in a 1998 referendum."We realized we don't want to be an Independence Boulevard-type business that is put out of business by a major road construction project," Green said. "I didn't think my clients would want to fight through that."Construction along Independence limited access to many businesses, blocking their driveways or changing access points. Traffic moves more quickly now with fewer slowdowns.Green predicts a better outcome for North Tryon Street businesses near IKEA. Once construction is completed, the traffic signals will slow traffic.He hopes the improvements will make his property at 7305 N. Tryon St. near Stetson Drive more attractive to buyers."We're, frankly, waiting to see what developer comes along," he said.He and Magowan agree on the long-term benefits of the projects even if they have different views on how to take advantage of them."We're going to be here," Magowan said.
Charlotte.com – 1 hour, 13 minutes ago ¦ comment?
No more free Rx samples
It's been a tradition in most doctors' offices.You get a new prescription, and to test out the drug or save a little money, the doctor hands over some samples.But if your doctor works for Carolinas HealthCare System, that's no longer the deal.Since Jan. 1, the system's 600 physicians have been told to stop giving out free drug samples.Some patients and doctors "are violently opposed" to the change, said Dr. William Sugg, medical director for the CHS physician network.But he said it was made for good reasons -- to protect patients, limit liability and decrease the influence of drug companies on prescribing practices.CHS doctors' offices hadn't done a good enough job of tracking to make sure the samples were discarded when they expired and to know which patients got them, in case of a recall, Sugg said."There's a safety issue about the management of samples in the doctors' office," he said. "We've got to be held to the standard of a dispensing pharmacy."He added that prestigious teaching hospitals, such as the Cleveland Clinic, have already banned free drug samples.Charlotte's other hospital system, Presbyterian Healthcare, still permits samples. An electronic system helps track lot numbers and expiration dates, said Michael Gum, senior director of pharmacy.But Gum said he understands that teaching hospitals, such as Carolinas Medical Center, would want to prevent drug companies from influencing medical students and residents. "Who do you want them to learn from -- their (faculty doctors) or the drug company representatives?"Studies have shown that doctors' prescribing habits are affected by the availability of free samples from drug company representatives who also bring lunch, ink pens and even more expensive gifts."If it wasn't influencing prescribing habits, why would they be doing it?" Sugg said.Not the `preferred drug'Several CHS doctor groups had already banned samples, as well as endless visits by drug reps."Knowingly or not, it was affecting our practice to have the samples there, and it probably wasn't good for our patients," said Dr. Michael Richardson, who made the change at Charlotte Medical Clinic's Arboretum office three years ago.Samples are usually newer, expensive drugs without long-term safety data, he said. For many conditions, such as high blood pressure or bacterial infections, there are good, safe generic drugs but "they don't give you those for free."Studies show doctors may give out samples that are convenient but aren't the "preferred drug." Then, if the drug works without side effects, the tendency is to stick with it even though a generic might have been as good and cheaper in the long run.Help paying for medicinesPharmaceutical companies defend free samples, saying they give doctors experience with new medicines."Samples can help patients begin treatment sooner and find the medicines that are best for them," said Ken Johnson of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, the industry's trade group."Those who question the motives of companies providing free pharmaceutical samples would better serve patients and the general public by closely examining health outcomes," Johnson said in a statement.Free samples also help those who can't afford to buy medicines, he said.But Sugg said patients who need help paying for drugs can get it from MedAssist of Mecklenburg, a community pharmacy for low-income and uninsured patients. Other counties have similar programs.MedAssist, which gets most of its medicines free from drug company donations, was a beneficiary of the CHS policy change, said executive director Lori Giang. In January, when CHS doctors cleared their drug closets of free samples, they donated about $1 million worth of medicines to MedAssist.Instead of samples, CHS doctors are encouraged to give out vouchers, provided by the drug companies, that can be taken to pharmacies for free or discount drugs, Sugg said.Also, CHS doctors are still allowed to give free samples of drugs that require special instructions, such as injectable medicines and inhalers.Stuck with drugs they can't useMany patients are surprised and disappointed with the policy.Mary Ann Kirkman, 60, an office administrator for a Charlotte home builder, said she and her husband have spent at least $500 on medicines they can't use because of side effects.For example, she said she developed hives 36 hours after taking an antibiotic for a sinus infection. "If I had gotten a week's sample, I could have tried it for free and known that I couldn't take it because I got a rash."For osteoporosis, she tried different drugs, each for $100 a month. Both Fosamax and Boniva gave her acid reflux. A nasal spray called Miacalcin gave her nosebleeds.She ended up in the hospital. "Everything they gave me literally gave me an ulcer," Kirkman said. "Now I'm on stomach medicine. This is stupid. I'm not going to go buy stuff I can't take and then end up throwing it away."And I don't think it's fair," she added. "Why is it some doctors give them out, and others don't?"Shannon Carney, 43, a breast cancer survivor from Tryon, appreciated the free samples of anti-nausea medicine she got during chemotherapy at Carolinas Medical Center in 2003.But she can see the benefit of the hospital's anti-sample policy."As a former patient, I want my nurses to be focused on what's important, which is me, and not one more administrative duty."MedAssist of Mecklenburg•Serves about 2,100 uninsured and low-income patients a month and dispenses about 2,200 prescriptions, valued at $340,000, per month.•To qualify, Mecklenburg residents must be uninsured and earn no more than 200 percent of the federal poverty level (no more than $20,800 a year for a single person; $42,400 for a family of four).
Charlotte.com – 1 hour, 14 minutes ago ¦ comment?
It's been a tradition in most doctors' offices.You get a new prescription, and to test out the drug or save a little money, the doctor hands over some samples.But if your doctor works for Carolinas HealthCare System, that's no longer the deal.Since Jan. 1, the system's 600 physicians have been told to stop giving out free drug samples.Some patients and doctors "are violently opposed" to the change, said Dr. William Sugg, medical director for the CHS physician network.But he said it was made for good reasons -- to protect patients, limit liability and decrease the influence of drug companies on prescribing practices.CHS doctors' offices hadn't done a good enough job of tracking to make sure the samples were discarded when they expired and to know which patients got them, in case of a recall, Sugg said."There's a safety issue about the management of samples in the doctors' office," he said. "We've got to be held to the standard of a dispensing pharmacy."He added that prestigious teaching hospitals, such as the Cleveland Clinic, have already banned free drug samples.Charlotte's other hospital system, Presbyterian Healthcare, still permits samples. An electronic system helps track lot numbers and expiration dates, said Michael Gum, senior director of pharmacy.But Gum said he understands that teaching hospitals, such as Carolinas Medical Center, would want to prevent drug companies from influencing medical students and residents. "Who do you want them to learn from -- their (faculty doctors) or the drug company representatives?"Studies have shown that doctors' prescribing habits are affected by the availability of free samples from drug company representatives who also bring lunch, ink pens and even more expensive gifts."If it wasn't influencing prescribing habits, why would they be doing it?" Sugg said.Not the `preferred drug'Several CHS doctor groups had already banned samples, as well as endless visits by drug reps."Knowingly or not, it was affecting our practice to have the samples there, and it probably wasn't good for our patients," said Dr. Michael Richardson, who made the change at Charlotte Medical Clinic's Arboretum office three years ago.Samples are usually newer, expensive drugs without long-term safety data, he said. For many conditions, such as high blood pressure or bacterial infections, there are good, safe generic drugs but "they don't give you those for free."Studies show doctors may give out samples that are convenient but aren't the "preferred drug." Then, if the drug works without side effects, the tendency is to stick with it even though a generic might have been as good and cheaper in the long run.Help paying for medicinesPharmaceutical companies defend free samples, saying they give doctors experience with new medicines."Samples can help patients begin treatment sooner and find the medicines that are best for them," said Ken Johnson of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, the industry's trade group."Those who question the motives of companies providing free pharmaceutical samples would better serve patients and the general public by closely examining health outcomes," Johnson said in a statement.Free samples also help those who can't afford to buy medicines, he said.But Sugg said patients who need help paying for drugs can get it from MedAssist of Mecklenburg, a community pharmacy for low-income and uninsured patients. Other counties have similar programs.MedAssist, which gets most of its medicines free from drug company donations, was a beneficiary of the CHS policy change, said executive director Lori Giang. In January, when CHS doctors cleared their drug closets of free samples, they donated about $1 million worth of medicines to MedAssist.Instead of samples, CHS doctors are encouraged to give out vouchers, provided by the drug companies, that can be taken to pharmacies for free or discount drugs, Sugg said.Also, CHS doctors are still allowed to give free samples of drugs that require special instructions, such as injectable medicines and inhalers.Stuck with drugs they can't useMany patients are surprised and disappointed with the policy.Mary Ann Kirkman, 60, an office administrator for a Charlotte home builder, said she and her husband have spent at least $500 on medicines they can't use because of side effects.For example, she said she developed hives 36 hours after taking an antibiotic for a sinus infection. "If I had gotten a week's sample, I could have tried it for free and known that I couldn't take it because I got a rash."For osteoporosis, she tried different drugs, each for $100 a month. Both Fosamax and Boniva gave her acid reflux. A nasal spray called Miacalcin gave her nosebleeds.She ended up in the hospital. "Everything they gave me literally gave me an ulcer," Kirkman said. "Now I'm on stomach medicine. This is stupid. I'm not going to go buy stuff I can't take and then end up throwing it away."And I don't think it's fair," she added. "Why is it some doctors give them out, and others don't?"Shannon Carney, 43, a breast cancer survivor from Tryon, appreciated the free samples of anti-nausea medicine she got during chemotherapy at Carolinas Medical Center in 2003.But she can see the benefit of the hospital's anti-sample policy."As a former patient, I want my nurses to be focused on what's important, which is me, and not one more administrative duty."MedAssist of Mecklenburg•Serves about 2,100 uninsured and low-income patients a month and dispenses about 2,200 prescriptions, valued at $340,000, per month.•To qualify, Mecklenburg residents must be uninsured and earn no more than 200 percent of the federal poverty level (no more than $20,800 a year for a single person; $42,400 for a family of four).
Charlotte.com – 1 hour, 14 minutes ago ¦ comment?
Windy, cool day ahead
Gusty winds and cool temperatures are in store for most of the Carolinas today, in the wake of several days of severe weather across the region.A few showers are expected in the mountains during the day, but the rest of the Charlotte metro region will see mostly sunny skies and breezy conditions.The northwest winds are being caused by the circulation around a strong storm system in the Northeast -- the same system responsible for the stormy weather that caused tornadoes and damaging thunderstorms over the weekend.A high wind warning is posted in the mountains, and a lake wind advisory is in effect in the Piedmont. Winds are gusting to near 30 mph today in Charlotte, and that has blown tree limbs and other debris onto roadways this morning. Motorists should pay attention for those problems.The winds also have been a problem in the mountains, where they are gusting over 60 mph. That means downed trees and power limbs, and both Duke Energy and Progress Energy report thousands of power outages. For Duke Energy, the biggest problem is in Rutherford County, with more than 3,700 outages at 6:30 a.m. More than 1,800 outages are reported in Henderson County.For Progress Energy, the biggest problem is in Haywood County -- specifically, the Canton area, about 15 miles west of Asheville. There were more than 1,800 outages in and near Canton at 6:30 a.m.In the Charlotte area, we'll have mostly sunny skies, gusty northwest winds, and high temperatures near 70 degrees today. That is nearly 10 degrees below normal for this time of year.Lows on Tuesday morning are expected to drop into the middle 40s, which is nearly 15 degrees below normal. But highs will rebound into the middle and upper 70s Tuesday and Wednesday. Then the next frontal system is forecast to arrive, bringing a chance of rainfall Thursday through Saturday.
Charlotte.com – 1 hour, 18 minutes ago ¦ comment?
Gusty winds and cool temperatures are in store for most of the Carolinas today, in the wake of several days of severe weather across the region.A few showers are expected in the mountains during the day, but the rest of the Charlotte metro region will see mostly sunny skies and breezy conditions.The northwest winds are being caused by the circulation around a strong storm system in the Northeast -- the same system responsible for the stormy weather that caused tornadoes and damaging thunderstorms over the weekend.A high wind warning is posted in the mountains, and a lake wind advisory is in effect in the Piedmont. Winds are gusting to near 30 mph today in Charlotte, and that has blown tree limbs and other debris onto roadways this morning. Motorists should pay attention for those problems.The winds also have been a problem in the mountains, where they are gusting over 60 mph. That means downed trees and power limbs, and both Duke Energy and Progress Energy report thousands of power outages. For Duke Energy, the biggest problem is in Rutherford County, with more than 3,700 outages at 6:30 a.m. More than 1,800 outages are reported in Henderson County.For Progress Energy, the biggest problem is in Haywood County -- specifically, the Canton area, about 15 miles west of Asheville. There were more than 1,800 outages in and near Canton at 6:30 a.m.In the Charlotte area, we'll have mostly sunny skies, gusty northwest winds, and high temperatures near 70 degrees today. That is nearly 10 degrees below normal for this time of year.Lows on Tuesday morning are expected to drop into the middle 40s, which is nearly 15 degrees below normal. But highs will rebound into the middle and upper 70s Tuesday and Wednesday. Then the next frontal system is forecast to arrive, bringing a chance of rainfall Thursday through Saturday.
Charlotte.com – 1 hour, 18 minutes ago ¦ comment?
Hard wind, heavy hail
A potent storm swept across the Charlotte region Sunday, dropping baseball-sized hail and spawning at least one tornado.No injuries and little significant property damage were reported, though.The storm's intensity and speed startled residents throughout its track, from Lincoln County east through Mecklenburg and into Cabarrus and Stanly counties.Kevin Vanover was driving back to his Cabarrus County home from Charlotte about 6:10 p.m. His wife had called him about the storm approaching from the west, so he was looking for funnel clouds.At Derita and Poplar Tent roads, he saw one. It was the first funnel cloud he'd ever seen in person."Luckily, it wasn't on the ground or destroying anything," he said afterward. "Just freaking people out."The storm arrived in Lincoln County about 4:15 p.m., moving quickly -- at about 30 mph -- toward the Lake Norman area of Mecklenburg County, according to the National Weather Service. It was a branch of the same weather system responsible for tornadoes that killed more than 20 people Saturday and Sunday in the Midwest and Southeast.The weather service said a tornado touched down in a field near the Cat Square community in western Lincoln County, although it caused no damage. Hail, some of it baseball-sized, damaged Emergency Management Director Susan Spake's county-issued car. "There was so much of it, I had to stop," Spake said.It was an unusually isolated storm, moving alone rather than as part of a larger storm system. The sun shone 20 miles south of where the hail fell. The turbulence from the storm system led to powerful winds that roared into the upper atmosphere in updrafts, creating the perfect conditions for tornadoes and hail as the storm moved east.Robert Monto, another Cabarrus County resident, and his wife, children and parents had just gotten home from dinner when strong rain, then hail, fell. Most of it was marble-sized, Monto said.Monto's mother and children took shelter in a downstairs bathroom while he and his father watched the storm from the garage."I honestly thought we were going to see a funnel cloud come down," Monto said. The hail lasted for 20 minutes. Then the sun came out.The weather service issued tornado watches for the central and eastern parts of North Carolina as the storm pushed toward the ocean.Six people received minor injuries and thousands lost power as the storm moved through the eastern part of the state. And authorities in Charleston County in South Carolina investigated a report of a possible tornado that downed trees and damaged some homes.That wasn't the only severe weather in the Carolinas on Sunday.The weather service issued a high wind warning for the mountains and a lake wind advisory for the Piedmont -- both unrelated to the other storm.But while breezy conditions will persist into today, severe weather won't. In the Charlotte area, forecasters expect sunshine and highs in the low 70s. -- wcnc-tv and the associated press contributed. -- Greg Lacour: 704-358-5067; Steve Lyttle: 704-358-5006Insured? Most auto and homeowner's policies cover hail damage. Check with your company for details.
Charlotte.com – 2 hours, 1 minute ago ¦ comment?
A potent storm swept across the Charlotte region Sunday, dropping baseball-sized hail and spawning at least one tornado.No injuries and little significant property damage were reported, though.The storm's intensity and speed startled residents throughout its track, from Lincoln County east through Mecklenburg and into Cabarrus and Stanly counties.Kevin Vanover was driving back to his Cabarrus County home from Charlotte about 6:10 p.m. His wife had called him about the storm approaching from the west, so he was looking for funnel clouds.At Derita and Poplar Tent roads, he saw one. It was the first funnel cloud he'd ever seen in person."Luckily, it wasn't on the ground or destroying anything," he said afterward. "Just freaking people out."The storm arrived in Lincoln County about 4:15 p.m., moving quickly -- at about 30 mph -- toward the Lake Norman area of Mecklenburg County, according to the National Weather Service. It was a branch of the same weather system responsible for tornadoes that killed more than 20 people Saturday and Sunday in the Midwest and Southeast.The weather service said a tornado touched down in a field near the Cat Square community in western Lincoln County, although it caused no damage. Hail, some of it baseball-sized, damaged Emergency Management Director Susan Spake's county-issued car. "There was so much of it, I had to stop," Spake said.It was an unusually isolated storm, moving alone rather than as part of a larger storm system. The sun shone 20 miles south of where the hail fell. The turbulence from the storm system led to powerful winds that roared into the upper atmosphere in updrafts, creating the perfect conditions for tornadoes and hail as the storm moved east.Robert Monto, another Cabarrus County resident, and his wife, children and parents had just gotten home from dinner when strong rain, then hail, fell. Most of it was marble-sized, Monto said.Monto's mother and children took shelter in a downstairs bathroom while he and his father watched the storm from the garage."I honestly thought we were going to see a funnel cloud come down," Monto said. The hail lasted for 20 minutes. Then the sun came out.The weather service issued tornado watches for the central and eastern parts of North Carolina as the storm pushed toward the ocean.Six people received minor injuries and thousands lost power as the storm moved through the eastern part of the state. And authorities in Charleston County in South Carolina investigated a report of a possible tornado that downed trees and damaged some homes.That wasn't the only severe weather in the Carolinas on Sunday.The weather service issued a high wind warning for the mountains and a lake wind advisory for the Piedmont -- both unrelated to the other storm.But while breezy conditions will persist into today, severe weather won't. In the Charlotte area, forecasters expect sunshine and highs in the low 70s. -- wcnc-tv and the associated press contributed. -- Greg Lacour: 704-358-5067; Steve Lyttle: 704-358-5006Insured? Most auto and homeowner's policies cover hail damage. Check with your company for details.
Charlotte.com – 2 hours, 1 minute ago ¦ comment?
