Mountainview blocked by a tree
Oct. 11. By Dave Yochum. Michael came and went fast, but not without a lot of downed trees in its wake. Multiple trees went down on Green Dolphin, and a tree was still blocking nearby Mountainview at 6 pm. Interestingly enough, there were blue skies by 5 pm.
Tree down on Green Dolphin
Powerful gusts knocked down trees and limbs fast as you can say tree service. The storm powered through Cornelius, ushering in cooler weather that will mark the end of our October heat wave.
The national Weather Service says winds here will remain brisk tonight, with gusts as high as 28 mph. The low will also be brisk—52.
In fact, fall weather finally arrives tomorrow in Cornelius with a high near 72 and light northwest winds.
Saturday and Sunday will be nice days with highs around 68 and 66, respectively.
Michael was fast and furious.
A 38-year-old father of two, Brian Cooper, died this afternoon in Iredell County when a tree fell on his vehicle. He and his wife Ashley had served communion at Broad Street United Methodist Church this past Sunday.
Gov. Roy Cooper warned people to remain cautious and alert and to avoid going out in the storm if possible.
“As night falls, please don’t go out unless you have to,” Cooper said. “Falling trees and rising waters, along with landslides in our mountains, are making travel difficult and even life-threatening in some areas.”
Flooding remains a serious threat. Heavy rains—up to 7 inches in some areas—are causing creeks and rivers to swell and flood. Flash flooding is occurring in some cities, including Charlotte, Raleigh and Chapel Hill.
Dozens of swift water rescues and evacuations have taken place today in counties including Guilford, Forsyth, Iredell, Henderson and Burke. High winds up to 60 mph are bringing down trees and power lines. Tropical Storm Michael is expected to clear North Carolina by midday Friday.
About 529,000 housholds in North Carolina were without power as of 6:20 p.m., with outages concentrated in the Piedmont counties. State transportation officials report 119 closed roads associated with Tropical Storm Michael, including nine primary roads.
