100-Foot Tree Cuts NW Charlotte Neighborhood in Half
The owner of the house next to the trees says he was fixing up his car - now crushed in his driveway - mere minutes before the storm hit.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Neighbors say it was all over in an instant – but the damage will take days, if not weeks, to clean up.
Just before 3:30 this Wednesday afternoon, radar-estimated winds approaching 70 mph ripped through northwest Charlotte, bringing down a massive 100-foot tree over Rowan Street. No one was hurt, but the road is all but impassable.
The owner of the house next to the tree did not want to talk on-camera, but said he’s thankful to be alive. He was fixing up his car, now crushed in his driveway, mere minutes before the storm hit.
“Eh, that’s scary. I’m glad I wasn’t under there,” says 10-year resident Mike Henry, who lives on the other side of the felled tree. He was almost home when he saw the biggest tree on the block tip over.
“I’m driving at 1500 Dodge Ram and it’s pushing my truck,” says Henry. “So I said, ‘Oh my goodness, we have to get home.’ Then, as I got right here, you couldn’t really see it. You just see something flow sideways, and I said, ‘Is that a tree?’ A tree actually came down and someone’s car is in there.”
He’s glad no one is hurt, but he says this storm will be one he’ll never forget.
“I’ve heard of worse, but this is the closest I’ve been… I’ve never seen anything like that.”
