Tree falls on utility pole, snapping it in half, knocking out power, and forcing a road closure

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A fallen tree is to blame for a power outage that left more than 4,000 Duke Energy customers without electricity in north Charlotte on Tuesday.

The trouble started around 5:30 Tuesday morning after a massive tree crashed onto a utility pole, snapping it in half. The impact was widespread, knocking out traffic lights and forcing officials to shut down Gibbon Road at Old Statesville Road.

Resident Lisa Samuel told WCCB, “We just gotta wait. Nothing we could do, just wait and pray. I got my generator. I’m blessed and I pray for everybody else.” Resident Johnny Fields added, “I don’t wanna go to sleep with no power. And then, you know, once the temperature started dropping down, it started getting warm in the house ’cause there ain’t no air or nothing going on.”

There is still no word about what caused that tree to fall.