A second tornado touched down in North Carolina Monday as intense storms tracked east across the state. According to the National Weather Service, a tornado tore a 37-mile path through Catawba, Iredell and Rowan counties. A smaller tornado hit northern Mecklenburg County during the storm.
The storms knocked out power for thousands, and tornado warnings were issued in multiple counties.
What You Need To Know
- Two tornadoes spawned from Monday's intense storms that tracked across the state
- The first tornado, an EF0, was reported in northern Mecklenburg County
- A second tornado, an EF1, touched down in the counties of Catawba, Iredell and Rowan and was just 1 mph shy of becoming an EF2
- Straight-line winds took down trees and knocked out electricity for thousands
An EF1 tornado touched down in Catawba County and tracked into Iredell County before ending in Rowan County Monday, according to a NWS survey released Wednesday. The storm reached peak winds of 110 mph, just 1 mph shy of an EF2. The tornado reached a width of 550 yards and left a path of uprooted trees.
The tornado lasted about 42 minutes, touching down at 4:40 p.m. on Kelly Boulevard between Conover and Claremont and dissipating between Lentz Road and Daughtry Road in China Grove at 5:22 p.m., according to the storm survey.
"The tornado began to strengthen and reached EF1 intensity as it crossed N.C. Highway 10," the storm report details. "The tornado maintained EF1 intensity as it passed just north of Sherill's Ford [Road]." The tornado then went north, crossing Lake Norman and moving into Iredell County before losing intensity near Mooresville.
"The tornado briefly regained EF1 intensity as it crossed into Rowan County along Highway 152," the storm survey continued. "The tornado lost intensity again as it neared Landis."
Another tornado touched down in northern Mecklenburg County Monday. Considered a high-end EF0, the tornado hit in the Huntersville area and moved at 85 mph, weather authorities say. The tornado's path was about 50 yards wide.
Related article: Small tornado touched down in Mecklenburg County Monday, preliminary report shows
No serious injuries were reported in either tornado.
At its peak, the worst power outages were reported in Wake County, with over 70,000 customers without power Monday night, according to the North Carolina Department of Public Safety. There were also reports of dozens of trees down from the storm around Mecklenburg County, with 18,000 customers without power.
Rowan County had over 17,000 without power Monday night, according to NCDPS, and Catawba County had over 15,000 homes and businesses without power.
Those numbers started to decline overnight as crews worked to restore power and make repairs.
Storms are now back in the forecast for Thursday, but Spectrum News meteorologists do not expect it to be as severe as Monday.
Related article: Strong storms are possible in North Carolina again on Thursday