Fallen tree causes major power outage in north Charlotte

CHARLOTTE — A major power outage caused by a large fallen tree impacted over 4,000 customers in north Charlotte Tuesday morning.

The outage, which also affected traffic lights in the area, was first reported around 5:30 a.m.

The massive tree fell on a utility pole, snapped the top of it in half and brought down the power lines.

Gibbon Road was shut down at Old Statesville Road as a result.

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Channel 9’s Evan Donovan learned some businesses had to shut down.

We got a look at the actual tree itself. It made a big mess.

There are lots of power lines we saw hanging low or down on the ground.

The cleanup happened all day Tuesday, leaving some people to find creative ways to stay cool.

“Woke up this morning to air conditioning off, been a long day of heat,” said Keoni Hampton who lives in the area. “No electricity. I’ve been sitting in my car charging my phone most of the day. It’s annoying.”

At one point we saw as many as 6,000 people without power.

Channel 9 was told there were less than 1,000 Tuesday afternoon.

Duke Energy said some people will get power back by 10 p.m. Others have no idea how long they’ll have to wait.

People often ask Action 9 attorney Jason Stoogenke whether you can get your utility to pay for spoiled food and other damages when the power goes out.

Jason says usually no, but that you should still submit a claim to your utility.

If they turn you down, try your homeowners or renters insurance. It’s worth a shot.

If your power company was truly at fault, you may think about legal action. But it’s hard to win. You typically have to prove the utility was grossly negligent or worse.

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