By Carrie Wellman
Wilmington, NC – An intense thunderstorm roared through southeastern North Carolina late Tuesday afternoon, leaving flooded streets, power outages, and fallen trees in its path.
Wind gusts reached 49 mph, and more than two inches of rain pelted rush hour traffic as the quick, hard-hitting system rolled through Wilmington.
Progress Energy says 6,700 homes were without power, but crews had most of the lights back on within 45 minutes.
Wilmington Police had no reports of major accidents or injuries, although a spokesperson says flooding at 3rd and Wooster Streets caused Cape Fear Memorial Bridge to close temporarily.
Tom Matheson of the National Weather Service assures us that this evening's thunderstorms, while possible, will not be nearly as treacherous as Tuesday's.