Severe weather slams Carolinas, many without power

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - The Carolinas have some cleaning up to do after being slammed by severe thunderstorms with damaging winds and flooding and possible tornadoes that flipped tractor-trailers and small planes, broke storefront windows and pushed one house off its foundation. At least 98,000 homes and businesses lost power, forcing some schools to close Tuesday.

The National Weather Service reported that many trees and power lines were brought down across western North Carolina. Small planes were flipped over and their hangars crumpled at the Hickory Regional Airport. Drivers navigated flooded streets in Asheville and Boone, and possible tornados left trails of damage.

"You could hear it howl through downtown," Michael Parsons, whose Michael's Jewelers store in North Wilkesboro was damaged when a nearby roof blew off, told WXII News 12, the local NBC affiliate.

JoAnn Perez arrived home shortly after the storms passed to see her home pushed off its concrete slab, with her dogs and cat inside it, in Shelby, N.C. None were injured.

Duke Energy said that by early Tuesday morning, its crews were still working to restore electricity to more than 87,000 customers.

In South Carolina, an apparent tornado crunched buildings, flipped tractor trailers, downed trees and wrecked homes in the Spartanburg area. The Highway Patrol reported approximately 20 accidents in Spartanburg County, as well as traffic light malfunctions and trees down in roadways Monday afternoon.