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Microburst damage confirmed in Lake Norman, Mooresville area

The National Weather Service was on the ground in Mooresville to assess the damage. NBC Charlotte followed along to see some of the hardest hit neighborhoods.

MOORESVILLE, N.C. -- Major cleanup efforts were underway in Huntersville and Mooresville Monday after storms rolled though the area.

The National Weather Service was on the ground to assess the damage. Officials confirmed microburst damage in the Lake Norman and Mooresville area with winds around 80 mph.

NBC Charlotte followed along to see some of the hardest hit neighborhoods. On Stone Ridge Lane, a home’s chimney collapsed after a tree crashed into it.

“We took refuge in the laundry room, and ten seconds after that, we heard a tremendous boom,” homeowner Joe Gibbs described to NBC Charlotte.

His neighbor, Martha Rogers, watched a tree crashed into her house’s gutter, but it spared the rest of the home.

“It wasn’t a funnel cloud, but it was a stream of wind that was just unbelievable,” said Rogers.

The powerful storm also took a toll on businesses. For the Hotshots Bar and Grill, it was a double whammy. Strong winds damaged the roof just days after police said a drunk driver intentionally crashed through the front entrance.

Not far away, the wicked weather knocked the emergency room doors off track at Lake Norman Regional Medical Center. The wind also blew the antenna off the hospital's roof.

“That’s being fixed as we speak; there was never an interruption in service,” said Leigh Whitfield, director of marketing for Lake Norman Regional Medical Center.

Meanwhile, there was another dramatic scene in Huntersville where the storm caused a barn to collapse. A calf was born in the thick of the storm. The farm’s owner told NBC Charlotte the calf will be named “Stormy”.

Back in Mooresville, Gibbs was not focused on what he lost, but what he still had.

“We were very fortunate,” said Gibbs. “We survived it along with our dog.”

Mooresville fire officials estimated 25 homes were damaged, ranging from minor to significant, along with three businesses damaged. They said, fortunately, no one was hurt in the storm.

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