MECKLENBURG COUNTY, N.C. — Mecklenburg County has experienced more than 700 severe weather events over the last 25 years, but nothing caused more damage than the 2002 ice storm, according to public records obtained by WCNC Charlotte.
Mecklenburg County’s Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan shows the Dec. 4, 2022, ice storm resulted in $40 million worth of property damage, which was more than all other severe weather events combined since 1999.
“The intensity of the freezing rain increased after midnight, and by sunrise on the 5th, devastating ice accumulations of 1/2 to 1 1/2 inches were observed,” the plan notes. “The hardest hit area was Charlotte metro. Hundreds of thousands lost power, and the outages lasted for as long as (two) weeks in some areas. Altogether, the storm caused almost $100 million in property damage across the region.”…