Lunch Break (2/24/16): Big bad storms coming to blow your house down

Meteorologists tracking heavy storms through the Carolinas warn that heavy rain and strong winds are on the forecast for Charlotte today, bringing the risk of severe flooding and even the possibility of tornadoes. Reports indicate that the severe weather and tornado threat is shifting towards Raleigh, but Charlotte can still expect winds reaching up to 40 miles per hour and heavy showers that could cause flooding throughout Wednesday. Fallen trees have already left thousands without power around Charlotte. A flash flood watch has been issued in Mecklenburg County until 6 p.m., and a wind advisory has been issued until midnight. At 11 a.m., WSOC meteorologists reported that a tornado watch for the Charlotte area would be issued soon. The hyperlink above provides minute-by-minute updates. (WSOC Staff) 

CMPD is calling on Charlotte residents to help identify two suspects involved in robbing and kidnapping a pizza delivery driver at gunpoint late Monday night. The incident was initially reported at 2:30 a.m. on Tuesday morning, when employees at the Papa John’s restaurant on East 4th Street reported that a delivery driver had not returned from a scheduled delivery. The Archdale Police Department notified CMPD that they had located the victim, and detectives learned that the delivery driver, not identified in reports, was forced out of his vehicle at gunpoint by two suspects. The suspects then drove the man to an ATM, where they withdrew funds from his account. The suspects released him and fled the scene. CMPD has released a photo of the male suspect, who is described as a black male in his mid-20s, and approximately 5’9”. The second suspect is described as a black female. (Madeline Lemieux) 

Police have resorted to manually directing traffic through a northeast Charlotte intersection after losing power early Wednesday morning. Electricity powering the stoplights at North Graham Street and Atando Avenue was cut when a power line went down at around 6:30 a.m. Facing severe weather, officers continue to direct traffic as Duke Energy workers attempt to fix the downed lines. A worker working to restore power at the intersection was reportedly shocked and sent to the hospital but is expected to be OK. (WBTV Web Staff) 

Ryan Tucker, a 31-year-old Charlotte resident charged with drug trafficking, was sentenced Tuesday to more than 24 years in federal prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release. As the leader of a drug trafficking ring, Tucker brought over a ton of marijuana to Charlotte. Authorities now know that in addition to using commercial freight vehicles to transport drugs from California, Tucker also used a private jet, piloted by his father, Fredrick Elwood Tucker, a former narcotics agent and licensed pilot. The operation profited Tucker over $1.7 million of laundered income. (Fox46 Staff) 

This article appears in Feb 17-23, 2016.