The storms left up to 67,000 Duke Energy customers without power at one point and created chaotic conditions that kept police, fire and utility crews hopping for hours. By about 6:30 p.m., the storms had passed through the area, leaving a rash of downed power lines, fallen trees, flooded roads, debris blocking roadways, lightning-induced fires, traffic crashes and reports of motorists stranded and canoeists missing.
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