At the request of emergency management officials, the American Red Cross Blue Ridge Piedmont Chapter opened a Burke County shelter Wednesday afternoon. The shelter, for residents who may be displaced due to a power outage, is at the Valdese Recreation Center, 312 Massel Avenue SE.

Caldwell County Public Information reports that 517 homes were damaged in the Grace Chapel Road area, with 42 homes sustaining major damage with 1 home destroyed. The numbers do not include town of Granite Falls, Rhodhiss or Bethlehem numbers.
The Caldwell County Sheriff's Office is warning residents that scammers are in the Grace Chapel Road area and are approaching residents. A scam artist approached an elderly couple in the North Lakes Community late Tuesday and told them if they did not move "the debris out of their driveway in two days, they would be fined by the County." This is a scam. There are also scam artists approaching residents and offering to cut debris and then disappearing with the money. Residents should never pay up front for any work hired out and make sure the workers have proof of insurance and are bonded. Groups that are legitimate and are working in the area are the North Carolina Baptist Men, the Methodist Disaster Relief, the American Red Cross, Caldwell County CERT and REACT.

A 31-year-old tree service contractor for a utility company was killed early Wednesday morning while working to clear a tree from a power line in Alexander County. The worker, Brian Keith Wilmoth of Wilkes County, was crushed when the tree snapped back and fell on him.

National Weather Service meterologists and survey teams have confirmed an EF2 tornado (111-135mph) in Cleveland County and a tornado with a preliminary rating of EF1 (86-110mph) in southeastern Rutherford County that traveled into western Cleveland County.