NORFOLK - Wednesday night’s severe weather brought high winds causing traffic problems around Hampton Roads.

Slideshow: July 1 storm damage

The James River Bridge was shut down for hours in both directions due a thunderstorm knocked down a power line.

About 2,000 people were without power Thursday morning.

Video: Storm aftermath

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The biggest issue that the weather created, however, was at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, where winds toppled a tractor trailer, nearly dumping it into the bay.

One trucker is very lucky this morning that he did not go off the bridge.

It was a much unexpected storm that came through Wednesday night catching him completely off guard.

Bridge officials say no travel restrictions were in place when the sudden storm with strong winds blew through around 9:30 pm.

A tractor trailer traveling southbound on the bridge suddenly ran into trouble near the second island.

Officials say a powerful gust of wind swept the 18 wheeler off the road and onto its side sending the big rig smashing into the guardrail.

Fortunately no other vehicles were involved but the truck driver was injured, telling medics that he hurt his back.

An ambulance took him to the hospital to get checked out.

Truck drivers say weather on the bridge can be very unpredictable, and many will wait out a storm rather than take any chances.

By morning the accident had been removed and the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel was clear.

From 9:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. Wednesday, the Newport News Fire Department responded to more than 30 weather-related incidents, most in the area from Mercury Blvd. South along both the Jefferson Ave. and Warwick Blvd corridors.

Trees were toppled, power lines fell and there were two house fires. A home in the 1100 block of 77th Street was sparked by lightning, fire officials said. The lightning energized the house, severely damaged the electrical service and caused a small fire in the kitchen area, fire officials said in a press release.

The second fire, at a home in the 7700 block of Jarvis Place, was started by a lit candle. Fire officials say the homeowner had candles going beacuse the storm knocked out power to the home.