Central NC faced power outages, school delays, and heavy rain

Monday was a WRAL Weather Alert Day because Potential Tropical Cyclone #8 brought heavy rain, strong winds, and the risk of tornadoes, flooding, and power outages to North Carolina.

The most significant impacts from PTC #8 were felt in the second half of Monday, particularly along the coast where Carolina Beach had already received more than 15 inches of rain, resulting in life-threatening flooding.

Tropical storm warnings were in effect along the N.C. coast on Monday, which also saw several tornado warnings.

A flash flood warning was issued for Chatham, Cumberland, Harnett, Hoke, Johnston, Lee, Moore, Wake, and Wayne Counties until midnight. Additionally, a wind advisory was in place for these counties plus Sampson, Scotland, and Wayne until 4 a.m. Tuesday.

As a result, the WRAL Weather Alert Day will continue until early Tuesday morning.

Several local school districts canceled afterschool activities, and Sampson Community College closed early.

Delays for Tuesday were announced by various organizations, including:

• Lee County Schools
• Duplin County Schools
• Harnett County Schools
• Hoke County Schools
• Little Beginningz Learning
• New Life Christian Academy
• Northwood Temple Academy
• STARS Charter School
• Sampson Community College
• Stedman BC Day Care
• The Ark Child Care in Clinton
• Tom Thumb Academy in Salemburg
• Trinity Child Care in Fayetteville
• Trinity Christian School
• Wayne County Schools

Helpful links: Sign up for WRAL weather alerts | Live DUALDoppler5000 | Wind speeds and wind gusts | Live cams across NC | WRAL interactive hurricane tracker

In downtown Raleigh, the wind picked up significantly, with buildings on Fayetteville Street acting like a wind tunnel.

Residents had to lean into the wind or cling to their umbrellas as the rain continued throughout the day. Winds reached up to 30 mph, causing saturated grounds to bring down trees.

An oak tree fell on Timber Drive near Crabtree Boulevard on Sunday night, knocking out power for over 100 people for more than 12 hours.

Conditions were expected to improve by Tuesday, though lingering rain and winds were possible early in the day. Showers and storms were anticipated to become more isolated by Tuesday afternoon.

Brunswick County issues curfew

Due to Potential Tropical Cyclone #8 several people were stranded on US-17 in Brunswick County on Monday afternoon due to severe flooding.

As a result, Brunswick County issued a curfew for the unincorporated areas until Tuesday at 6 a.m. due to major flooding.

In a statement the county asked residents to remain home or at a safe location until the curfew is lifted and road conditions are better.

Local impact of Potential Tropical Cyclone #8

The storm also caused significant disruptions in other areas. In Cary and Raleigh, residents faced power outages and downed trees.

Thousands were without power as of Monday night, particularly in Wake County.

Some areas experienced intermittent heavy rain and wind gusts between 25 and 35 mph. A Fayetteville resident had a massive tree fall on her house, but fortunately, no injuries were reported.

Southport experienced road washouts, prompting the Southport Police Department to urge residents to avoid travel.

Major roads were rendered impassable due to the storm’s impacts.

In a Facebook post, Southport Police Department wrote:

“Please stay off the road if at all possible – major road washouts – this is river rd between the tiger mart and 50 lakes drive – dangerous conditions – impassable conditions on river rd.”

Looking at the week ahead, the area of low pressure will weaken, but impacts will linger throughout the week.

“This means there will be the daily chance for scattered showers and storms each afternoon and evening Wednesday through Friday,” Michaels said. “Some dry air may arrive in time for the weekend.”

Governor Cooper urges caution

Governor Roy Cooper posted on platform X, urging residents to stay safe:

“Significant flooding is impacting Southeast NC as heavy rain continues. We’re in contact with local officials, and @NCEmergency is assisting coastal communities in their storm response. Stay safe and follow guidance from local emergency officials.” – RC

NC emergency crews were on standby

Flooding is often the most dangerous part of a storm.

“Water is one of the most powerful forces on Earth. Even a small amount of rain or floodwater on a roadway can be devastating,” said Darshan Patel, operations manager for Wake County Emergency Management.

Patel said, with the ground already saturated from this week’s rain, flooding could easily occur in low-lying areas.

“We’re working closely with our partners to assess potential public safety concerns. If risks are identified, we’re ready to take proactive measures,” he said.

Crews are also monitoring road conditions and power lines. Duke Energy is anticipating possible outages if strong coastal winds move inland and combine with heavy rainfall.

“It’s a constant challenge with Mother Nature,” said Jeff Brooks, a spokesperson for Duke Energy. “Soggy ground makes it even harder to prevent outages caused by falling trees, but we’re doing everything we can to minimize disruptions.”

Duke Energy is keeping its current teams on standby and is prepared to deploy them to critical areas if needed. Although summer is winding down, the peak of tropical storm season is just beginning.

“This system developed quickly off the coast and will bring nasty weather over the next few days. We might see more storms like this soon,” Brooks said.

For local safety updates, residents are encouraged to use ReadyWake, a mobile resource that provides notifications about potential hazards in their area.

Information on road closures is also available on DriveNC, which has added a “Potential tropical cyclone” tab on their website. Users can toggle on and off to see specific impacts from this storm on the roads.