Hurricane Helene on track to bring record rainfall, flooding to parts of NC

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — The rain continues as remnants of Hurricane Helen track north into the southern Appalachians.

A few afternoon showers are also possible earlier on Thursday for the ABC11 viewing area. Temperature highs will be in the upper 70s and low 80s.

Many parts of the ABC11 coverage should prepare for possible flooding as Helene continues to churn towards Florida and then move north. Overnight storms on Tuesday and Thursday produced a lot of rain, leading to several flood warnings.

Heavy rainfall, gusty winds, and isolated severe storms will be possible for Central NC late Thursday night and Friday. Rainfall total will be 1 to 2 inches with some areas experiencing more on Friday.

Wind gusts could reach over 40 mph. There is also an isolated tornado risk.

Looking Ahead

Rain: Friday will be when the area will receive the biggest rain impacts. By then, Helene is expected to be a weakening tropical storm or depression. Tropical downpours may lead to locally heavy rain at times-likely 1 to 3 with an isolated 4″ possible. So far this month, we’ve gotten 10.18″ making it the 6th wettest September on record, and a couple of inches from Helene could surpass the current third place total of 11.92″.

Wind: It’ll turn breezy Thursday night. By Friday, wind gusts of 25 to 40mph will be possible, which may lead to power outages.

Tornado Risk: There is a level 1 risk for isolated tornadoes & damaging winds in the Sandhills Thursday night. This risk expands to all of Central NC on Friday.

The Weekend: Saturday will be partly cloudy with a spotty shower. A few showers will be around Sunday with the upper-level energy nearby. Weekend highs will be in the low to mid-80s with lows in the 60s.

WATCH: The Weather Show talks about Hurricane Helene

Weather Safety Tips

Here are some useful resources:

You can use the Flood Inundation Mapping and Alert Network to track water levels near you and which areas may be impacted by flooding.

You can report a power outage at 57801, use the Duke Energy app or their website.

You can check for road closures due to the storm.