Tornado warnings sent Triangle residents scurrying for cover for just over an hour Friday as a strong band of storms spawned from Hurricane Helene — now a tropical depression — passed through the area.
The National Weather Center confirmed two tornadoes in eastern and southeastern NC, and flash flooding and winds affected much of the Triangle.
The National Weather Service issued its first tornado warnings — for northern Chatham County and central Orange County — at 10:38 a.m. Friday, spawning a frenzy of weather updates. UNC-Chapel Hill activated its emergency siren on campus to let students and staff know to take shelter. The warning expired about 20 minutes later, but was activated within 10 minutes.
Another warning was issued at 11:06 a.m. for Orange and Durham counties , as an air siren was heard blaring across central Durham from the N.C. School of Math and Science. Tornado warnings also were issued for Lee , Harnett and Wake counties, followed by another warning for Chatham County at 11:14 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.
The storm moved through quickly, but weather service officials warned the risk of flooding could continue until at least 6 p.m. Friday. Flash flood warnings were issued for Orange, Durham, Wake, Harnett and Cumberland counties.
At least two people had been killed in the state so far , North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said at a news briefing on the storm Friday morning. One person was killed in Charlotte when a tree fell on a house, and the other died after a traffic crash in Catawba County .
Another 15 people were injured, four seriously, when a tornado touched down in Rocky Mount , hitting two restaurants and other buildings, according to Rocky Mount Fire Chief Darvin Moore.
Fallen trees, flooding
The hurricane was downgraded from a Category 4 storm as it passed over Georgia overnight and turned west, passing through the North Carolina mountains. On Friday, it was downgraded to a tropical storm, and then a tropical depression.
The outer bands of the rain hitting the Triangle reached Alamance and Orange counties in the western part of the area around 9 a.m. Friday morning. Weather and utility officials warned that falling trees also posed a major hazard after days of rain before the storm had already soaked the ground in many places.
Orange County officials reported two homes had trees on them from the storm, and the basement of a home in Carrboro was flooded. At least four roads in Chapel Hill — Umstead Drive, Raleigh Road, Cleland Drive and South Merritt Mill Road — were closed because of flooding or downed trees , a spokesman said.
All roads in Chapel Hill were reported open as of just after 5 p.m. on Friday.
The National Weather Service Forecast Office in Raleigh previously told The News & Observer that the storm could bring 1 to 3 inches of rain and sustained winds of 15 to 25 mph to the Triangle.
Schools in Wake, Durham and Orange counties were closed in anticipation of the weather, and Duke Energy expected thousands to lose power in the storm’s wake.
Tornadoes touch down in eastern and southeastern NC
While the western part of North Carolina was still dealing with major flooding and dangerous road conditions after the storm, Helene only brought heavy rainfall and strong winds to most of the state.
But at least two potential tornadoes were reported Friday afternoon in Rocky Mount, an hour east of Raleigh, and in Garland , which is about 80 miles south of Raleigh in Sampson County. The National Weather Service was sending teams to both towns to assess the damage.
The National Weather Service Forecast Office in Raleigh issued tornado warnings for most of the Triangle as the band of storms passed through the area at midday, including in Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Holly Springs and Fuquay-Varina.
“Tornadoes aren’t uncommon with tropical storms or hurricanes,” said Jonathan Blaes, meteorologist-in-charge for the National Weather Service in Raleigh. “This is one of the threats that comes with them.”
The threat of tornadoes passed by late afternoon as the sun emerged from the clouds. Wind and flood advisories will remain in effect, Blaes said, noting that flooding could continue to cause issues for several days as rivers crest.
“It’s been so wet of late that much of the rain that fell is just washing and draining into creeks and streams,” Blaes said. “So that is a worry.”
A federal emergency declaration will provide Federal Emergency Management Agency money to help pay for evacuations, emergency shelters and other emergency protective measures in the western part of the state, The News & Observer has reported.
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