NC power outages: Massive storms leave more than 100,000 homes in the Triangle region without power
- More than 100,000 North Carolina residents were without power Tuesday night after a series of massive storms ripped through the state
- County Durham accounts for nearly half of customers without power
- Among the issues affecting residents are highway closures due to accidents, quarter-size hail and wind speeds of up to 80 mph
More than 100,000 North Carolina residents were left in the dark Tuesday after a series of intense storms knocked out power and temperatures hit new highs.
County Durham, home to Durham – a city of around 285,000 and Duke University – accounted for nearly half of the outages with around 67,000 helpless.
Neighboring Orange County reported more than 14,000 residents with lights out Tuesday night after thunderstorms hit the area.
Among the problems facing residents of the Triangle – the area between Duke, UNC-Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University – included downed tree branches and an accident on a major highway.
The storms also came on one of the hottest days in the Tar Heel State as temperatures soared and reached nearly 100 degrees at their peak.
More than 100,000 North Carolina residents were left in the dark on Tuesday after a series of intense storms knocked out power and temperatures hit new highs
Late Tuesday evening, a massive crash on Interstate 40 in Durham closed the freeway during rush hour
Among the problems facing residents of the Triangle – the area between Duke, UNC-Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University – included downed tree branches and a major traffic accident.
Fallen trees and rain slammed the Triangle on Tuesday morning and afternoon
Late Tuesday evening, a massive crash on Interstate 40 in Durham shut down the highway during rush hour.
More than 30 cars were involved in the incident on the freeway, officials said. The road was closed for several hours.
The National Weather Service had issued a severe thunderstorm warning for parts of the Triangle. Among the concerns were wind speeds of up to 80 mph
Quarter-sized hail has also been predicted by meteorologists.
The National Weather Service finally extended a severe thunderstorm watch for the Triangle and a severe thunderstorm warning until 9 p.m. Tuesday.
Along with Durham and Orange counties, Wake County reported a high number of residents without power, around 12,400.
Guilford County – located in several counties east of Durham – also had nearly 20,000 neighbors without power as of Tuesday evening.
It is unclear when power will be restored to residents of the area.
The National Weather Service had issued a severe thunderstorm warning for parts of the Triangle. Among the concerns were wind speeds of up to 80 mph
Quarter-sized hail has also been predicted by meteorologists. Pictured: Storm clouds over a North Carolina airport on Tuesday
County Durham (red) had the highest number of outages with over 67,000
North Carolina was the epicenter of a recent East Coast storm pattern
The power outages and storm damage come just a week after rainfall in Massachusetts left cars submerged and buildings destroyed.
A tornado touched down in Mattapoisett — about an hour’s drive from Boston — on Aug. 7 as the state bore the brunt of the weather moving through the region.
Heavy rains flooded New England throughout the day, causing travel chaos, flooding roads and sending officials scrambling – with flood warnings introduced in several states and water rescue teams deployed in the western part of Vermont.
The downpour came just a day after a series of storms hit the East Coast, killing at least two people while leaving almost a million without power.
