Send To Friend 
CaptionTweet This! http://mync.com/site/7796/
Tornadoes and severe storms moved through the area all day Wednesday, causing minor damage, knocking out power and bringing heavy rains.
NBC17 Precision Weather
Read More:
More Weather Photos
Share:
Send Us Your Weather Photos
Some areas received an estimated three to six inches of rain total over the last 24 to 36 hours.
The National Weather Service issued a tornado watch for nearly 60 counties in central and eastern North Carolina for the afternoon and tornado warnings popped up as radar tracked funnels that hadn't touched down.
Earlier in the day, Nash County Sheriff's Office reported a tornado touchdown on NC 97 and Interstate 95 just west of I-95. There were no reports of any injuries of damage. Brian Brantley with Nash County Emergency Services, said they received two reports of tornadoes on the ground this afternoon.
NC Highway Patrol Spokesman Lt. Everett Clendenin said that as of 4 p.m. there had been 87 crashes on the state's highways, but no one had been killed. Traffic lights in many areas, including Chatham County, were down at different times during the day.
Some streets were closed Wednesday morning due to flooding, according to the Town of Chapel Hill. Streets include Franklin Street between Kenan and Mallette, South Estes at Willow, 15-501 at Estes, and Umstead at Bradley.
Some Durham County offices closed early due to power outages, and buses at two Durham schools remained parked while a tornado warning moved through the area. Wilson County schools went into tornado warning mode at 1:30 p.m. but operations soon returned to normal.
Russell Henes of the National Weather Service said the sun broke out around the area earlier in the day, causing the area to destabilize and the weather to become severe. The NWS received some reports of minor damage and fallen trees, according to Henes.
By early afternoon, there had been no reports of injury or deaths from the storm, said Julia Jarema, spokeswoman for the state Department of Crime Control and Public Safety.
National Weather Service meteorologist Jonathan Blaes in Raleigh said the weather would gradually subside over the next few days.
"Unsettled weather with a chance of showers and thunderstorms will persist through Friday," Blaes said. "I wouldn't focus on it as being one tight little storm."
Blaes said nearly 7 1/2 inches of rain fell in Charlotte between 8 a.m. Tuesday and 8 a.m. Wednesday. Asheville had more than 4 inches and Hickory had nearly 4 inches while Winston-Salem recorded more than 3 inches.
Farmers in the path of the rain said it would only help crops that were parched by growing drought.
"We've averaged around 3 to 4 inches of rain since this started and fortunately it started out with a good soaking rain and a lot of this has gone into the ground," said Henderson County
agricultural extension agent Marvin Owings.
Henderson County produces more than 85 percent of the state's apples and Owings said the moisture would help varieties that mature next month and help buds grow strong for next year's crop.
Report Abuse 
Post A Comment
Commenting is not available in this section entry.