Heavy rain, strong winds down trees, cause power outages across the Triangle

Jamiese Price Image
Sunday, September 24, 2023
Heavy rain brings flooding, power outages to Triangle
Thousands in Durham were without power Saturday as tropical storm Ophelia made its way across the state.

DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) -- The first day of fall in the Triangle was a wet and soggy start to the season.

"It was pouring. It was pouring all day, " said Pam and Jim Dole who were in town visiting their niece Avery.

Tropical Storm Ophelia dumped buckets of rain and brought windy conditions to the Triangle causing flooding and damage in some areas.

"It went from so hot to so cold. We were in the house just watching the rain," Raleigh resident Brenna said.

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Streets and greenways in Raleigh were flooded. Durham residents saw rising water in creeks and tree limbs knocked out power to nearly 2,000 customers.

Crews with Duke Energy worked throughout the evening to repair power to subdivisions in Durham that had gone dark.

On North Carolina's coast, at Wrightsville Beach, conditions calmed down a bit Saturday. A far cry from Friday night when waves slammed shorelines, and gusty winds pounded the coastal community, but families did the most to salvage their Vacations.

"We saw the news and said hopefully it blew over but it didn't happen. You gotta make the best of what you got," said Spencer Canup from Burlington.

Beachgoers take advantage of clearing conditions at Wrightsville Beach

Wrightsville Beach is returning to normal as Tropical Storm Ophelia moves out of North Carolina