NC mostly spared, others pick up pieces after Irma

As Irma, which was downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone Tuesday morning, continued to move northwestward into the Tennessee Valley, a band of rain associated with Irma pushed northward through the Triangle on Tuesday.

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Along the coast, Wrightsville Beach experienced strong rip currents and waves reportedly reaching 6 to 8 feet.

Meanwhile, thousands of people across the state were without electricity.

Wrightsville Beach had rough surf and rip tides from Irma.

Duke Energy reported about 68,000 customers without service early Tuesday. By 11:30 p.m., the number had been reduced to 61,817. Most of the outages are in the western part of the state.

Workers cleared branches and helped restore power in western NC.

Gov. Roy Cooper said forestry crews equipped with chain saws and some National Guard soldiers helped clear roads in parts of western North Carolina affected by the remnants of Irma.

No storm deaths or serious injuries were reported in North Carolina.

Wind gusts of nearly 50 mph were reported Tuesday morning.

Charleston, SC, is one of the places that suffered from Irma's wrath.

ABC11 Meteorologist Don "Big Weather" Schwenneker said any lingering showers will come to an end shortly after sunset Tuesday night.

"Once this band of rain moves to the north, drier air will wrap around the southern side of what's left of Irma and into the Carolinas for Wednesday." he said. "The sun will make an appearance, but with the upper-level trough overhead, there will be some clouds around at times."

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Winds diminished on Tuesday with gusts of 20-25 mph.

Most of the watches and warnings for our area were canceled overnight, but some school systems still played it safe.

Schools in Hoke and Robeson counties were delayed two hours Tuesday morning because of the lingering weather.

A UNC alum fled the US Virgin Islands as Irma loomed and talked to ABC11 about the experience.

School officials made the decision due to the possibility of heavy winds and rain.

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Fort Bragg also opened on a delay Tuesday morning.

The Blue Ridge Parkway remained closed because of high winds, and Chimney Rock and Mt. Mitchell state parks are closed until further notice.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.