'Big concerns' North Carolina climatologist speaks on Chantal's impact

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- The Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina said that before Chantal hit, staff began preparing Disaster Relief Kits.

There are now thousands of kits that are starting to arrive in communities devastated by the storm.

Staff have been working to secure more donations for an essential item.

"Water is always a critical piece of the puzzle," said Food Bank Spokesperson Jason Stephany.

When ABC11 stopped by a warehouse, there was only one pallet of bottled water left. Stephany said the rest of the supply went out to hard-hit areas, like Mebane.

"We have folks who either have a boil notice in place or may not have potable water for several weeks while they work on repairs," said Stephany.

Chantal has crippled some communities. Food pantries are struggling to meet demand, and some are operating without power or running water.

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North Carolina Assistant State Climatologist Corey Davis said the storm brought big concerns.

"These types of storms that form early in the season right off our coastline rarely, they rarely have big impacts," said Davis.

Chantal exceeded some of the rainfall and river crest records set during Hurricane Fran in 1996.

Davis said climate change and warming ocean waters can hold more moisture, which results in added rainfall once a system moves over land.

"Folks that were around in '96 for Fran know that was the end-all, be-all storm. It's hard to imagine any system stronger than that," said Davis. "For a tropical depression to exceed what Category 3 Hurricane Fran did is almost unimaginable, but again, it shows the changes that we're seeing, and minor systems like this can have a big impact."

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