Severe thunderstorms push through central North Carolina, toppling trees and knocking out power
A large-scale cleanup effort is underway across the Triangle after powerful thunderstorms tore through the area Tuesday afternoon, knocking down trees and powerlines, and leaving one person dead in Durham.
Tens of thousands of people remained without power, mostly in the Durham area.
And late Tuesday, Durham Public Schools announced that because of hazardous road conditions and widespread power outages, schools will be closed for students on Wednesday. Staffers at DPS year-round, specialty high schools, and central services offices will operate on a two-hour delay.
Storm leaves 1 dead
Durham Police confirmed to ABC11 late Tuesday that the storm took a deadly turn. DPD said 78-year-old Donna Warshaw of Hillsborough was killed when a tree fell on her car.
It happened on Anderson Street at Morehead Avenue and Cranford Road near Duke University's campus.
The tree also fell on power lines. Police said Anderson Street and Morehead Avenue are expected to remain closed for several more hours while crews work to clear the road.
Power Outages
As of 11 p.m., nearly 70,000 were without power in Durham County and several thousand more were without electricity in Wake and Orange counties. Across the state, more than 116,000 were without power.
Check the Duke Energy power outage map here.
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Jeff Brooks with Duke Energy tells ABC11 crews are out and working to restore power and clean up power lines as quickly as possible.
Severe weather amped up starting around 3 p.m.
Warnings popped up for several counties as storms packed with heavy rain, damaging wind, and loads of lightning passed through the region.
