Advisory canceled, but wind wreaks havoc across Triangle
The National Weather Service has canceled a High Wind Warning for Raleigh, Durham and other cities in the viewing area. The advisory was canceled shortly after 9 p.m.
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The high winds knocked down a number of trees and also knocked out power to tens of thousands across our area.
In Raleigh, gusts took a tree down on Quail Hollow Drive near Pebble Brook Drive. Crews worked all day in Cary to restore power to thousands after a tree came crashing down on a line.
"I thought it was a massive car accident," said William Morgan, manager at Tao Auto Shop on West Chatham Street. "It was huge and the wind kept blowing the tree off the line so then it would come down on the line again, it would make that huge noise. It was very, very loud and very scary."
Morgan said the power in the auto shop was out nearly three hours. He said it was nearly impossible to work during that time.
"I think it was better that it happened earlier in the day and not in the evening when there's a lot of traffic on the road," Morgan said.
Duke Energy said by early evening all of the power was restored to the neighborhood in Cary.
Power outages reported: Here's what you need to do
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Experts suggest preparing for these situations and not parking your vehicle(s) under trees and keeping any electronic device you need fully charged.
Be sure to check with Duke Energy or PWC for outage updates.
In Chapel Hill, police said a fallen line made contact with a GoTriangle bus; no injuries were reported.
East Franklin Street has also partially reopened. The stretch of road closed around 9 a.m. Friday due to a fallen tree that took down power lines and poles.
The lines that came down also damaged the traffic signal at East Franklin Street and Boundary Street causing the signals to hang low and require repair. No injuries were reported.
Drivers are also reporting fallen trees. Drivers should be extra cautious on roadways.
North Carolina's Severe Weather Preparedness Week is March 4 through the 10.
The North Carolina Department of Public Safety and National Weather Service are reminding residents to prepare a safety plan in case of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes.
Government buildings and schools statewide will hold tornado drills to practice their emergency plans on Wednesday, March 7 at 9:30 in the morning.
