The slow moving storms, which could dump 6 inches of rain throughout the day, have arrived in the Triangle Thursday morning.
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A flood watch is in effect for central North Carolina, including the Triangle, as slow moving fronts travel across the state. A few of the storms could become strong to severe, “with gusty winds or even a brief tornado,” according to the National Weather Service’s Raleigh office.
“Continuous rounds of showers and storms through the day will produce 2 to 4 inches of rain, with locally higher amounts of 6+ inches (mainly across the Triangle area),” according to an early morning briefing from the National Weather Service. “Scattered instances of flash flooding will be possible, with the greatest risk over the northeast Piedmont and northern and central Coastal Plain, including in the Triangle.”
Parts of Interstates 85 and 40 are closed in some areas due to flooding, according to the Orange Rural Fire Department in Hillsborough.
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“We are responding to multiple calls for flooded roads, cars in the water and trees down,” according to the fire department. “If you have to go out, give yourself extra time. I85/40 is shut down due to flooding. If you usually travel the interstate between Hillsborough and Efland to work or home, find a different route and stay off the interstate.”
In the Triad, where the storms moved from Wednesday and overnight, about five inches of rain fell in Burlington and 2.5 inches in Greensboro from 6 p.m. Wednesday to 6 a.m. Thursday.
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Reporter Tammy Grubb contributed to this report. This story will be updated.