{"id":5303,"date":"2026-07-24T09:04:26","date_gmt":"2026-07-24T09:04:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/durhammovinghub.com\/?p=5303"},"modified":"2026-07-24T09:04:26","modified_gmt":"2026-07-24T09:04:26","slug":"heavy-rain-shuts-down-i-40-85-morning-commute-causes-crashes-in-orange-county-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/durhammovinghub.com\/?p=5303","title":{"rendered":"Heavy rain shuts down I-40\/85 morning commute, causes crashes in Orange County"},"content":{"rendered":"

Heavy rain from passing storms forced thousands of commuters heading east and west to find a way around the floods when Interstate 85\/40 shut down Thursday morning in Orange County.<\/p>\n

Read more Fenton security guard accidentally shot his best friend. Now he\u2019ll go to prison<\/a><\/p>\n

Flash flooding and fallen limbs were also being reported in Chapel Hill around 9 a.m.<\/p>\n

The Orange Rural Fire Department responded to multiple fallen trees, flooded roads and cars trapped in swift water before 6:30 a.m. Thursday near Hillsborough.<\/p>\n

The interstate between Hillsborough and Efland, near the I-85\/40 split, was shut down to westbound traffic, fire and N.C. Department of Transportation officials said. A North Carolina State Highway Patrol spokesman said the water swelled to three to four feet deep.<\/p>\n

Four wrecks were reported in the westbound lane between Exit 259 and Exit 261. Highway Patrol 1st Sgt. V. Vincent said one crash was between two tractor-trailer trucks, another involved a tractor-trailer truck that sideswiped a tow truck pulling a car from the water, and two others involved passenger vehicles.<\/p>\n

Three cars got stuck in the floodwaters, he said, but all the vehicles were moving slowly when they crashed, and no one was injured. Earlier reports that a motorcyclist was involved were incorrect, he said.<\/p>\n

NCDOT routed drivers heading south and west onto Old N.C. 86 North and north toward Hillsborough to get back on I-85 South.<\/p>\n

Crews got the traffic flowing freely again by 11 a.m. Thursday. NCDOT spokesman Aaron Moody said a pipe that was not draining properly caused pooling water in the road. As crews cleared the blockage, the water drained quickly and the interstate reopened.<\/p>\n

Read more George Kittle Recalls \u2018Fantastic’ Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce Wedding<\/a><\/p>\n

Orange County Sheriff\u2019s Office deputies started their morning responding to flooded roads, power outages, downed trees and wrecked vehicles, spokeswoman Alicia Stemper said.<\/p>\n

An on-duty Sheriff\u2019s Office lieutenant said \u201cmany of the problems are people simply driving too fast for conditions,\u201d Stemper said. \u201cIt goes back to the adage ‘just because you can [drive fast] does not mean you should.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

In Hillsborough, a town spokesperson said flooding was reported on Orange Grove Road, “one of our known flood spots in town.\u201d Traffic was also backed up more than normal in the north and southbound lanes of Churton Street through downtown, town spokesperson JC Leser-McMinn said.<\/p>\n

A flood watch remained in effect for the Triangle and central North Carolina as storms were expected to travel across the state throughout the day. Up to 6 inches of rain is expected, with strong to severe storms<\/a>, some \u201cwith gusty winds or even a brief tornado,\u201d the National Weather Service\u2019s Raleigh office reported.<\/p>\n

No major issues were reported overnight in Chapel Hill, but flash flooding shut down eastbound East Franklin Street to one lane near Park Place, just northeast of downtown. Ephesus Church Road was also down to one lane near Colony Woods Drive due to a branch on a utility line, according to a town spokesman.<\/p>\n

Both areas were cleared for drivers by 1 p.m., the town reported.<\/p>\n

Some water was also ponding on roads in Carrboro because of clogged stormwater inlets. Crews were out clearing drains and planned to be out checking on trouble spots along streets and creeks throughout the day, town spokeswoman Catherine Lazorko said.<\/p>\n

Read more Is recent rain enough to get rid of North Carolina\u2019s drought?<\/a><\/p>\n

This story was originally published July 23, 2026 at 9:29 AM.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Westbound I-85\/40 near Hillsborough closed after torrential rain. NCDOT sends drivers to detour while crews address crashes, floods. 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