Ice storm largely spares Triangle, but still threatens freezing and floods
Ice coated some roads and power lines in counties north of Raleigh on Thursday, but the storm brought new threats of flash flooding, freezing and drawn-out dreary weather.
The National Weather Service reported light glazing in Durham County and Roxboro, and Gov. Roy Cooper said trees and power lines were down across the west and northern pars of the state.
But ice could increase, tree limbs can snap and power lines might go down as temperatures drop back into freezing territory early Friday.
“We need to take this very seriously,” he said in a news briefing.
The N.C. Department of Transportation listed 13,000 power outages statewide, most of them in the mountains and about half where the total stood at the storm’s peak. While freezing could worsen Thursday night, the storm’s impact fell far below Duke Energy’s prediction that 1 million of its customers could lose power in North Carolina and South Carolina.
Forecasters still warned that icy buildup threatens all Triangle counties, along with flash flooding as already swollen creeks and rivers overflow their banks. The Neuse and Eno rivers were running high but below flood levels Thursday, but Cooper said grave threats remain along the Tar River in Greenville and Lumber River around Lumberton.
The DOT urged drivers to stay off the roads so debris and ice can be cleared. Cooper has activated National Guard units to assist.
In the Triangle, emergency crews reported five crashes with injuries in Apex, Cary and Raleigh before noon Thursday, but it wasn’t clear if they were the result of slick roads. GoDurham buses, though, continued to run on time.
NC Emergency Management Director Mike Sprayberry said the Highway Patrol has responded to 722 collisions statewide.
“Please avoid any unnecessary travel today and tonight so that ice and debris can be cleared from the road,” Sprayberry said.
The greatest threat loomed over Person and Granville counties, where residents reported ice forming as early as 5 a.m. and temperatures persisted in sub-freezing levels. They and several counties, including Durham, remain under a winter storm warning until 7 a.m. Friday.
Wake County is under a winter storm advisory, and the National Weather Service also issued a flash flood watch for the area.
UNC-Chapel Hill canceled all classes Thursday. Wake County students have a day of asynchronous learning, while Durham and Orange counties called off school altogether.
Forecasters warned prior to the storm that even a light coating of ice threatens trees and power lines, adding hundreds of pounds in weight.
This story was originally published February 18, 2021 at 5:57 AM with the headline "Ice storm largely spares Triangle, but still threatens freezing and floods."