I-540 Open To Traffic Again After Storm Brings Down Power Lines

Officials had shut down that part of I-540 after power lines fell as a result of the storm in north Raleigh.

There was a report of one person hurt after power lines fell onto a vehicle on Capital Boulevard. There have been no other reports of injuries.

Progress Energy reported nearly 1,000 outages in North Raleigh near the I-540/U.S. 1 area Thursday. There have also been multiple reports of damage in Raleigh:

Two trees were reported down on a house on Fiesta Way near Falls of Neuse Road; and there was another report nearby of a tree flattening a car.

A homeowner on Salem Woods Drive off Falls of Neuse Road told WRAL that he saw a tornado form and touch down. Numerous trees were knocked down, with one tree falling on the front porch of the homeowner. Nearby, six to 12 trees were reportedly downed at Strickland Road and Falls of Neuse Road.

A funnel cloud was spotted on Fox Road near Louisburg Road in North Raleigh. Numerous trees were down in the area and several residents lost power.

Wind damage was also reported on Sandpiper Court, where trees were blown out of their yards, and Coventry Ridge Road, where shingles flew off houses and fences were felled by winds. Trees were reportedly snapped in two on Beaverwood Drive, with some landing on nearby homes.

According to the National Weather Service, wind damage was also reported along Highway 54 in New Hope; at Carlton Drive and Pilgrim Road in Raleigh; Louisburg Road and Perry Creek Road in Wake County; and Harps Mill Road in Raleigh. Dime-sized hail was also reported in both Wake and Orange counties.

According to Greg Fishel in the WRAL WeatherCenter, a cold front and upper-level low should approach from the west and northwest on Friday, bringing more extensive coverage of showers and storms in the afternoon and evening. There is a slight risk that some of those storms could become strong or severe.

Stay tuned to WRAL and WRAL.com for the latest severe weather coverage.