Triangle awaits rain, strong winds from Hanna

The heaviest band of rain is expected around 6 a.m. Saturday, WRAL Meteorologist Elizabeth Gardner said. The rain should be out of the area by 2 p.m. Saturday.

"This storm is moving fast now," Gardner said.

Friday's highs will be in the low 80s, and skies will become increasingly cloudier in the afternoon as Hanna approaches.

The threat of weekend winds and rain from Tropical Storm Hanna prompted Raleigh leaders to tinker with their concert schedule, and surrounding counties got out crews to clear debris from ditches and culverts on Thursday.

On Friday, Mercury Blue will go on at 4:45 p.m, instead of 5:15 p.m; Arrested Development at 5:45, instead of 7 p.m.; and headliner Chuck Berry at 7:30 p.m., instead of 8:30 p.m.

The expected 50,000 downtown visitors will get a windy welcome Saturday. Those strong winds might force organizers to cancel fireworks planned for Friday and Saturday nights, officials said.

"Anytime you have the public involved, you have to be concerned about safety," Mayor Charles Meeker said. "If it really does get windy, we'll have to make a change, but right now, it doesn't look like that. It looks like it might be a little rain and nothing too serious."

Leaders in eastern counties have moved quickly to stave off flooding.

Five crews checked ditches and drains throughout Rocky Mount, looking for trouble spots that could cause flooding. They cleared debris from culverts and removed large tree limbs from creek beds.

"The fewer obstructions we have along the way, the faster the water can flow out," Blair Hinkle, the city's storm-water manager, said.

Rocky Mount's swift-water rescue team geared up for action locally or anywhere across the state. The city's fire department checked all its gear, from fuel levels to hoses on all fire trucks.

"We're very confident that certainly we'll be able to handle anything that comes our way with this storm," Hinkle said.

Crews made similar preparations in Fayetteville and Wilson, clearing ditches, and power crews stocked up on supplies.

Johnston County officials said they will notify residents of any emergency situations by a telephone notification system.

Due to the storm, WRAL-TV will broadcast news at 5 and 5:30 p.m. Friday.

The U.S. Open tennis tournament can be seen on WRAL NewsChannel, Time Warner cable ch. 252, starting at 5 p.m.