Helene on Friday brought severe flooding and a slew of tornado warnings to North Carolina. A tornado touched down in Rocky Mount, injuring at least five people, and Interstate 40 was blocked at the Tennessee state line due to a mudslide.
The Triangle and surrounding counties saw more than a dozen tornado warnings before 1 p.m., with Wake, Durham, Johnston, Chatham, Orange and others all in tornado warnings at some point. A tornado watch will expire for the entire area until 6 p.m.
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North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper confirmed two deaths in the state brought on by Helene. One child died in Catawba County because of a crash on a flooded road. Another person died in Charlotte due to a tree falling on a home.
A confirmed tornado touched down in Rocky Mount along Benvenue Road and Tiffany Boulevard near North Wesleyan Boulevard. Several people were injured, and multiple buildings were destroyed, including a church and a Days Inn.
PHOTOS: Damage from Helene in North Carolina
There were more than 700,000 customers without power across North Carolina, most in the western portion of the state. Duke Energy sent more than 10,000 crews to assist with power restoration to the Carolinas.
While it didn't compare with the mountains, the Triangle and surrounding counties saw severe flooding, including at Central Park in Durham, which was partially underwater. WRAL viewers sent photos of toys floating in backyards and trees in homes.
Trees fell across the Triangle in various neighborhoods and across N.C. Highway 751 between Fayetteville and Stagecoach roads. A tree fell on a home on Meadow Circle in Fuquay-Varina. The fire department learned about the tree around 2:15 a.m., and a caller reported someone was trapped inside.
The storm also caused numerous backups and crashes in the Triangle, including on I-40 near Garner and on the I-440 Beltline.
More than 100 swift water rescues were conducted in the western portion of the state, and crews were expecting more in a 12 p.m. update from William Ray with the Division of Emergency Management.
Many local school districts canceled classes on Friday, including Wake, Chatham, Cumberland, Durham, Orange and numerous others.
Storms from Helene's early bands moved through the area on Thursday, prompting tornado warnings Thursday afternoon. Tom McDonald, who lives in Raleigh, was inside his North Hills home when a tree snapped and fell on his truck in his driveway.
"The whole roof is caved in so I had to guess it's probably totaled," he said.
Some passengers delayed or stranded at RDU
There were more than 70 flights delayed at Raleigh-Durham International Airport on Friday.
Some residents who were looking to leave Raleigh to go to Florida were delayed Thursday night, or in some cases stranded, at Raleigh-Durham International Airport.
Flights both in and out of Tampa were canceled and several flights into Charlotte were delayed. Some people were forced to roll with the changes. According to FlightAware, there have been 87 flight delays and 15 flight cancelations at the airport.
"I really want to cry," Tameka Totten said. "It's very upsetting."
Totten said her flight was hit with delay after delay, and she ultimately canceled her trip to Dubai.
"It happened so fast," she said. We were thinking we were going to bypass the weather, because the bulk of the weather we were thinking is coming tomorrow."
Diquon Brandon said he's been trying to get back to Atlanta, but his flight has been continuously delayed. Meteorologists have said Atlanta will be directly in the path of the Hurricane.
"This is the longest experience I've had with a layover," he said, adding he's been at the airport for more than 24 hours and would likely spend the night at the airport.
"I just want to go home. I just wish this didn't happen to me."