Hurricanes

Nicole latest: Last of rain storms continue to push east

On Friday night, heavy rain and strong winds pushed across central North Carolina.

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WRAL Severe Weather Center

The remnants of Nicole on Friday will move across North Carolina, dropping rain across the state.

Tropical Depression Nicole path

Live updates, tornado warnings in central NC

10:45 p.m.: The last of the storms from the remnants of Nicole continue to push east in North Carolina.
9:45 p.m.: Rain is continuing the eastern counties of central North Carolina.
9 p.m.: Rain is passing through the Triangle, but conditions are expected to clear by 11 p.m.
7:30 p.m.: The Level 1 risk for severe weather has been dropped throughout central North Carolina. Rain is still passing through the area.
7 p.m.: The storms are moving through Raleigh and the I-40 corridor now. We're not expecting these storms to be severe. Behind this line will be a band of general showers. The line continues to push to the east.
5:50 p.m.: A fairly narrow line of storms is continuing to merge into the area. "It's going to pour rain for a brief period of time and there will be some gusty winds," said WRAL meteorologist Kat Campbell. We're seeing wind gusts of 32 miles per hour in Fayetteville and 26 miles per hour in Raleigh.
5:30 p.m.: The primary threats with this band are heavy rain and straight-line winds. We've got heavy rain moving through Hoke and Chatham counties. These cells are moving to the north and west.
5:15 p.m.: After the lull in rain allowed us to warm up to 83 degrees, another set of bands is moving into the area at 5 p.m. Our highest chances for rain start at 6 p.m. Strong storm cells are entering Chatham County and Moore County from the west.
5 p.m.: Several flash flood warnings are up across western North Carolina. A tornado watch is in effect for parts of northeastern North Carolina until 6 p.m.
4:45 p.m.: Another round of rain bands began to arrive in the Stokes, Forsyth, Davidson, Stanly and Anson counties.
3:45 p.m.: WRAL meteorologist Kat Campbell said the North Carolina mountains have seen up to seven inches of rain in spots.
3:30 p.m.: Nicole is no longer a tropical depression. On Friday, the remnants from Nicole are still expected to bring on and off rain to North Carolina.
3 p.m.: The level 2 risk previously in effect for part of the area has been downgraded to a level 1 risk.
Level 1 risk for severe weather Nov. 11, 2022
2:50 p.m.: A tornado watch has been canceled for all of central North Carolina.

As of Friday afternoon, it was 82 degrees at Raleigh-Durham International Airport, which is a record high temperature for Nov. 11. The previous record was 80 degrees in 2006.

2:10 p.m.: The tornado watch was canceled for most of the area. Nash, Warren, Halifax and Northampton counties are still under the watch until 3 p.m.
1:50 p.m.: The winds are picking up. Fayetteville is seeing wind gusts of 31 miles per hour while Raleigh is seeing 27 mile-per-hour wind gusts.
12:57 p.m.: The tornado warning for Warren and Halifax counties has expired.
12:52 p.m.: A storm cell moving north of Littleton is moving at about 30 miles per hour toward the North Carolina-Virginia line.
12:27 p.m.: A Tornado Warning has been issued for Warren and Halifax counties until 1 p.m. At 12:25, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located 15 miles south of Littleton, or 16 miles southeast of Warrenton, moving north at 30 miles per hour. If you're in the warning area, you need to get to the lowest level of the building you're in. Communities like Roper Springs and Cooleys Crossroads are the path of the storm.
12:15 p.m.: Our first rain band is moving out of our northeastern counties right now. We'll have to watch this area in the next couple of hours for potential rotating storms. After several tornado warnings, we have no reports of damage and no confirmation of any touchdowns at this point.
11:50 a.m.: A tornado warning was issued for Mecklenburg County, Virginia, until 12:15 p.m.
11:40 a.m.: People in Warrenton need to get into a safe space now. There have been no reports of damage or tornado touchdown in N.C. despite a handful of tornado warnings.
11:15 a.m.: Warrenton is now included in a tornado warning in effect until 11:45 a.m. The tornado warning encompasses central Warren County and northeastern Franklin County.
10:55 a.m.: A tornado warning is in effect until 11:30 a.m. north of the Triangle encompassing Granville, Franklin and Vance counties; impacting Youngsville, Franklinton and Louisburg.
10:45 a.m.: Sunny skies and hit-and-miss showers will be likely for the next few hours, with downpours and storms likely again by 4 p.m. when a new band moves into central N.C.
10:15 a.m.: The National Weather Service is watching a storm near Garner as a tornado warning expires in Durham. WRAL meteorologist Aimee Wilmoth said rotation was reported near Sunnybrook Road, northeast of Garner, but no tornado warning has been issued yet.
9:50 a.m.: Tornado warnings are in effect until 10:15 a.m. for north and northwestern Durham, northeastern Orange, Person and Granville counties after radar detected circulation east of Hillsborough. The storm will impact Rougemont, Bahama, Lake Michie, Lake Butner and Eno River State Park. Read up on tornado safety tips.

Activity was detected north of downtown Durham. People in tall buildings in downtown Durham need to move to a safe place.

9:30 a.m.: More than 1,500 customers are without power in the Holly Springs Road and Sunset Lake Road area in Holly Springs. WRAL News is working to learn if the outages are connected to Nicole.

Heavy rain, isolated tornadoes in NC

Much of the state is under a Level 2 risk for severe weather on Friday, when heavy rain is expected in our area.

Level 1 risk for severe weather Nov. 11, 2022

According to WRAL meteorologist Aimee Wilmoth, it won't rain all day, we'll see heavy bands of rain move through all the way into Friday night.

The bulk of the rain will fall in waves on Friday. Saturday will be mostly dry.

Winds will be strong, but not likely to cause significant damage in N.C., although there is a threat for some power outages and isolated tornadoes. It is likely our area could go under a tornado watch, WRAL meteorologist Elizabeth Gardner said.

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The latest models forecast wind gusts of up to 40 mph in the Triangle and up to 2 inches of rain, which is not expected to cause flooding. Wilmoth expects 1.5 inches in the Triangle.

Gusty winds, isolated tornadoes, power outages and downpours will be possible.

The Triangle area should expect to see sustained winds of 15 to 20 mph on Friday, with some gusts up to 35 to 40 mph Friday evening. Isolated and brief tornadoes are possible. Heavy rain is expected as bands move through the Triangle.

"The mountains are likely to see the heaviest rain from this system," Gardner said, between 3 and 4 inches, and flash flooding and mudslides will be possible.

The coastal forecast is similar to central N.C., with up to 2 inches of rain and isolated tornadoes possible.

NC preps for Nicole's impact

On Friday morning, only five flights were canceled at Raleigh-Durham International Airport, a fairly typical number.

In the Triangle, Duke Energy is preparing for remnants of the storm to hit the Carolinas.

Duke Energy officials on Thursday told customers to prepare for Nicole with a stock of candles, batteries, medications, flashlights and other supplies.

Jeff Brooks, a spokesperson with Duke Energy, said 6,000 line and tree workers are ready to respond if the power goes out.

"There are more than 4 million customers in Carolina, a few million more in Florida, so this is a big storm impacting a lot of our service area," Brooks said. "Heavy rain and gusty winds can loosen tree roots and bring trees down on power lines -- even though [Nicole] is weaker, it's affecting a large portion of the state."

"We will have crews out working as long as it is safe to do so," Brooks added.

Customers who experience an outage during a storm can report it on the Duke Energy mobile app or by texting OUT to 57801.

Power outages in central and eastern N.C. are expected to be isolated.

The Red Cross of Eastern North Carolina has volunteers and staff once again providing food, shelter and comfort for Floridians. They have sent several waves of volunteers to help with recovery, and another wave of volunteers will go this weekend for continued support.

Nicole made landfall in Florida on Thursday as a rare November hurricane. It's only the fourth time a hurricane has hit the U.S. in the month of November.
Futurecast wind gusts on Friday, Nov. 11, 2022

Hurricane season officially extends through Nov. 30, although storms like this are more likely in September and October. Only four hurricanes have made landfall in the United States in the month of November since 1851.

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