Friday storms down trees in Apex neighborhood; rain possible into evening

Steve Shay was watching television on his couch when trees came crashing into his living room.

"I don’t think there was much going through my head other than just survive," he told WRAL News.

Shay said he heard the wind and peeked outside.

"A piece of debris flew past sideways, and I quickly closed the door," he said.

But that wasn't enough to keep Mother Nature out. It was just moments later that the tree crashed onto and through his roof.

"Instincts just took over," Shay said. "I ended up diving on the floor and covering my head."

By noon on Friday, cranes and chainsaws were working to remove the branches to give a better look at the damage.

Shay will stay with friends while his home is repaired.

Showers remain in the forecast through the afternoon and into the evening, with the system moving south and east.

The biggest concern with Friday's storms will be flooding, with the eastern half of the WRAL viewing area under a medium risk for flooding.

"The problem is, there's really not a great time to avoid the rain. If you leave early in the day, you're going to run into rain [in the Triangle] and if you leave later in the day, you'll probably run into rain at the coast," said WRAL meteorologist Kat Campbell.

Before it ends, this system could bring an estimated 1 to 3 inches of rain, and Wake and counties to the east are under a medium risk for flash flooding through Friday.

The rain will gradually abate by the end of the day on Friday, moving out of the Triangle by the evening commute and counties to the east as the evening wears on.