April 19, 2025

By WRAL Severe Weather Center
On Thursday, Duke Energy cut off power to more than 9,900 customers in Durham. On Tuesday, North Carolina was hit by severe thunderstorms.

More than 9,000 Duke Energy clients were left without electricity on Thursday after severe weather hit Durham two days earlier.

Durham Public Schools are closed for Thursday due to ongoing repairs as well as extensive damages caused by the deadly storms of Tuesday.

District officials announced that DPS workers will have a 2-hour delay Thursday. Practices for high school sports will go on as normal.

On Thursday, power was restored. However, crews had to deal with downed wires and fallen trees that were on their equipment.

On Thursday, traffic lights at the intersection between Interstate 85 and Roxboro Road were not working. This posed a risk to certain drivers.

The Oxford Manor community is still without electricity less than 10 minutes away.

WRAL News heard of several cases where groceries went bad. One woman called an ambulance two times to give her grandmother oxygen.

She said that she ran out of air. The oxygen she has only lasts an hour.

The resident’s family and herself have been without air conditioner for two days and are hoping to get relief as quickly as possible.

Duke Energy says that the electricity should be back on by Thursday at 6 pm.

Drivers should treat streetlights out of service as four-way stop signs.

On Thursday, thousands still remain without electricity

At noon, more than 12,900 people were still without electricity in the entire state. Durham reported more than 9,000 power outages, down from the 10,111 that were recorded at 4:30 am.

The storms that struck North Carolina on Tuesday caused more than 100,000 customers to lose power.

A whole neighborhood near the Duke Park area, on the corner of Markham Street and Washington Street, was without electricity Wednesday afternoon. Neighbors walked the entire block in order to cool off. More than 30,000 North Carolina customers still had no power after a day of 90-degree temperatures.

The storms on Tuesday caused damage to several homes and structures, including an accident involving 32 cars along Interstate 40. Sky 5 assessed the damage in Durham and Chapel Hill on Wednesday morning.

WRAL News reported that several Durham residents plan to have lunch in restaurants on Wednesday, so they can recharge their smartphones and take advantage of the air conditioner.

Radar estimated wind speeds of up to 92 mph Tuesday. However, these were measured hundreds of feet above the ground. Around 4:15 pm on Tuesday, a 72-mph gust of wind was recorded at the Duke Hospital roof.

Jeff Brooks from Duke Energy says that around 1,000 additional crews were recruited in other areas of South Carolina and the state.

Brooks stated that “our forces were doubled from here to Greensboro and this will help us in addressing these power outages.” We know that it is hot and people are desperate to have their electricity restored.

Brooks warns everyone that a fallen power line could be active.

Make sure you don’t bury any objects when cleaning up the debris from your lawn.

Durham residents are left with the mess

After Tuesday’s storm, power lines blocked Flora O’Brien’s front and back doors.

O’Brien stated that it was draped around the tree.

O’Brien walked into her neighbor’s backyard to obtain essentials such as ice.

“The Co-Op Food Lion and Harris Teeter have closed and no ice is available,” O’Brien stated.

Sarah Peveler discovered a generator on Anderson Street.

Peveler said, “I received a propane and gas tank full from a good friend. “.

For the time being, electricity is preventing a whole load of grocery from spoiling.

O’Brien and Peveler live just a block from the most severe damage.

Shannon Reavis was able to get back into her vehicle on Wednesday after crews removed this tree from the top.

She said that the situation does not appear to be as bad as some others.

The tree which struck his home was not visible because it rained so heavily on Tuesday evening.

Gray remembered: “We heard a smash and I then came here to see if I could hear water. You can probably see a branch that fell down right here.”

A ladder and a plastic tarp were brought by neighbors in Barenwood Circle to stop water from getting into the house.

Gray stated that “everyone worked well together.” Gray said, “We do not have a saw chain but others have it.”

Tim Darr is running out of gas as he helps to clean.

Darr stated, “I usually sleep with a CPAP and didn’t use it last night.”

Wake County residents begin cleanup of storm-damaged property

Sue Keith Woodlief, who has been living in Wake County for over 70 years, is currently repairing the home she lives in.

Woodlief added, “My friend is a tree-cutter and another one of my friends works as a roofer.”

Woodlief says that Tuesday’s storm is worse than hurricane Hazel of 1954 or Hurricane Fran of 1996.

Woodlief stated that it was one of the most difficult experiences he had ever encountered.

Eddie Peoples, a Wake Electric employee for 38 years.

Peoples stated, “I have seen Hurricane Fran and [Hurricane] Katrina but never a storm like this.”

The storm on Tuesday knocked seven power poles down along Creedmoor Road.

Tammy Davis was outside when she heard the hail. She told me it was hail falling from trees.

Davis, who has lived in her home since 1999, had trees fall through the bedroom.

Davis stated, “You wonder all the time why other people do not get this stuff. But you never think to grab it when that kind of thing happens.” All I could think about were my dogs.

Davis and her dog are doing fine, she said. She told me she was looking for somewhere to stay.

Davis stated, “If they cannot fix it, then I will have to relocate, but I don’t know where or how to go about it.”

Storms in the Triangle have caused damage.

In the aftermath of Tuesday’s storms in the Triangle, there were reports of crashes, power outages, trees that had fallen, and homes damaged.

During the storms, central North Carolina reported over 100,000 power outages.

More than 68,000 Durham customers lost power due to storms.

More than 15 000 customers in Guilford County lost power after a tree fell near High Point.

Multiple roads were shut down in Durham due to the fallen trees.

Orange County Emergency Services reported that seven buildings were damaged by the storms and trees on houses in Orange Grove were severely damaged.

Orange County EMS stated that many families may take more time to recover after this storm.

Raleigh, Durham and other areas were also affected by the storm.

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