1 person killed as storms roll through Triangle, leaving fallen trees, power outages

One woman was killed and tens of thousands of customers remain without power Wednesday morning after powerful storms descended on the Triangle.

On a record-high hot day, with temperatures nearing 100 degrees, Tuesday’s storm left downed trees and a major accident on Interstate 40 involving 32 vehicles.

Westbound lanes on I-40 were closed for hours in Durham near mile 274 due to the rush-hour pileup.

Two separate collisions just before 5 p.m. near The Streets at Southpoint mall closed parts of the interstate until after 8 p.m., according to the N.C. Department of Transportation.

Durham police did not provide details on the cause or any injuries. The News & Observer has requested more information on the crashes from the State Highway Patrol.

The National Weather Service had issued a severe thunderstorm warning for parts of the Triangle until 5 p.m. Tuesday that warned of winds of up to 80 mph and possible quarter-sized hail.

In Durham, numerous trees blocked roads, and the police department issued a frequently updated list of road closures.

A 78-year-old woman was killed after a large tree fell on her car while she was driving in the storm, Durham police said. Police said Donna Warsaw of Hillsborough was driving north on Anderson Street around 4:20 p.m., not far from the Lakewood neighborhood. As she crossed the intersection with Morehead Avenue, a tree fell on her car. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Tuesday night, Durham Public Schools said school would be closed for students on Wednesday with a two-hour delay for staff at year-round and specialty high schools and central services offices. Durham Technical Community College has also closed its Duke Street North campus Wednesday because it lacks power.

The air was humid and thick with the scent of pine as first responders, city crews, workers from the power company, and tow trucks spread throughout the city.

“It’s been craziness. It’s just been trees down everywhere,” said a man named Thomas who spent the afternoon pulling branches off the streets with his black Dodge pickup. He declined to share his last name when he stopped for a cigarette break on West Club Boulevard.

He said he was slowly making his way home off Hillsborough Road from Glennstone Road, clearing trees along the way.

“Just being a Good Samaritan and trying to get home at the same time,” he said.

Photos: Fallen trees, power outages left in wake of Triangle storms

Orange Rural Fire Department in Hillsborough reported wires tangled with trees and shut down traffic near UNC Hospitals Hillsborough Campus and Waterstone Drive about 5:30 p.m.

“We are responding to multiple reports of trees down in the southern portion of the fire district,” the fire department reported.

Around that same time, crews were unsnaring a tall pine that had fallen on power lines on N.C. 86 that knocked out power to the popular New Hope Market cafe and nearby neighborhoods. The Piedmont Electric website said some customers might not get their power back until midnight Wednesday.

Power outages reported

The following number customers are without power as of 8 a.m. Wednesday., according to a Duke Energy outage map.

• Durham County: 52,407

• Orange County: 3,880

• Wake County: 347

• Johnston County: 394

If you live in the Duke Energy coverage area, you can call Duke Energy Progress to report an outage here: (800) 769-3766 (800-POWERON), or (800) 419-6356. You can also text the word OUT to 57801.

In Wake County, customers can call the Wake Electric Membership Corporation at: 919-863-6499.

An outage map updated in real-time from electric cooperatives in North Carolina can be accessed at this link.

Dozens of homes serviced by Piedmont Electric in Orange and Chatham counties are not expected to have their power restored until midnight Wednesday.

Foods to throw out during a power outage

You’ll need to discard all perishable foods (including meat, poultry, fish, eggs and leftovers) if your refrigerator has been without power for four hours, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. If frozen foods in your freezer have thawed, you should throw those out too.

Here’s a list of foods that should be discarded if they reach above 41°F for more than four hours,:

• Meat, poultry, fish, seafood and meat substitutes. This includes those that are raw, thawing or cooked and leftover.

• Salads made from meat, tuna, shrimp, chicken or eggs.

• Gravies, stuffings or broths.

• Lunch meats, hot dogs, bacon, sausage or dried beef.

• Milk, sour cream, buttermilk, evaporated milk, ice cream, yogurt, eggnog or plant-based alternatives.

• Opened infant formula.

• Soft or shredded cheeses.

• Egg products, including fresh eggs and egg dishes.

• Oyster and fish sauces.

• Opened cream-based dressings.

• Opened pasta sauce.

• Cream-filled pastries, custard or cheese filled pies, quiches or cheesecake.

• Refrigerator biscuits, rolls and doughs.

• Cooked pasta, rice potatoes, pasta salads or fresh pasta.

• Pre-cut, pre-washed packaged leafy greens.

• Cooked vegetables or tofu.

• Opened vegetable juice.

• Cooked potatoes or potato dishes.

• Commercial garlic in oil.

• Cut tomatoes and cut melons.

• Leftovers such as casseroles, soups and stews.

• If open mayonnaise, tartar sauce or horseradish reaches a temperature above 50°F for eight hours, toss it.

Durham road closings

The following roads in Durham have closed due to downed trees and fallen power lines, according to the Durham Police Department:

▪ Anderson Street and Cranford Road

▪ Norwood Avenue and Myers Street

▪ Hope Valley Road and West Cornwallis Road

▪ Hope Valley Road and University Drive

▪ North Driver Street and Liberty Street

▪ 1100 block of North Miami Boulevard

▪ N. Roxboro/Chateau Rd.

▪ 800 block W. Club Blvd.

▪ 1500 Cole Mill Road

▪ West Corporation Street and Rigsbee Avenue

▪ Indian Trail and Hillandale Road

▪ Anderson Street and Duke University Road

▪ Hillandale Road at Hillsborough Road

▪ 400 block of Old Oxford Road

▪ 500 block of Hardee Street

▪ 100 block of Lamond Avenue

Tammy Grubb, Mary Helen Moore, Luke DeCock and Drew Jackson contributed to this story.

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