Thousands in North Carolina were left without electricity as storms associated with the outer fringes of Tropical Depression Chantal moved through the state. Chantal, a tropical storm, was downgraded to a tropical depression on Sunday morning after it moved inland.

As per Duke Energy’s outage map, several residents of central North Carolina were left in the dark after the intense storms. Heavy rain was anticipated to wind down by late evening, but flash flooding was a strong concern, as ABC11 reported.

Severe Impact in Lee County

Lee County experienced extensive wind destruction from the storm system. The National Weather Service confirmed that two hangars and two aircraft were damaged at the Raleigh Executive Jetport in Sanford, potentially from a tornado.

Also nearby, a mobile home park was damaged. The park owner informed ABC11 he witnessed a tornado move through about 3 p.m., destroying trees and power lines. Fortunately, he said, “no one in the park was injured.”

Moore County Hit Hard

Moore County felt the full impact of the storms as Chantal moved through. In Southern Pines, a shopping center was evacuated.

It began around like eight, and I just blinked and the parking lot was full. It was nuts. It happened very quickly,” remarked Mary Helbling, an employee at Pinescone Café. Her fiancé picked her up after the evacuation.

Planet Fitness’ back parking lot in Southern Pines was flooded with excess rainwater. Nearby, at the Longleaf Country Club, a reservoir dam collapsed, inundating adjacent creeks and ponds and triggering evacuations.

Jennifer Berk, who has lived in Pine Grove for 30 years, was shocked at the power of the storm. “I’ve never seen this. I mean, it is. It is unreal,” she said. She recalled a trampoline being swept out of a neighbor’s yard and street signs underwater.

“It’s only the beginning of July, so I’m a little nervous, to be honest,” Berk added. “We’re going to be trimming some trees to make sure they’re not above our gutter line.”

Due to widespread flooding and damage, Moore County Board of Commissioners Chair Kurt Cook declared a state of emergency through Wednesday, July 9.

Orange County Roads Under Water

In Orange County, heavy rains over an extended period of time brought floodwaters to cover a gas station along I-85 completely. Sunday afternoon saw roads and businesses close as waters kept rising.

Chapel Hill authorities asked citizens to steer clear of floodwaters altogether asking them not to walk, drive, or bike across flooded regions. Sections of I-40 along the Orange and Alamance county line were closed because of flash flooding. In Chatham County, meanwhile, NC 902 was closed due to floodwaters eroding a portion of the highway.

Cities Still Being Monitored

Flood Watches continue in effect throughout interior North Carolina, such as Raleigh and Fayetteville, through Monday. The heavy rain also threatens flash flooding in Big Country, Concho Valley, Central Texas, and the City of Kerrville.

More storms Ahead

Monday may experience a couple of showers east of I-95, whereas Tuesday may only have slight probabilities of storms but with heat index values reaching more than 100°F. Wednesday to Friday will have afternoon and evening storms predicted. The temperatures will remain in the low 90s, accompanied by very humid weather.