Wind, rain arrive in Triangle

The nor'easter that pounded the coast overnight also brought rain and high winds to the Triangle, with water ponding in some roads but no reports of major damage.

The National Weather Service recorded less than an inch of rain at Raleigh-Durham International Airport as of 7 a.m.. But rain was heavier in other areas, primarily in northern Durham and areas north and east of the Triangle, said meteorologist Gail Hartfield.

In some spots, rain fell at the rate of 1 to 2 inches an hour, leaving water standing in roads.

"Take it easy driving," Hartfield said. "We do have some ponds, and there are spots where you can lose control if you are not paying attention. Put down the coffee and cell phone, and keep your mind on your driving."

The Weather Service called for another 1 to 2 inches of rainfall in Central North Carolina, with isolated amounts of 2 to 3 inches, by Saturday morning.

Forecasters also were not ruling out the possibility of an isolated tornado in the vicinity of a warm front moving slowly west through the Triangle and Sandhills this morning and afternoon.

"It's not a large threat, but in these types of systems they can crop up quickly," Hartfield said. "Any tornado that does occur would be fairly weak but still produce structural damage."

The Weather Service had not yet compiled top wind speeds in the Triangle from the storm, but it warned that winds could reach 35 mph in the southwestern Piedmont through the morning.

At the coast, meanwhile, winds measured between 30 and 40 mph, with gusts of 50 to 60 mph on a few spots at the Outer Banks, said meteorologist Robert Frederick, who is with the National Weather Service in Newport.

The northern Outer Banks reported coastal flooding, and N.C. 12 near Rodanthe was temporarily closed because of the overwash. Water levels of three to four feet above normal also were reported along the southern part of Pamlico Sound, in Craven and Carteret counties, Frederick said.

The storm dumped about 4 inches of rain in some spots along the coast, though there were no reports of serious freshwater flooding, he said.

Nags Head officials condemned a dozen houses when eroding waves exposed septic tanks, WRAL-TV reported.

Coastal North Carolina was in for more strong swells and rip currents this weekend because of Tropical Storm Kyle. The storm, however, is expected to remain far offshore, Frederick said.