Flooding will occur in Wake, Johnston and other Triangle counties, NWS warns

Flooding will occur in areas across the Triangle, including Raleigh, according to the National Weather Service.

The weather alert comes as storms pass through central North Carolina, bringing rain and hazardous weather conditions.

The NWS said flooding is expected in Wake, Johnston, Harnett, Franklin and Nash counties until around 12:30 p.m. That includes Raleigh, Garner, Fuquay-Varina, Knightdale, Wendell, Zebulon, Clayton, Angier and other towns.

Parts of the Triangle are experiencing heavy rain due to thunderstorms, causing the flooding in urban areas and by streams.

Between 0.5 and 1.5 inches of rain have fallen, and another 0.5 to 1.5 inches are expected, the NWS said.

Floods are among the most dangerous weather hazards and most flood deaths occur in cars, according to the NWS.

Residents who must travel should exercise extreme caution on the road, turning back if they encounter flooded areas.

The flood warning followed an earlier tornado warning, which was issued for parts of Harnett and Johnston counties and urged residents to find immediate shelter.

That alert, issued just before 7:45 a.m. Thursday, warned residents that “a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located near Angier, or 10 miles east of Lillington.”

The storm was moving northeast at 40 mph.

Affected areas included east central Harnett County and west central Johnston County.

“Take cover now!” the weather alert said.

Tornados can cause flying debris that poses a threat to those without shelter and that can damage or destroy mobile homes, the NWS said.

Damage to roofs, windows, cars and trees was possible.

The NWS advised residents to take immediate cover, moving to a basement or interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building, avoiding windows.

The warning ended around 8:15 a.m. Thursday.

A hazardous weather outlook remained in effect for much of the Triangle and central North Carolina, warning that strong storms, severe weather and winds up to 60 mph could occur.

This story was originally published March 24, 2022 at 8:08 AM.