Possible tornado touches down near Wake-Durham line as storm passes through Triangle

Reports of damage are coming in as tornado warnings expire across the Triangle, including a possible tornado that touched down near Raleigh-Durham International Airport.

The National Weather Service confirmed several downed trees along and near Interstate 540 and Slater Road “likely due to tornado damage,” according to a storm report filed just before 4 p.m. Thursday.

Durham EMS warned people on social media to “avoid the area of Slater Road and Shiloh Glenn Drive near the Wake/Durham county line. Fire and EMS are on scene at a building with heavy damage from a possible tornado.”

Meteorologists with CBS17 and WRAL said a funnel cloud was seen near the Interstate 540 area. WRAL and CBS17 also reported there was some damage to a Pfizer office building.

At 5:33, Durham EMS tweeted that no injuries were reported.

An NWS team will be out at the site of damage to confirm whether it was a tornado, Raleigh NWS meteorologist-in-charge Jonathan Blaes told The N&O.

Results from the damage inspection will be available Friday afternoon, he said.

Photos tweeted at NWS by an individual show torn and knocked over pine trees near Slater Road.

The severe weather prompted the delays of at least 14 flights scheduled to leave Thursday afternoon from RDU Airport.

Scattered power outages are reported with about 780 in Wake County, 181 in Johnston County and 1,133 in Nash County, according to the N.C. Department of Public Safety’s power outage site.

Several parts of the Triangle remain under a tornado warning Thursday afternoon, including Creedmoor and Youngsville.

The tornado warning for other parts of the Triangle, including towns and cities in Wake and Durham counties, has expired.

A tornado warning expired for Wake Forest, Morrisville and Rolesville at 4:15 p.m.

A severe thunderstorm warning expired at 4:15 p.m. Thursday for Wake, Chatham and Durham counties, which includes Raleigh, Durham, Cary and Fuquay-Varina, a NWS alert said.

Penny-sized hail is possible along with wind gusts of up to 60 mph that meteorologists warned about earlier Thursday.

Storms are expected to persist through Thursday evening and overnight, said Chrissy Anderson, a meteorologist with the NWS in Raleigh, on Wednesday.

“Some of them could be severe, with gusts of up to 60 miles per hour,” Anderson said. “Heavy rain, downpours and such.”

The entire Triangle and most of the state will be at a marginal risk of severe thunderstorms, according to the NWS.

Flood warning

Residents should avoid travel and remain alert for possible flooding.

“Flooding can always be an issue, especially in poor drainage areas,” Anderson said. “Heavy downpours can be very isolated, so it might be flooding at your house, but not flooding at my house two miles down the road.”

Floods are among the most deadly weather hazards, and most flood deaths occur in cars, the NWS reports.

While tornadoes are possible, Anderson said they are less likely to pose a threat this week.

“The primary threat is going to be damaging winds,” she said. “Straight line winds can cause multiple trees to be downed, powerlines to go down.”

Anderson said residents should ensure they have a way to receive urgent weather alerts, noting the NWS puts out warnings on social media, by radio and on TV.

“If you don’t need to be out in severe weather, then definitely stay home,” she said. “Make sure you don’t have plans outside.”

The storms should pass beyond the region by Friday morning, but some scattered showers may persist that day, the NWS said.

This story was originally published March 30, 2022 at 1:39 PM.