RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — Heavy rain and gusty winds wreaked havoc across the Triangle on Sunday, with standing water affecting roadways, leading to several wrecks — and road closures.
The messy weather came as people in Garner continued to recover from last week’s EF-1 tornado.
Multiple inches of rain and high winds weren’t what the residents of that Garner neighborhood wanted to see — as they continued to clean up the mess left last Sunday.
That had several homeowners on edge Sunday night as the wet mess left law enforcement and first responders across the area quite busy.
“Yeah, high winds is a whole different word now, you know, thing,” said Renee Wimberley, a homeowner in The Woodlands neighborhood in Garner.
A week after that tornado ripped down her block and turned her yard into a jumble of debris, Wimberley was grateful the large tree that came down on her property didn’t do more damage.
“It fell right next to all three cars, it fell and touched — just grazed the rail – but didn’t touch the house,” Wimberley said.
Heavy rain and limited visibility made for hazardous driving conditions Sunday.
As pounding rains and high winds returned Sunday, Woodlands homeowners couldn’t help but fear the worst.
“Yeah, we were coming back from church earlier today, and we were just very aware of, OK, this is a lot like it was last week when we were coming back,” Wimberley said.
Elsewhere in Wake County, Sunday’s storm had already turned deadly. The Highway Patrol told ABC11 that two good Samaritans were killed Sunday by a pickup driver who lost control on I-87 near Knightdale after they stopped to help an SUV driver who had hydroplaned off the highway.
Severe weather risk has shifted east mainly along the coast.
Hours later, Raleigh police shut down a section of I-440 westbound near Western Boulevard as they investigated what they called “a serious assault involving a white cargo van.”
And in Durham, ABC11 was also at the scene of a deadly multi-vehicle wreck Sunday night at S. Miami Boulevard and Laurel Drive. Multiple people were taken away via ambulance. Authorities confirmed that at least one person was killed. The conditions of the others involved were immediately known.
A car spun out of control and crashed in slick conditions on I-40/85 Sunday in Orange County.
On Interstate 40/85 near Efland in Orange County, the Highway Patrol worked to clear a wreck where a car traveling eastbound spun out of control, coming to rest near the concrete barrier.
Chatham County also reported flooding problems. Down in Siler City, SR 1006 (Siler City Glendon Road was closed in both directions near Wade Paschal Road because of flooding. It wasn’t expected to reopen until sometime Monday afternoon. And SR 2142 (Henry Oldham Road) near Goldston was also closed between St. Lukes Church Road and Gulf Road because of water on the roadway.
US 15/501 near Log Barn Road in Pittsboro was also closed overnight because of flooding.
Authorities are reminding drivers to keep taking it slow out as rain lingers on drenched roads in much of the area.
The brunt of the storm moved through from midday into Sunday night.
CHECK THE TRAFFIC MAP
The NC Chinese Lantern Festival in Cary closed on Sunday night because of the severe weather. Tickets will be honored on any other night of the festival. The festival will reopen Monday from 6-10 p.m.
Cumberland County remained in a Flood Warning until 3:30 a.m. Monday.
A Flood Watch is in effect for nearly the entire area with rainfall between 2-4″ and wind gusts of 25-35 mph possible.
It will dry out on Monday but still be breezy.
LATEST WEATHER FORECAST
The worst of this storm should be over by early Monday morning, but there will be plenty of lingering clouds and a few showers left over during the day Monday.
Some may see snow across the Appalachians on Monday night and perhaps some icy roads through the Tennessee and North Carolina mountains.
ABC11’s Sean Coffey contributed to this report.
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