Debby in NC | Thousands of people in central NC have power restored after Tropical Storm Debby

NORTH CAROLINA (WTVD) — Thousands of people in central North Carolina were without power Friday morning after Debby moved through the state.

According to Duke Energy, a total of more than 500,000 customers in the Carolinas were affected by the storm, with about 18,000 customers affected as of Friday morning.

Jeff Brooks of Duke Energy said Chatham and rural Orange County experienced most of the power outages in the Triangle area.

Power crews worked throughout the day to restore power throughout the Triangle. Some roads remained closed Friday evening due to significant damage from Thursday’s storm.

Chapel Hill resident Meera Gowda moved to Round Hill Road from New York with her mother in 2020. She said she was home with her mother when a tree fell in their front yard.

“It’s just something you have to deal with, but you’re OK. Yes, everyone is safe,” Gowda said. “We saw the huge flash and then we went into the basement … no one else was home.”

Gowda said they heard a loud crack that sounded like lightning.

“It’s scary,” she said. “The two beautiful trees, very healthy but broken off in different directions, apologized to all our neighbors because we were the cause of the power outage. There was no major damage, so we were lucky.”

Governor Cooper and other state leaders held a press conference Friday morning to discuss the state’s storm recovery plan. Debby, which hit North Carolina as a tropical storm, weakened to a tropical depression and is continuing its northward path.

Watch Governor Cooper’s full conference on North Carolina’s Debby Recovery Plan