Roads closed, people without homes: Focus turns to cleanup after flood damage from Chantal

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Central North Carolina communities are still recovering from the impact of Tropical Depression Chantal, which left devastating flooding in its wake, especially in Alamance, Durham, Chatham, Orange, Moore and Person counties.

On Tuesday, Gov. Josh Stein will tour some of the hardest-hit areas, including Lake Michael Park in Mebane, to survey flood damage.

According to Duke Energy, there are more than 5,000 power outages across the state, and improvement since more than 30,000 outages during the storm’s impact on Monday. Chatham County accounts for the majority of the outages, with more than 3,000 customers still in the dark.

Dozens of roads across the state are still closed from flooding, according to the state Department of Transportation (NCDOT).

What to know

Emergency resources

The Red Cross has opened an emergency shelter in Durham for people displaced by flooding from the Eno River. The shelter is at Emmanuel AME Church at 2018 Riddle Road in Durham. To find the shelter nearest you, visit redcross.org/shelter, download the Red Cross Emergency App or call 1-800-RED-CROSS (800-733-2767).

The Orange County Government will distribute free bottled water from 8 a.m. to noon and from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Hillsborough Commons at 113 Mayo St. in Hillsborough. There will be a limit of one case of water per vehicle provided on a first-come, first-served basis.

Tropical Depression Chantal: July 6-7, 2025, impact on NC

Monday night, the NCDOT reported 44 roads closed from flooding across the state. The total was down from the 120 road closures earlier on Monday afternoon.

On Tuesday at 11:45 a.m., Gov. Josh Stein will visit Lake Michael Park in Mebane to survey flood damaged caused by Tropical Storm Chantal.

The National Weather Service confirmed four tornadoes touched down on Sunday in central North Carolina.

• An EF1 tornado with 95 mph wind speeds at Raleigh Executive Jetport in Sanford
• An EF1 tornado with 100 mph wind speeds 4014 to 4085 Moncure Pittsboro Road in Moncure
• An EF1 tornado with 100 mph wind speeds near Lake Lake Michael in Orange County
• An EF1 tornado with 105 mph wind speeds along Mount Hermon Rock Creek Road in Snow Camp

The impacts of the storm were varied and powerful across communities in central NC.

Woman killed in floodwaters

A woman died in floodwaters Sunday night around 11:30 p.m., the State Highway Patrol confirms. Sandra Hirschman, 83, of Pittsboro, died when her car became submerged in water on Farrington Point Road near Hinton Road in Chatham County. According to troopers, her Audi was swept away and found approximately 100 feet off the road.

State of emergency in Moore County

The Woodlake area in Moore County had between 12 and 13 water rescues on Sunday, according to Sheriff Ronnie Fields. There were no deaths, but extensive property damage. Voluntary evacuations were underway for the Riverbend and Riverview areas.

Carrboro buildings destroyed

In Carrboro, town leaders held a news conference on Monday afternoon to discuss flooding.

Public Works Director Kevin Belanger said the Carrboro Public Works Facility at 100 Public Work Drive had 3.5 feet of water over the weekend. Belanger said the most the facility had seen before that was 1 inch.

“The building itself has also been essentially destroyed,” said Carrboro Town Manager Patrice Toney.

The flooding prompted the town to move vehicles out of the facility.

“It’s been a long night [and] a long day since [Sunday] morning,” Belanger said.

Belanger said the town would try to proceed Tuesday with its usual garbage collection despite having only one functioning truck.

Belanger said town staff had to leave some equipment behind due to safety.

“The staff decided to abandon efforts to get everything to the higher end of the facility and relocate outside the facility,” Belanger said. “I’m grateful that choice was made.”

Carrboro Police Chief Chris Atack called Sunday evening’s flooding “historic.”

“I’ve been here for over 26 years, and I have not seen water this high at this facility,” Atack said.

Roads collapsed, destruction in Chatham County

People are missing in Chatham County, according to Sheriff Mike Roberson, who posted photos of roads littered with storm debris and an Amazon Prime truck with damage to its windshield and roof.

According to the sheriff, two people who went kayaking at Jordan Lake on Sunday are still missing, although their kayak was found. Crews are searching Jordan Lake on Monday. Sky 5 flew over the search, which involved multiple boats and rescue units.

In Pittsboro, Part of Lamont Norwood Road north of Pittsboro collapsed. Sky 5 flew over the scene.

Sky 5 flew over Gilmore Road in Chatham County, where a road washed out from flooding in the area. Crews were at the scene Monday, blocking the dangerous stretch of street. A resident said it was the only road in and out of their neighborhood, which has between 35 and 40 homes.

On Sunday, the sheriff posted on Facebook, “There are over 100 flooded roads and flooding will continue into tonight and tomorrow even after the rain stops. Stay off the roads but if you must go slow and DO NOT drive through water.”

Chapel Hill shopping center destroyed

Sky 5 flew over the Eastgate Crossing shopping center in Chapel Hill Sunday morning. The parking lot was covered in mud, and cars were strewn across the lot, many pushed together by the floodwaters. At least seven stores and restaurants had “severe” damage, with roofs caving in and doors ripped off hinges, according to WRAL News crews at the scene.

A photo from WRAL News crews at the scene showed the front door of a Talbot’s store ripped off its hinges and parts of the building torn off. The inside of Great Outdoor Provision Co. was trashed, and furniture littered the parking lot around the nearby Shake Shack restaurant. Cleanup efforts will be extensive in the days to come.

Sky 5 flew overhead after an SUV drove into a portion of washed out road on Dogwood Acres Drive in Chapel Hill. It’s one of many washed out roads in the area.

Also in Orange County, the town of Hillsborough issued a boil water notice for all customers who get water from the town due to Eno River flooding at the water treatment plant. Residents are urged to boil water for drinking, cooking and brushing teeth until further notice. Residents were also asked to conserve water by not washing clothes or dishes or running water unless necessary.

“The town of Hillsborough will have a limited supply of water until the river recedes and the drinking water can be processed to refill the water tanks,” Hillsborough said in a statement.

Wave Road off of 15-501 washed out, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, which wrote, “The dirt under the pavement is gone leaving the pavement broken and impassable. Several power poles along with the power lines are also down. The large sections of drain pipe that were running under the road are also blown out and downstream.”

Dozens forced from Chapel Hill homes

Floodwaters in Chapel Hill caught many off guard Sunday night, including two women who say they found themselves in waist-deep water after leaving a movie. The two women said their cars appeared to be totaled from the flooding.

A spokesperson from the town of Chapel Hill said dozens were forced out of homes and apartments in the areas of Camelot Villlage (130 S. Estes Drive), Airport Gardens (821 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd.), 900 Willow Drive, Bolinwood Condominiums (500 Umstead Drive) and the Booker Creek Townhouse Apartments (2525 Booker Creek Road).

80 people rescued in Durham, cars underwater

Sky 5 flew over a devastating picture in Durham County, where the flooding and damage is extensive, particularly in areas near the Eno River, including homes and apartments along Rippling Stream Road, where people’s homes flooded to chest level and cars were floating. The areas of High Meadow Road, Omega Road, Felicia Street and Greymont Drive were also impacted.

Dozens of water rescues were underway in Durham along Rippling Stream Road after the Eno River flooded. People’s homes flooded to chest level and cars floated along Rippling Stream Road. Many told WRAL News they were sleeping and had no idea the water was rising until the fire department beat down their door.

WRAL meteorologist Chris Michaels said relentless rain from Chantal brought on historic flooding of the Eno River, which rose 22 feet in four hours to record flood levels, beating out river levels from Hurricane Fran in 1996. The Durham Fire Department said 80 people were rescued by boat early Monday morning and Sunday night.

High water blocked several roads in Durham, including portions of Old Oxford Road, Moores Mill Road, Roxboro Road, John Jones Road and Snow Hill Road.

“If you encounter a roadway marked closed by a barricade or cones, remember to #TurnAroundDontDrown and do not drive through the flooded area,” the Durham County Sheriff’s Office wrote. “You never know what hazards might be hidden below a flooded roadway.”

The Northern Wake Fire Department posted a video of severe flooding on Felicia Street in Durham.