North Carolina Faces Widespread Flooding After Chantal Dumps Heavy Rain

Officials in central North Carolina were working to rescue stranded people and clear roads on Monday morning after Tropical Depression Chantal dumped up to 10 inches of rain in parts of the state, bringing significant flooding that inundated homes, closed highways, trapped drivers and pushed rivers to near historic levels.

The storm, which made landfall as a tropical storm early Sunday in South Carolina before moving inland as a tropical depression, was moving northeast toward Washington, D.C., on Monday morning, and a flood watch was in place for parts of Washington, Maryland, New Jersey and Virginia.

The worst effects of the storm were felt in the central part of North Carolina, where tens of thousands of people were without power and at least two tornadoes were confirmed, the authorities said. As of early Monday, no fatalities or injuries had been reported.

Orange County, which includes Chapel Hill, declared a state of emergency Sunday night, saying in a statement on social media that “numerous water rescues and evacuations are underway in low-lying areas.”

The Haw River swelled to 32.5 feet overnight just outside Burlington, N.C., about 60 miles northwest of Raleigh, the National Weather Service said, inches short of a record set during Hurricane Fran in 1996. The Weather Service warned of “major flooding,” and a section of Interstate 40 was closed Monday morning because of floodwaters.

Firefighters in Chapel Hill completed more than 50 water rescues Sunday evening through early Monday, the city said in a statement, and more than 60 people had been displaced from their homes.