Hewlett s creek wilmington nc hurricane helene

Helene, which was downgraded to a tropical depression Friday afternoon, brought gusty winds and occasionally heavy rain bands to the Cape Fear region. But those had mostly cleared out by Friday afternoon, although some gusts remained amid the gloomy skies and humid weather. Helene also caused some sporadic power outages across the region. The western part of North Carolina, however, is experiencing major impacts from the storm.

Helene has brought significant rainfall, strong winds, damaging debris flows and riverine flooding, according to a news release from the Governor's Office. The area has seen more than a foot of rain, with widespread power outages and life-threatening flash flooding across the mountains. Roy Cooper said in the news release.

I urge people to stay informed and listen to local emergency response officials. The tropical depression was packing sustained winds of 35 mph and moving at a fast 28 mph clip north-northwest toward central Kentucky. More than North Carolina roads have been reported closed in Western North Carolina and the NC Department of Transportation is working to respond to closures and damage.

The eye of Helene paralleled the coast of the southern Outer Banks as it moved out to sea, gradually weakening in advance of a cold front.

All roads in Western North Carolina should be considered closed, according to the news release from the Governor's Office. People should not attempt to drive through standing water and must respect barricades and road closure signs," the news release said. Facebook Twitter Email.