The aftermath of potential Tropical Cyclone 8 is still being felt Tuesday morning.

Monday was a WRAL weather alert day as Potential Tropical Cyclone 8 brought heavy rains, strong winds and the threat of tornadoes, flooding and power outages to North Carolina.

The most severe impacts of PTC 8 were felt in the second half of Monday, particularly along the coast, where Carolina Beach had already received more than 460 millimeters of rain, causing life-threatening flooding.

Flood warnings and flash flood alerts were issued for several counties Monday through Tuesday morning. These have since expired, but you should still be aware of flooded roads and standing water.

Tropical storm warnings were in effect along the North Carolina coast on Monday, and there were also several tornado warnings.

Fallen trees leave thousands without power in North Carolina

As we deal with the aftermath of PTC 8, thousands of customers in North Carolina remain without power Tuesday morning.

As of 7 a.m., nearly 16,000 homes were without power in North Carolina. Duke Energy’s outage map showed more than 8,000 homes in Wake County and about 1,000 homes in Johnston County were without power. There is no estimate of when power will be restored.

On Monday afternoon, winds reached speeds of up to 30 miles per hour, soaking the ground and knocking down trees.

Just before 2 a.m. Tuesday, WRAL News received reports of a fallen tree on Whitman Road in Raleigh.

Floods and washouts make roads impassable

At around 5 a.m., the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NC DOT) reported that a portion of Interstate 95 North at Exit 77 (Hodges Chapel Road) was closed. The NC DOT deemed the road impassable.

As a detour, drivers can use Exit 77 (Hodges Chapel Road). Turn right onto Hodges Chapel Road, then left onto Jonesboro Road, then left onto NC Highway 242 North and go straight onto I-95 North.

At 6 a.m., the North Carolina Department of Transportation reported an accident at this location on I-95 North at Exit 77. Please remember that driving through flooded roadways is dangerous. Please use an alternate route instead.

For traffic reports, tune in to WRAL News+ or 101.5FM in the Triangle.

In Fayetteville, Ramsey Street near Drake Street will remain closed Tuesday morning due to flooding. This street is known to flood during and after storms. Motorists can use Hillsboro Street as a detour.

Severe flooding from PTC 8 left several people stranded on US Highway 17 in Brunswick County on Monday afternoon.

Due to severe flooding, Brunswick County imposed a curfew on unincorporated areas until 7 a.m. Tuesday.

In a statement, the county urged residents to stay home or in a safe location until the curfew is lifted and road conditions improve.

Even after the curfew is lifted, the risk of flooding remains and further rain is forecast for Tuesday, so exercise caution when driving in the area.

Southport experienced road washouts on Monday, with major roads becoming impassable due to the impact of the storm, prompting Southport Police to urge residents to avoid travel.

In a Facebook post, Southport Police wrote:

“Please stay off the road if possible – major road washouts – this is River Road between Tiger Mart and 50 Lakes Drive – hazardous conditions – impassable conditions on River Road.”

School closures on Tuesday

Due to bad weather, classes in several schools ended early on Monday.

The school closures on Tuesday are as follows:

• Ascend Leadership Academy
• Central Carolina CC
• Schools in Duplin County
• Schools in Harnett County
• Schools in Hoke County
• Schools in Lee County
• Little Beginningz Learning
• Little Dolphins/Clinton
• New Breed Christian CCC
• Christian Luther School
• Northampton Co Schools
• Northwood Temple Academy
• S Wake Preschool & Academy
• Sampson Community College
• STARS Charter School
• Stedman BC Day Care
• The Ark Daycare in Clinton
• Tom Thumb Academy in Salemburg
• Trinity Child Care in Fayetteville
• Trinity Christian School
• Wayne County Schools

Click here to see when these schools start on Tuesday.

Helpful links: Sign up for WRAL weather alerts | Live DUALDoppler5000 | Wind speeds and gusts | Live cams across North Carolina | WRAL interactive hurricane tracker

Tree falls on house in Fayetteville

A huge tree fell on the home of a Fayetteville resident on Monday.

Fortunately, no injuries were reported.

Floods pose the greatest danger, rescue services are on standby

Flooding is often the most dangerous part of a storm.

“Water is one of the most powerful forces on earth. Even a small amount of rain or flood water on a road can have devastating consequences,” said Darshan Patel, Wake County Emergency Management operations manager.

Patel said the ground was already soaked by this week’s rains and flooding could easily occur in low-lying areas.

“We work closely with our partners to assess potential public safety concerns. If risks are identified, we are prepared to take proactive measures,” he said.

Emergency services are also monitoring road conditions and power lines.

“Mother Nature is a constant challenge,” said Duke Energy spokesman Jeff Brooks. “Wet ground makes it even more difficult to prevent outages caused by falling trees, but we are doing everything we can to minimize disruption.”

Duke Energy is keeping its current teams on standby and ready to deploy to critical areas if needed. Although summer is coming to an end, the peak of the tropical storm season is just beginning.

“This system has developed quickly offshore and will bring severe weather over the next few days,” Brooks said. “We could see more storms like this soon.”

To receive up-to-date information on local safety, residents should use ReadyWake, a mobile resource that provides notifications about potential threats in their area.

Road closure information is also available on DriveNC. A “Potential Tropical Cyclone” tab has been added to the company’s website. Users can toggle the tab on and off to see the specific impacts of that storm on the roads.

Governor Cooper urges caution

Governor Roy Cooper posted on X urging residents to stay safe.

“Southeastern North Carolina is experiencing significant flooding as heavy rain continues,” he said. “We are in contact with local authorities and @NCEmergency is assisting coastal communities with their response to the severe weather.

“Stay safe and follow the instructions of local emergency officials.”