Top-up weather; flood advisory issued

T-storms, hail cause power outages; rainfall could last through 3 a.m. Friday

Kevin Spradlin | PeeDeePost.com Lightning struck this utility pole on West Greene Street in Rockingham, across from Comfort Inn.

Kevin Spradlin | PeeDeePost.com
Lightning struck this utility pole on West Greene Street in Rockingham, across from Comfort Inn.

By Kevin Spradlin
PeeDeePost.com

ROCKINGHAM — The rain and dime-sized hail came, fast and furious, shortly before 4 p.m. this afternoon in downtown Rockingham, causing power outages across Richmond County. Weather officials indicated up to 1.5 inches of rain fell in the first storm.

Kevin Spradlin | PeeDeePost.com Brandon Hayes, a third generation lineman with Duke Energy, works on West Greene Street off of U.S. Route 220 late Thursday afternoon where lightning struck a utility pole.

Kevin Spradlin | PeeDeePost.com
Brandon Hayes, a third generation lineman with Duke Energy, works on West Greene Street off of U.S. Route 220 late Thursday afternoon where lightning struck a utility pole.

As of 5:05 p.m., only 276 of Duke Energy‘s 15,275 Richmond County customers were without power.Duke Energy’s online power outage map estimated power would be restored by approximately 7:30 p.m. Pee Dee Electric reported only one Richmond County customer without power, located northwest of Rockingham off McDonald Church and Beaverdam Church roads. No estimate for when power might be restored was provided on the company’s online power outage map.

Officers with the Rockingham Police Department and Richmond County Sheriff’s Office were deployed in the downtown Rockingham area, including along U.S. Route 220, where power had been lost at traffic signals. Power was restored even before the rain stopped.

The National Weather Service issued a flood advisory for northwestern Richmond County. Experts forecast that excessive runoff from heavy rainfall will cause ponding of water in urban areas, along highways, streets and underpasses, as well as other poor drainage areas and low-lying spots.

It’s possible that rain continues to fall for much of the next several hours, through 3 a.m.,

Officials warn motorists they should not attempt to travel across flooded roads and to find alternate routes.

Kevin Spradlin | PeeDeePost.com A city of Rockingham truck cruises along East Washington Street at South Lawrence Street shortly after the rain started.

Kevin Spradlin | PeeDeePost.com
A city of Rockingham truck cruises along East Washington Street at South Lawrence Street shortly after the rain started.

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