by Staff Reports, Carolina Public Press
July 7, 2025

Record-breaking flooding from Tropical Depression Chantal in North Carolina’s central counties led to multiple water rescues, road closures and damage to property Sunday and Monday.

At least two storm-related deaths were reported. One was in the Alamance County town of Mebane. In the Chatham County town of Pittsboro, the State Highway Patrol confirmed that an 83-year-old woman died in floodwaters Sunday night around 11:30 p.m., when her car became submerged on Farrington Point Road near Hinton Road.

“My thoughts are with Sandra’s family after these floods devastated our community yesterday,” State Sen. Robert Reives, D-Chatham, tweeted. “Please be careful on the roads and listen to local authorities who are providing updates on safe travel in Chatham County and the broader region.”

An active search also remained underway for two boaters last seen Sunday afternoon after taking a canoe out on Jordan Lake, according to the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office.

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Their unoccupied canoe was recovered later in the evening, but the boaters remained missing.

Lee County Emergency Management, the North Chatham Fire Department and the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission were assisting in the search efforts.

“We are doing everything we can to bring these individuals home,” said Chatham County Sheriff Mike Roberson. “Our hearts are with their loved ones during this difficult time, and we are grateful for the assistance from our neighboring agencies.”

While there were no confirmed fatalities in Orange County, Emergency Services Director Kirby Saunders said in a call with the press Monday afternoon that the department received more than 60 requests for rescues Sunday evening into the morning.

To the south in Chatham County, the 9-1-1 Center had processed 32 water rescues and 21 traffic collisions related to the storm as of Monday morning.

Even as flash-flooding in many places Sunday subsided, many rivers and creeks were still rising Monday. While rivers crested in some places, those waters will be headed further downstream where they could cause flooding in additional areas.

Among the most severely impacted areas from Chantal portions of Alamance, Orange, Chatham, Moore, Durham, Person, Caswell, Lee and Hoke counties. Significant flooding events occurred on portions of the Haw River, Eno River, Deep River, Little River, Rocky River, Booker Creek and Morgan Creek, among many other bodies of water.

Chantal came ashore from the Atlantic Ocean as a Tropical Storm in South Carolina, before weakening to a tropical depression and moving northward through North Carolina Sunday and early Monday.

The center of Chantal continued into Virginia. Unfortunately, the slower winds of the storm did little to reduce the rainfall from the system and its slower forward speed resulted in lingering rainfall over waterlogged areas.

While rain stopped by midday in most of North Carolina, forecasts called for thunderstorms almost daily this week throughout the region.

Damage and disruption from Chantal

More than 100 roads remained closed across Central North Carolina as of 3 p.m. Monday, down from about 120 at noon. The majority of storm-related closures were in Alamance, Caswell, Chatham, Durham, Moore, Orange and Person counties, according to the DriveNC road tracker maintained by the state. The site also reported additional closures in Lee and Scotland counties.

Several of those counties have declared states of emergencies, which in most cases authorizes those local governments to seek assistance from the state.

Both eastbound and westbound lanes of I-40/85 in Alamance County closed early Monday morning because of flooding on the Haw River, but both lanes have since reopened, a communications officer with the NC Department of Transportation said. 

Once the water dropped sufficiently, NCDOT bridge maintenance teams inspected the area and confirmed it was safe to reopen the interstate.

State crews are assessing conditions across the region and will continue to reopen roads as soon as safety permits, communications officials said.

Tropical Storm Chantal caused 400 outages impacting 18,000 customers in Central North Carolina as of 10 a.m. Monday, according to Duke Energy spokesperson Jeff Brooks.

“It is going to be a busy day,” Brooks told Carolina Public Press.

Flooding will complicate powerline repairs, Brooks said. Crews will have to wait until water levels recede in order to safely access some lines. In many cases, crews will have to move fallen trees off the line before they can begin repairing the infrastructure.

With wind events like Chantal, Duke sees many smaller outages rather than a few large ones, making repairs more time-consuming. Some of the smaller outages are in hard-to-reach neighborhoods, Brooks said.

“Wind does not discriminate between a main road and a small neighborhood road,” Brooks said.

Several communities including Graham and Burlington in Alamance County and Hillsborough in Orange County reported that their water treatment plants weren’t operational and issued boil water warnings for drinking, cooking or handwashing. 

Flash-flooding Sunday devastated several areas of Chapel Hill, leaving residents and businesses owners trying to clean up and salvage what they could on Monday. 

Sen. Graig Meyer, D-Orange, said he is frustrated. Storms keep coming, North Carolina continues to have to do recovery work, but there’s not enough emphasis on prevention, Meyer said. 

Camelot Village Apartments were coated in mud and dirty water Monday morning, in addition to limbs and other debris. Some vehicles there sustained serious damage Sunday night when the flooding was at its worst there.

Multiple residents were trapped in Camelot Village, in a known flood-prone part of Chapel Hill, Meyer observed, but opposition from property owners has killed attempted FEMA buyouts of the apartments in recent years. 

Across Estes Road from the apartments, a cinema, shops and restaurants were closed to clean up water and mud at University Place on Monday. 

A short distance away at Eastgate Commons, the scene was similar. At Trader Joe’s there, crews worked to dispose of damaged produce and other food items caught in the flooding. 

State Rep. Allen Buansi, D-Orange, spent the morning assessing damage. Some businesses in Eastgate got four to six inches of flooding, he said. 

Seeing inventory strewn across the ground and cars flooded out was a “pretty devastating sight,” he said. 

“I’m really thankful that here in Chapel Hill, thankfully, we did not have any loss of life,” Buansi said.

“But still, the devastation of losing a home, the devastation of losing a business or losing business inventory, I mean, that can’t be measured.”

Orange County opened an emergency shelter at Smith Middle School on Seawell School Road. Displaced residents can request transportation to the shelter by calling Orange County Public Transportation at (919) 245-2004.

“It is too early to accurately assess the negative impacts in terms of job loss, property loss and then the ripple effects,” Orange County commissioner Jamezetta Bedford told CPP.

In Alamance County, traffic from I-40 was diverted through downtown Mebane for several hours, causing intense traffic this morning, according to Mebane Mayor James Hooks. The Amtrak line through Mebane is also not running. 

An influx of untreated water flooded into the Mebane water treatment plant. The town is asking its residents not to use water unless absolutely necessary, Hooks said. 

There was a voluntary evacuation for homes near Lake Michael due to concerns that a temporary dam might break. However, it held.

State Sen. Amy Galey, R-Alamance, is still in analysis mode, she said. She’s concerned about damage to some schools, but isn’t sure whether the legislature will be able to help. Getting some of the more isolated public roads back open will be another challenge, she said. 

Galey thinks Alamance County’s investment into emergency services, including a partially publicly funded rescue unit, helped prepare them for a storm like Chantal. Years of experience responding to people getting caught in the Haw River also helped.

“That’s sort of a training ground that bears fruit in situations like this, where you have more motorists getting stranded,” Galey said. 

While some communities saw more damage in commercial areas, others saw more neighborhoods flooded. The worst flooding in the Alamance County town of Elon took place in residential areas rather than downtown areas, according to mayor Emily Sharpe.

Other places saw more widespread damage including to industrial, agricultural and government property.

Some areas were less affected, even as areas around them suffered. 

Damage is limited in Carrboro compared to Chapel Hill, Carrboro Mayor Barbara Foushee told CPP.  “This is just the power of Mother Nature,” Foushee said. “This wasn’t even a hurricane, and still, our community just can be inundated with flood water in a matter of hours.”

Several towns with parks along their rivers reported closures with time needed to assess the damage and make repairs. 

Rides at the amusement park in Burlington, Burlington City Park, experienced flooding and damage, according to town spokesperson Morgan Lasater. Many rides will require repairs.

In Hillsborough, Gold Park and the Riverwalk were closed due to severe flooding from the Eno River.

In Chatham County, the county seat of Pittsboro didn’t suffer severe damage to public infrastructure, Town Commissioner John Bonitz told CPP, but major roads were inundated with water through Sunday night. 

“This storm is a wake up call for municipalities statewide about the urgency of our changing climate,” Bonitz said.

“It is a wake-up call about the constraints that keep us from protecting the public and the public property with more stringent stormwater protections and better infrastructure.”

On the western side of Chatham County, much of the flooding in Siler City had receded by Monday afternoon, but in several places small road repairs will be required, according to Town Manager Jack Meadows. 

One of the hardest hit areas was Moore County. While no loss of life has been reported there, it felt the impacts of the storm since early Sunday. Late Sunday night, County Board of Commissioners Chair Kurt Cook issued a state of emergency to extend through Wednesday evening. 

Thousands of Moore County residents lost power temporarily. A pair of highways and many smaller roads closed down due to the flooding, and several people were rescued from trapped vehicles, said State Rep. Neal Jackson, R-Moore. 

In Southern Pines, Long Leaf Lake Dam failed, forcing some apartment evacuations. Several water mains washed out in Pinehurst, leading to low water pressure and a boil water advisory.  A retaining wall also failed, flooding a shopping center on Brucewood Road.

“It was tough, but we’re just grateful that we are so much better off than Texas,” Jackson said. “All that stuff is stuff we can work through, and the great thing about living in Moore County is neighbors help out neighbors, and neighbors look after neighbors, and so that’s what’s been happening all over the county.” 

Jackson applauded emergency services for going “above and beyond” in clearing roads. He’s not thinking about pursuing any legislative action until getting an initial assessment of the damage and needs across Moore County. 

In recent years, no part of North Carolina has been spared from storms. Jackson said they’ve learned how to handle catastrophe from their neighbors. 

“Tough times make you tough,” he said. “North Carolina has been hit now numerous times, and while they have been difficult, they’ve also made us stronger and more prepared for the next one when it comes.”

State Sen. Sophia Chitlik, D-Durham, was on the phone all Monday morning talking to constituents, she said. They recounted stories of rescuing their elderly neighbors at 3 a.m., and having firefighters knock on their doors to warn them of the incoming weather in the absence of emergency alert texts. 

It’s going to be a long haul for about 100 to 200 families in northern Durham County, which includes several historically Black middle class neighborhoods, Chitlik said. 

One of her first orders of business is finding out why emergency alerts didn’t go out, she said. Chitlik imagines federal cuts to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration offices may have contributed on some level to inadequate forecasting. The recently passed national budget reconciliation bill will further cut local resources that could be used to prepare for future situations like this, she added. 

Another priority is reforming the flood insurance system. For people outside federally recognized floodplains, getting flood insurance is often prohibitively expensive. 

“But more and more people need flood insurance, and it’s often hard to predict who those people are,” Chitlik said. “We also need to get really clear that moving forward, we need to be extremely rigorous on a local level, about where it is safe to build, not just now, but in the future.” 

In Orange County, Meyer expressed concern about state legislation related to climate change. At this point, it’s clear more storms will come, Meyer said. But instead of adopting policies to mitigate climate change, North Carolina Republicans chose to renege on 2030 climate goals this session.

The Power Bill Reduction Act would remove an interim carbon reduction goal on the way to carbon neutrality by 2050. While it was recently vetoed by Democratic Gov. Josh Stein, Meyer isn’t sure that Democrats will be able to sustain that veto. 

“We don’t have the loss of life that they have in Texas or that Western North Carolina had in Hurricane Helene,” Meyer said. “But this is just the beginning of hurricane season, and we see the impact of climate-related weather disasters again and again and again. I wish we would do more to try and turn the tide.”

US Rep. Valerie Foushee, a Democrat who represents much of the affected area, issued a statement Monday: “My heart is heavy seeing the widespread damage across Chatham, Durham, and Orange Counties caused by the severe flooding from Tropical Depression Chantal.

“I am incredibly thankful for the swift actions of our first responders who have been conducting water rescues and are working tirelessly on recovery efforts. I urge everyone in the impacted areas to prioritize safety by heeding official notices and avoiding travel on flooded and damaged roads. In the coming days and weeks, I will work closely with local officials and emergency management teams to ensure every resident and business affected receives the support they need to recover from this devastating storm.”

Farming impact of Chantal

Wind and water took out fencing on many farms near Saxapahaw in Alamance County. 

So far, it seems nearly all farms in Alamance County were able to move livestock to higher ground before flooding began. 

Farms in Snow Camp received 11 inches of rain and experienced flash flooding, power loss, fallen trees and down fences. Farms are waiting to see how quickly the floodwater will recede. If water remains in the fields, crops will see more severe damage.

So far, damage to farms seems limited, according to Orange County extension agents, though they have seen damage to fencing.

Tobacco fields near Southern Pines have seen some damage, according to Moore County extension agent Deborah McGiffin.

Multiple farmers in Person County have reported that more than 40% of their tobacco, soybean and corn crops are destroyed, according to extension agent Mikayla Berryhill.

A 50-acre soybean field is completely underwater in the area, she said. Acres and acres of corn blew over and are now unable to be harvested. It will take days to determine how much of the tobacco crop drowned.

Any Person County farmer that had not yet harvested their wheat will not be able to salvage what was left in the field, Berryhill told CPP.

Additional damage is expected in other areas that CPP has so far been unable to reach.

“We’re right in the middle of blueberry season, and farms in Central North Carolina are very busy,” regional extension agent Chip Simmons told CPP.

“This storm could not have come at a worse time.”

Health care

Roof leaks sprung at UNC Hospital in Chapel Hill, according to UNC Health spokesperson Alan Wolf, but patient care was not interrupted.

The UNC Health hospital in Hillsborough is relying on bottled water for drinking, cooking, and handwashing due to the boil water advisory in town.

Some staff members at Alamance Regional Medical Center in Burlington were not able to reach the hospital due to flooded, impassable roadways, leading to staffing shortages at the facility, according to Cone Health spokesperson Tyler Hickman.

Those staffing issues have now been resolved, he said.

UNC Health Chatham in Siler City was unscathed, according to hospital president Jeffery Strickler. The hospital had no significant emergency department arrivals on account of the storm, despite significant flooding and road closures in Chatham County.

Moore Regional Hospital in Pinehurst reported minor leaks and flooding, both in the hospital and outpatient clinics and buildings, including the Child Development Center.

Schools and colleges

Orange County Schools were closed to the public Monday and asked only essential staff to report to work in-person. A message on the OCS website said New Hope Elementary, Grady A. Brown Elementary, A.L. Stanback Middle and Cedar Ridge High are without power. 

Chatham County Schools posted an update in advance of the storm canceling summer school programs and normal school operations Monday.

Moore County Schools suspended summer programs including Read to Achieve and sports camps Monday to allow maintenance staff to assess storm damage. MCS Director for Communications Charlie Batchelor told CPP just a few of its campuses are experiencing minor leaks and flooding, and the district will operate as normal Tuesday.

Despite significant flooding at Hyco Lake near Person County, Public Information Officer Tracy Scruggs said the district’s only current summer offering is a daycare program that was not impacted, and the district saw no damage to school buildings.

UNC-Chapel Hill media relations told CPP its campus is operating under normal conditions and experienced only minor damages leading it to temporarily close the Student Recreation Center until July 15.

“There was minor flooding in some campus buildings and residence halls, but this hasn’t impacted academic operations,” a spokeperson said. The Student Recreation Center (SRC) and the Finley Track and Field Complex are currently closed due to flooding and water damage.”

Elon University in Alamance County was able to continue operations Monday morning after addressing minor damages, said Avery Craine Powell from University Communications.

“We quickly addressed about a dozen small building leaks across our main campus,” Powell wrote. “One road that flooded near a construction site didn’t damage nearby buildings because of sandbagging (and the water immediately subsided once the rain stopped). A small tree that fell was able to be moved away from a building egress by one person.”

Classes at Alamance Community College were conducted virtually and employees operated remotely Monday.

Sandhills Community College in Moore County said operations were continuing as normal Monday, but encouraged students to exercise caution when traveling to campus.

A spokesperson said Durham Technical Community College’s Hillsborough campus is also operating as normal.

Central Carolina Community College reported that its Pittsboro campus did not have any damage to facilities or infrastructure related to Chantal and was operating on its normal summer schedule.

Editor’s note: This is a developing story and will be updated. Kate Denning, Sarah Michels, Jane Winik Sartwell, Frank Taylor and Lucas Thomae contributed to this report.

This article first appeared on Carolina Public Press and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The post Chantal causes widespread flooding in Central NC appeared first on carolinapublicpress.org

Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Center-Left

The article primarily delivers factual reporting on the impact of Tropical Depression Chantal, including detailed descriptions of flooding, rescue efforts, and local government responses. The inclusion of a Democratic state senator’s critique of Republican legislators’ climate policies introduces a mild policy critique, emphasizing concern over environmental and climate-related issues. This perspective aligns with center-left priorities that favor climate action and government intervention. However, the article maintains a largely neutral tone overall by balancing local official statements from both parties and focusing extensively on disaster reporting without partisan framing, supporting an overall center-left rating.