High winds spawned by Helene are creating conditions for tornados in the Piedmont Triad Friday evening.
The storm has left an extensive amount of damage in its wake. Soon, clean-up efforts will begin to return communities to their previous state. We've laid out some of Helene's biggest damages.
Thursday Evening
4:30 P.M.
Rushing water completely flooded a Blue Ridge Parkway picnic area, likely leaving lasting damage to the structure as Helene makes its way to the state.
Flooding in Asheville's Biltmore Village area completely covered roads Thursday night in western North Carolina, making it impossible for many drivers to travel through.
7 P.M.
Harrowing images of Asheville flooding were taken by WFMY News 2's Amber Lake. The area was completely unrecognizable as water filled the entire area.
1 A.M.
A woman in Wilkes County was stranded as her driveway completely flooded on Reddiest Street, making it impossible for her to get home. Waters continued to rise and many roads would close in the coming hours.
5 A.M.
One person died in Charlotte after a tree fell on their home Friday morning around 5 a.m.. Another person was taken to the hospital with serious injuries, though firefighters said the children in the house were unharmed.
This marked the first Helene-related death since the storm came to North Carolina on Thursday night. Charlotte was on the receiving end of some of the worst of Helene's wrath because it's in the western part of the state.
8 A.M.
A four-year-old girl was tragically killed in a Helene-related car accident that left three other children injured. NC State Highway Patrol said two cars crashed in Catawba County during heavy rain.
A 2008 GMC Acadia crossed the centerline and hit a 2022 GMC Yukon head-on on Boggs Road near Hunsucker Drive around 8 a.m.. Heavy bands of rain and flash flooding were present during the time of the crash.
9 A.M.
Heavy rain and strong winds rocks the Carolinas. Asheville experiences historic flooding, leaving many residents without power.
It is unlikely the roads have yet recovered from the influx of water.
11 A.M.
A mandatory evacuation is ordered at Asheville's Balsam Road to Highway 70 after a lake with a dam flooded, completely blocking off the roads.
12:30 P.M.
The worst of the storm has subsided, but a man is dead in Yadkin County after a tree fell on his car whilst driving.
At least 18,000 people are without power in the Triad area as Duke Energy crews work to restore electricity. Much of the outage is caused by trees having fallen on power lines.
3 P.M.
The Alamance County Sheriff's Office has sent a crew of four deputies to Yancey County to assist in the wake of the storm.
"Washed out roads and flooded areas" thwarted law enforcement's assistance efforts in Yancey County, prompting Alamance County deputies to provide support in the form of a heavy duty four wheel drive vehicle.
3:30 P.M.
All lanes of I-40 are closed one mile west of Exit 64 (NC 9) near Black Mountain Road due to flooding from Helene. This means the main highway leading out of North Carolina into Tennessee is closed.
3:40 P.M.
Surry County 911 Communications reports approximately 332 calls related to weather. Surry Yadkin reported 6,500 residents without power.
Citizens are asked to only use 911 for emergency situations and not to report downed powerlines or trees, according to a release from Surry County Emergency Services.
5:00 P.M.
A Tornado Warning is issued for Caswell County. A Tornado Warning is issued when "a tornado is imminent." A Tornado Watch is issued "when severe thunderstorms and tornadoes are possible in and near the watch area," according to the National Weather Service.
5:30 P.M.
Number of reported power outages in the Triad is lowered to about 13,000.
