More than 5,000 people in Guilford and Forsyth counties woke up without power Friday morning after strong winds blew through the Triad Thursday night.
As of noon Friday, about 2,100 Forsyth residents and 2,200 Guilford residents remained without service, although Duke Energy says it has sent crews to assess the damage and restore power.
The outage could be a preview of things to come this weekend, as heavy rains and potentially strong winds are expected to push through the region, according to the National Weather Service.
While the latest NWS predictions show Hurricane Joaquin should eventually turn out to sea, a separate system stalled over the region could bring up to a foot of rain in the state's western counties.
A flash flood watch from the weather service remains in effect through Monday.
Timeline of Expected Weather and Impacts for Central North Carolina, updated 9 AM, Friday, Oct 2, 2015 #ncwx pic.twitter.com/w8j34tW6ts
— NWS Raleigh (@NWSRaleigh) October 2, 2015NCDOT and local officials are reminding residents – especially those near flood-prone areas – to take precautions this weekend. That includes having emergency supplies ready to go, avoiding travel during and immediately after storms, and never attempting to travel through flooded areas.
The transportation department says only a foot of water can carry a vehicle away.
Earlier this week, Gov. Pat McCrory declared a state of emergency for all North Carolina counties, and state officials have been encouraging residents to use the ReadyNC mobile app and ReadyNC.org for updated information on storm response.
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