Tropical Depression Chantal Causes Historic Flooding, Deaths, Wide Damage Across North Carolina

Tropical Depression Chantal caused historic and record-breaking flooding across central North Carolina, particularly affecting Chatham, Orange, Durham, Moore, and Lee counties with rainfall totals reaching up to 10 inches in some areas. The flooding led to at least one confirmed death in Chatham County when a woman was swept off a roadway, over 100 road closures including a collapsed portion of NC Highway 902, and numerous water rescues, with officials describing crews as overwhelmed. The Eno River near Durham rose more than 20 feet in a matter of hours, contributing to widespread flash flooding and prompting evacuations and emergency declarations. Damage included downed trees, power outages affecting thousands, destruction of mobile homes in Lee County due to strong winds and a possible tornado, and flooding of homes and businesses in towns like Chapel Hill and Pittsboro. The rainfall event was described as a 500-year to 1,000-year flood event, indicating its extreme rarity and severity. Authorities continue to urge residents to avoid travel due to ongoing hazards despite some subsiding waters.