What can Durham expect from Florence now that it is a Category 1?

Hurricane Florence has slowed down significantly since earlier in the week, but Durham will still feel its effects. 

Once a Category 4 hurricane threatening to become a Category 5 storm, Florence made landfall Friday as just a Category 1 storm. CBS 17 Chief Meteorologist Wes Hohenstein wrote to The Chronicle at noon Friday that Durham can still expect tropical storm winds at 39 mph or higher Friday and Saturday, which threaten to knock down trees and cause power outages. 

"Friday and Saturday will be good days to stay inside and catch up on Netflix," Hohenstein told The Chronicle. "Just because it was a category one when it made landfall and not a Category 23 or four doesn’t mean we are out of the woods, this will still be a high impact event for Durham and central North Carolina." 

Hohenstein said that Durham can expect several inches of rain from Florence, which could cause isolated flooding. Isolated tornadoes are also possible, he said. 

Some areas of Duke's campus are still at risk of flooding, with six to 10 inches of rain expected, according to Working@Duke. Most of Duke's campus is on its own power grid, which ensures that it "almost never loses power," Edens residence coordinator Shelvis Ponds Jr. said in an email Tuesday. 

However, residents of 300 Swift, 301 Swift and Smart Home will be more susceptible to power loss—they do not run on Duke's grid and have power lines above ground. 

The most immediate threat to Duke will be flooding from rain Friday and Saturday, Kyle Cavanaugh, vice president for administration wrote in an email to administrators Friday. Cavanaugh said that standing water and flooding will be possibilities the next few days—rivers are not expected to peak until Monday. 

"The combination of heavy rain and wind could still topple trees, so individuals should continue to use extreme caution and avoid walking or parking near tall trees," Cavanaugh wrote. 

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