Crews work to restore power to thousands, clear roads in Triangle after powerful storms topple trees

Power outage numbers are improving Wednesday after storms caused more than 6,000 people to lose power overnight as powerful storms blew through the Triangle.

Trees were reported down across the area, with some shutting down roads and knocking out power.

Fallen trees, blocked roads

The owner of a daycare on Leesville Road in Raleigh confirmed to WRAL News that the building was closed Wednesday due to a power outage.

One tree fell down East Millbrook Road just east of Six Forks Road, blocking access.

Tree down across East Millbrook Road in Wake County

Two trees fell down on Pinecrest Road in northwest Raleigh, blocking each end of the road.

Trees also fell on Valley Drive, blocking the road.

A tree fell across the road on Valley Drive in Raleigh after Wednesday night's powerful storms.

Near Lake Lynn, a tree fell across Ray Road near Lookout Mountain Road. The road is shut down between Strickland and Lynn roads until crews can clear the tree.

Power outages

At its peak, more than 11,000 people lost power last night in Wake County. More than 6,000 in the Triangle were still without power as of 4:30 a.m. Wednesday.

At 9:30 a.m., the outages in Wake County were down to under 2,000.

The majority of outages were located in North Raleigh along the Creedmoor Road and Interstate 540 corridors.

In Durham, Duke Energy reported more than 100 were without power in the northwest portion of the city along Interstate 85. Close to 300 more outages were reported north of the city in the Willow Hill neighborhood. Crews estimated power would be restored to most by 6 a.m.

Several more outages were reported sporadically near Clayton and Goldsboro. Duke Energy estimated those outages would be fixed before 9 a.m.

"Storm restoration efforts are underway following severe weather that caused widespread outages. Crews are working as quickly and safely as possible to restore power. Some of the hardest-hit areas may experience longer restoration times due to extensive damage. Please stay away from downed power lines and thank you for your patience," Duke Energy said.