Severe weather leaves one dead, tens of thousands without power in North Carolina

(NEW YORK) — A 78-year-old North Carolina woman was killed after a tree fell on her vehicle as severe thunderstorms hit the region Tuesday evening.

The storms also left about 67,500 customers without power as of Wednesday morning, according to poweroutage.us.

The storms also proved fatal. A woman, identified as Donna Warsaw, was driving in an intersection in Durham when a large tree fell and struck her vehicle on Tuesday after 4 p.m., according to police. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Durham Public Schools announced that it canceled Wednesday’s classes.

Winds gusted to 72 mph in North Carolina and up to 87 mph in South Carolina, while golf ball-sized hail fell in Georgia and North Carolina.

Several other roads remain closed and areas in Durham are without power, police said Wednesday morning.

“We are reminding motorists to obey any barricades or signs that have been placed in the roadway. If you approach an intersection without working traffic lights, treat the intersection as a four way stop. Crews will continue working to make repairs from last night’s storms and additional road closures may occur,” Durham police said in a statement.