Wral

RALEIGH, N.C. — Damaging winds whipped across the Triangle Thursday night during a winter storm that dumped one to four inches of snow across many parts of central North Carolina.

Wind gusts approaching 40 mph were reported at Raleigh-Durham International Airport, WRAL Chief Meteorologist Greg Fishel said.

Nearly 6,000 people were without power in Cary at 10 p.m., and more than 2,000 were in the dark in Raleigh, according to Progess Energy.

About 5,000 Duke Energy customers in Durham lost power Thursday evening, hours before any flakes fell there. Service had been restored to all but about 300 customers as of 10 p.m.

Fallen trees damaged homes in Wake County, and both Orange and Johnston counties reported multiple trees down.

Homeowner Jay Burke said conditions were very windy around 8 p.m. when he suddenly heard a loud crashing sound. A tree uprooted and fell outside his home, on Ten Ten Road in Apex, crushing his shed and minivan.

"We were standing in the office and, all of a sudden, boom," Burke said. "I knew exactly what it was, but (my daughter) got scared and we came outside and obviously saw our Caravan split in half."