Severe Weather Updates

• Tie down or bring indoors any objects that might be blown around by strong winds (outdoor furniture, decorations, garbage cans, display racks, signs and any other loose objects that are normally left outside).

• Secure all items that cannot be brought inside, including rollout trash and recycling carts.

• Help prevent flooding by clearing debris from storm drains along your streets.

Residents are reminded not to call 911 unless there is an emergency posing an immediate threat to life, health, or property.

Similarly, residents should not report flooded road conditions via SeeClickFix.

All non-emergency calls, including reports of hazardous road conditions and immediate needs for service, should be placed to 919-554-6150.

• Make sure your home is properly insulated
• Check the weather stripping around your windows and doors
• Learn how to shut off water valves in case a pipe bursts
• Have additional heat sources on hand in case of a power outage
• Keep a fire extinguisher accessible
• Replace the batteries in your carbon monoxide detector annually

• Batteries lose power as temperatures drop, be sure to have yours tested
• Check your car’s antifreeze level
• Have your radiator system serviced
• Replace your car’s windshield wiper fluid with a wintertime mix
• Proactively replace your car’s worn tires and wiper blades
• To help with visibility, clean off your car entirely – including your trunk, roof, windows, and headlights

Wake Forest Power customers call 919-435-9478 or visit https://bit.ly/WFPOutageMap and click on “Report Outage”;

Wake Electric customers call 855-280-1147;

Duke Energy Progress customers call 800-419-6356.

• Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed. Food usually stays frozen about 48 hours. A refrigerator can keep food cold for about four hours. Remember, when in doubt, throw it out.

• Do not connect a generator directly to your home's electrical system. It is dangerous to you, your neighbors and utility workers. Follow manufacturer's directions regarding connecting appliances directly to your generator.

• Restoring power after a storm can be challenging, as travel conditions are poor. Before power can be restored, crews first assess damage and determine which crews, equipment and supplies will be needed to make repairs. Because of this, customers may see damage assessors patrolling their neighborhoods before crews arrive to begin work.

• Crews prioritize work to ensure the largest number of customers are restored as quickly as possible. Essential services, such as hospitals and emergency response facilities, are the first priority.

• If you lose power, turn off as many appliances and electronics as possible. This helps with restoration efforts because it reduces the immediate demand on power lines when power is restored.

• Once your power is restored, please wait a few minutes before turning your equipment back on.

During periods of extremely cold weather, the Town of Wake Forest and Raleigh Water (formerly City of Raleigh Public Utilities Department) often field calls from customers reporting broken water pipes. When pipes break between the water meter and the home or within the home, the customer is responsible for repairs. Since Raleigh Water operates and maintains Wake Forest's water system, it is responsible for repairing any damage to pipes between the water main under the street and the meter, or in the main itself, which rarely happens since water runs continuously in the mains. 

For more information, call Raleigh Water on weekdays between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. at 919-996-4540. On nights and weekends, call 919-829-1930.  

Here are some tips to help keep pipes from freezing:

• Have regular pipe maintenance done - at least once year.

• Regularly change filters around the house.

• Drip a faucet so pipes don't burst. (Drip only one faucet in the house. Choose one close to an exterior wall so pipes don't freeze)

• Open cabinet doors where pipes are so they can feel the heat from the home.

• Turn off the outdoor sprinkler system.

• Detach the water hose from the outdoor faucet.

Wintry Weather

In the event of wintry weather, motorists are urged to stay off the roads - unless absolutely necessary. When you venture out on the roads, you not only put yourself at risk, but you also put others in jeopardy. Then, if you are involved in an accident, police officers and first responders are at risk. You can help yourself, your neighbors, law enforcement and first responders by simply staying off the roads.

If you must venture out, first remove the ice and snow from your vehicle, particularly from the hood, windows, and roof. Ice and snow that dislodges from a moving vehicle can create hazardous driving conditions for other vehicles resulting in property damage and/or injury. 

Also, while driving, turn on your headlights, and give extra following distance to allow more stopping time on slippery surfaces. 

Wet Weather

The NCDOT shared these tips for driving in wet weather:

• Avoid driving through flooded areas, even if they seem shallow. Just one foot of water can float many vehicles, while two feet of rushing water can carry away SUVs and pick-ups.

• After driving through a puddle, tap your brake pedal to help dry your brake rotors.

• If your car starts to hydroplane, take your foot off the gas, apply the brakes in a steady, slightly firm manner without stomping and steer in the direction of the skid. If you have a manual transmission, push in the clutch and let the car slow down on its own.

• If the rain is extremely heavy, pull over in a safe area in a parking lot or on the roadside with your emergency flashers on, away from any trees or other tall objects, and wait for the weather to improve.

• Allow more travel time.

• Turn on your low beam headlights and use the defroster to increase visibility.

• If possible, stay in the middle lane where the road tends to be higher.

• Reduce your speed by at least five to 10 miles per hour and allow at least twice the normal following distance.

• Signal for turns ahead of time and brake early as you near a stop. Remember, roads are slickest in the first 10 to 15 minutes, especially if it has not rained for a while.

• If a traffic signal is knocked out by a storm, regard the intersection as a four-way stop. If two or more vehicles arrive at the same time, the car to the right has the right of way and after signaling, may move in any direction. If two facing vehicles approach the intersection at the same time, any car traveling straight ahead or turning right has the right of way.

Drivers should not attempt to cross a flooded roadway. The depth of the water is not always apparent, and a foot of water can sweep a vehicle off the road. 

The following Wake Forest-area streets are prone to flooding and should be approached cautiously during significant rainfall events:

• 

  Durham Road/NC-98, Richland Creek

• East Juniper Avenue near North Allen Road

• East Juniper Avenue near North White Street

• Forestville Road, Toms Creek

• Forestville Road, Sanford Creek

• Harris Road, Richland Creek

• Heritage Heights Lane, 1300 Block

• Jenkins Road, Horse Creek

• Ligon Mill Road, Smith Creek

• Ligon Mill Road, Toms Creek

• North Main Street, Walnut Avenue to Cedar Avenue

• North White Street, Juniper Street to Flaherty Avenue

• Oak Grove Church Road, Dunn Creek

• Purnell Road at Jackson Road, Horse Creek

• Purnell Road, Mud Branch

• Rogers Road, Sanford Creek

• Rogers Road, Smith Creek

• West Oak Avenue, Richland Creek

• Wait Avenue, Dunn Creek

• Wall Road, Wallridge Drive to Harris Road

• Watkins Farm Road at Young Street

Report hazardous road conditions by calling 919-554-6150.

Please do not report flooded road conditions via SeeClickFix.

Public Works crews work to clear obstructions from storm drains along local streets and roadways year-round, but  especially when the forecast calls for significant weather events, such as hurricanes and tropical storms.

Community members can assist in this effort and help prevent flooding by clearing debris from storm drains along their streets.

Residents can also report blocked storm drains via SeeClickFix; by calling Public Works at 919-435-9570 weekdays 7 a.m.-3:30 p.m.; and by calling 919-554-6150 weekdays after 3:30 p.m. and on weekends and holidays.

Rain-saturated soil and the potential for wind gusts increase the possibility of downed trees, which can fall on vehicles and buildings and can take down powerlines. During heavy rain and wind events, the National Weather Service advises seeking shelter in a sturdy structure and moving to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. 

Report downed trees via SeeClickFix or by calling 919-554-6150.

If you encounter trees downed during storms on roads, sidewalks or other public areas, contact the Town rather than trying to handle them on your own. In addition to being heavy and difficult to manage, trees and limbs often come into contact with dangerous, live electrical wires which can cause serious injury or death.

Please do not call 911 unless there is an emergency posing an immediate threat to life, health, or property.

In the event severe weather occurs, the Town issues regular updates through a variety of means. To stay informed residents are urged to:

• Bookmark this page (Severe Weather Updates)
• Visit the Town's Facebook page 
• Sign up for Nextdoor
• Download the Town of Wake Forest app 
• Sign up for Town alerts and email notifications