RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -- The Town of Duck is warning drivers not to try coming through town until further notice.Thousands of North Carolinians lost electrical service as heavy rains and downed trees and windy conditions caused problems as the remnants of Tropical Storm Ida moved off the coast.
Duck Road in the southern end of the town, near Tuckahoe Drive, is impassable because all lanes are under water.
Duke Energy reported more than 11,000 customers lost service in the Charlotte area, though much of the service had been restored by late Thursday morning.
Progress Energy reported only scattered outages in the eastern part of the state.
The National Weather Service said Thursday morning that rainfall in the previous 24 hours ranged from less than an inch in Charlotte to nearly 6 inches in New Bern.
Some roads were closed across the state by flooding and downed trees.
Schools in several districts in the Wilmington area were opening later than usual
Two people on a disabled sailboat off the North Carolina coast have been rescued by a Coast Guard helicopter crew, while two others are being towed to shore with the boat.
The Coast Guard said its office in Norfolk received a call at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday about a 52-foot sailboat in distress. A helicopter crew hoisted two people from the boat about 10 hours later, while the other two stayed with the boat as it's being towed to Fort Macon.
The boat was located about 110 miles southeast of Cape Lookout. Weather reports from a nearby buoy showed rough seas and winds gusting above 30 mph from the remnants of Tropical Storm Ida at the time of the rescue.
The storm has brought heavy rains and high winds to eastern North Carolina for the past two days.
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