"Severe Weather Alert: Live Updates and Early Closures in Raleigh and Union County Today"

Severe storms, tornado warnings, and power outages hit Raleigh, Durham, and Fayetteville, prompting school closures and delayed openings. Duke Energy is on standby for potential power outages, with thousands already affected. Flash flood and severe thunderstorm warnings have been issued for various counties, with wind gusts up to 70 mph. A person died and two others are critically injured in Claremont, North Carolina. The National Weather Service has extended a wind advisory and expanded a tornado watch for central North Carolina.