John Boyle | Asheville Citizen Times

Folks in Western North Carolina might want to ratchet up the hunkering down on Sunday and Monday, as severe storms are heading to the mountain region.

Rain is expected pretty much all day on Easter Sunday, but the worst of the weather will come at night, including high winds and potential flooding.

"Really, after the sun goes down Sunday evening and then going into the night time hours, it’s going to continue through Sunday night with a combination of possible severe weather with potential flooding," said Doug Outlaw, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

"Looking at the total rainfall expected through Monday morning for Buncombe County, the northern part of the county up around Weaverville is going to get about 1.8 inches, the southern part over 2 inches, with 2.25 inches close to airport."

Hendersonville could see 2.5 inches and Brevard and Lake Toxaway potentially 4 inches, Outlaw said.

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The French Broad River in the Blantyre area could get to flood stage early Monday, and Asheville and Marshall likely will see elevated levels close to flood stage. The storms are coming in from the west and the Ohio River Valley.

The rainfall will start early April 12, with a 30% chance of rain around sunrise, rising to 60% by 9 a.m.

"Then it rains pretty much all day and gets worse as the sun goes down, unfortunately," Outlaw said. "It looks like between 3 a.m.-7 a.m. Monday — right now that looks like the worst as far as the storms."

The Weather Service has issued a hazardous weather outlook for the mountains for Sunday into Monday morning.

Bracing for power loss

Duke Energy, which supplies power for much of the area, is also bracing for the severe weather and encouraging customers to prepare, as the storms have the potential to cause power outages.

Duke "is monitoring the storm’s path and taking steps to prepare, while also continuing to adhere to coronavirus-related protective measures and social distancing guidelines" for workers, the company said in a press release.

"We know how important electricity is to customers at a time when so many are home all day, every day,” said Duke Energy Carolinas storm director Jason Hollifield. “Add to that, this is an important holiday weekend and sacred time for many people. We will work to respond to power outages as quickly as they occur, recognizing we must also ensure the safety of our crews and the communities we serve through proper social distancing practices and other protective measures."

Winds Sunday night will range from 10-14 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph, according to the forecast. The high Sunday will be near 62.

Winds could gust as high as 20 mph early Monday.

"With high winds, come the threat of downed trees and, potentially, downed power lines," Duke said in its release.

How to prepare for bad weather

The utility issued these tips:

• Stay tuned to local news for the latest weather advisories, as well as state and local emergency management officials.

• If you rely on electricity for medical needs, consider what actions you will take in the event of an extended power outage. With statewide “stay-at-home” orders in place, you may need to alter your emergency plans.

• If you see a downed power line, always assume it is energized and stay away. Report downed lines to Duke Energy immediately.

• Never bring a generator indoors. Generators should be operated only outdoors, and only in well-ventilated areas. Manufacturer instructions should be followed.

Customers who experience an outage during the storm can report it by:

• Visiting duke-energy.com on a desktop computer or mobile device

• Texting OUT to 57801