Lake Crabtree crowds surge as Triangle heat wave drives demand

Long lines formed for boat rentals at Lake Crabtree County Park after heavy turnout over the previous two weekends as the Triangle heat wave pushed temperatures toward 100 degrees. Visitors came specifically to cool off on the lake.

Lake Crabtree County Park is Wake County’s first established park, set on a 215-acre site beside a 520-acre flood-control lake and laced with more than 16 miles of trails. Its boat rentals run Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays only, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., with rentals stopping at 5 p.m. The rentals are free for two hours, first-come, first-served, and cannot be reserved in advance. Visitors can choose from single kayaks, double kayaks, canoes, stand-up paddleboards and pedal boats, and they must wear life vests. People can also launch their own boats year-round from designated areas.

A Raleigh resident said the setup felt manageable, but the bigger picture was harder to ignore. Wake County also opens cooling stations when heat indexes reach 100 degrees.

Nearly 30% of Wake County was in exceptional drought on June 18, while Durham had already moved to Stage 2 water restrictions and Raleigh remained under Stage 1 restrictions. Statewide, North Carolina was under drought conditions, with 53% in severe drought, 33.8% in extreme drought and 3% in exceptional drought. Raleigh-Durham International Airport had gone without measurable rainfall since May 25, and Falls Lake, Raleigh’s main drinking-water supply, had fallen to under 70% of normal water level.

On June 12, the U.S. Department of Energy issued an emergency order allowing Duke Energy to maximize output during unusually high demand after warning the utility might not have enough generation available to meet it. Duke Energy serves 3.7 million North Carolina customers, and the company urged people to conserve by raising thermostats a couple of degrees.