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Tropical storm warnings issued for Carolina coast as system develops in the Atlantic
From Charleston to Virginia, storm warnings have been issued with the likely development of a tropical system offshore.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — With the likelihood climbing that a tropical storm could form off the coast of the Carolinas by week’s end, the National Weather Service has issued tropical storm warnings for much of the North Carolina coast.
The storm, which would get the name Ophelia if it was to be named, is attempting to organize itself Thursday. As of 11 a.m., the storm had maximum sustained winds near 35 mph with higher gusts. The storm was developing about 370 miles south and east of Charleston, or about 450 miles south of Hatteras, over the warm waters of the Atlantic Ocean.
“Strengthening is expected during the next day or two, and the system is forecast to become a tropical storm as it approaches the coast of North Carolina,” forecasters with the National Hurricane Center wrote Thursday morning. “Regardless of whether the system becomes a tropical storm, the system is expected to bring tropical-storm conditions to portions of the southeast and mid-Atlantic coast.”
National Hurricane Center officials estimate the storm has about a 50% chance of becoming an official tropical disturbance. In order to be named Ophelia, the storm would need to be considered a tropical storm, which among other characteristics, would require winds of at least 39 mph.
Regardless of its formal naming status, forecasters predict the center of the system is expected to approach the coast of North Carolina by late Friday night or early Saturday. That confidence is what led the National Weather Service to issue the tropical storm warning and storm surge watch for coastal communities in North Carolina.
Between 1-4 feet of storm surge is possible along the North Carolina coast, according to forecasters. Between 2-4 inches of rain are possible along much of the coast. Some communities could see rainfall values as high as 6 inches.
Winds along the coast could exceed 40 mph with higher gusts possible.
Some of the heavy rain and wind could stretch further inland into locations such as Raleigh, Greensboro, and Fayetteville. Charlotte could be the western edge of forecast impacts, with communities east of Charlotte more likely to see any impacts. Even then, impacts in the greater Charlotte area are expected to be limited to 1 inch of rain and wind gusts up to 30 mph.
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