Hurricane watch issued for state as residents brace for 'hard to predict' storm
A state of emergency has been issued in North Carolina as hurricane Ophelia threatens to bring severe weather.
The National Hurricane Center has warned that Tropical Storm Ophelia has strengthened, prompting the issuance of a Hurricane Watch for portions of eastern North Carolina. The storm approaches the East Coast, with the potential for life-threatening conditions in several areas.
As of 5:00 pm EDT, the centre of Tropical Storm Ophelia was located approximately 120 miles southeast of Cape Fear, North Carolina, and about 165 miles south-southwest of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. Ophelia currently boasts maximum sustained winds of 70 miles per hour, with a minimum central pressure of 986 millibars, the NHC said.
The storm is currently moving in a north-northwest direction at a speed of 13 miles per hour. This trajectory is expected to continue in the coming days, with a slight turn toward the north and north-northeast. The forecast track indicates that Ophelia will approach the coast of North Carolina tonight before moving across eastern North Carolina, southeastern Virginia, and the Delmarva Peninsula over the weekend.
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Notable changes in the advisory include the upgrade of a Storm Surge Watch to a Storm Surge Warning for Bogue Inlet to Beaufort Inlet, North Carolina. Additionally, a Hurricane Watch has been issued for the coast of North Carolina from north of Surf City to Ocracoke Inlet.
The storm surge warning areas encompass a wide range, including Bogue Inlet, North Carolina, to Chincoteague, Virginia, Chesapeake Bay south of Colonial Beach, Virginia, Neuse and Pamlico Rivers, and portions of Pamlico and Albemarle Sounds. A Storm Surge Watch is in effect for Surf City, North Carolina, to Bogue Inlet, North Carolina, and the remainder of Pamlico and Albemarle Sounds. Tropical Storm Warnings are also in place for Cape Fear, North Carolina, to Fenwick Island, Delaware, Albemarle and Pamlico Sounds, Tidal Potomac south of Cobb Island, and Chesapeake Bay south of North Beach.
The most significant concern lies in the storm surge, which poses a danger of life-threatening inundation in the indicated locations during the next 36 hours. The Hurricane Watch implies that hurricane conditions are possible within the watch area, and a Tropical Storm Warning indicates the expectation of tropical storm conditions in the warning area.
Ophelia's reach extends beyond its centre, with tropical storm-force winds extending outward up to 275 miles. In Cape Lookout, North Carolina, a NOAA C-MAN station reported a sustained wind of 46 mph and a gust of 61 mph.
The storm's impact will also be felt in terms of heavy rainfall, with varying estimates across different regions. Eastern North Carolina and southeast Virginia may experience 3 to 5 inches of rainfall with isolated higher totals of around 7 inches into Sunday morning.
The Mid-Atlantic region from North Carolina to New Jersey is expected to receive 2 to 4 inches tonight through Sunday, while southern New York through southern New England may see 1 to 3 inches from Saturday into Monday. These rainfall levels could lead to flash flooding, urban flooding, and small stream flooding, with isolated river flooding in areas with heavier rainfall.
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In addition to these threats, Ophelia is generating swells that will affect much of the east coast of the United States throughout the weekend, posing a significant risk of life-threatening surf and rip current conditions. The National Hurricane Center advises residents in the affected areas to closely monitor updates from their local National Weather Service forecast office and to follow evacuation and safety instructions from local authorities.
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