Tropical Storm Ophelia Impacts East Coast, Leaving Thousands Without Power
Tropical Storm Ophelia made landfall near Emerald Isle, North Carolina, early Saturday morning, delivering heavy rain, strong winds, and coastal flooding to the East Coast.
Here are the storm's latest impacts:
Thousands of homes and businesses without power: Over 70,000 customers were without power across North Carolina and the mid-Atlantic Saturday morning, according to utility tracking site PowerOutage.us.
Storm surge flooding: Storm surge flooding of more than 3 feet hit coastal North Carolina, where water was seen covering roadways.
Five people rescued from boat: Five people were rescued from a boat anchored in rough waters near Cape Lookout, North Carolina.
States of emergency declared: States of emergency were declared in Virginia, North Carolina, and Maryland.
MLB games postponed: Two MLB games were postponed: Braves-Nationals in Washington, D.C., and Diamondbacks-Yankees in New York.
Tropical Storm Ophelia made landfall near Emerald Isle, North Carolina, early Saturday morning, delivering heavy rain, strong winds, and coastal flooding to the East Coast.
- Ophelia is expected to continue moving north across eastern North Carolina, southeastern Virginia, and the Delmarva Peninsula through the weekend.
- The storm's shield of rain extends hundreds of miles from its center and is already dumping heavy rain across a large swath of the mid-Atlantic, including Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, and New York.
- Coastal areas in North Carolina are bearing the brunt of impacts, with storm surge flooding and winds gusting to over 70 mph.
- Five people were rescued from a boat off the coast of Cape Lookout, North Carolina, after the group became stranded in rough weather conditions.
- Roads are flooded and water is creeping inland in New Bern, North Carolina, as the levels rise in the downtown area.
- Emergency crews are warning people to avoid driving or being out during the storm, as strong winds, heavy rainfall, and elevated tides are expected.
Key threats posed by Ophelia:
- Heavy rainfall: Some places in eastern North Carolina and southeast Virginia could see between 3 and 5 inches of rain, with locally higher amounts. Other states in the Mid-Atlantic could pick up 2 to 4 inches on rain Saturday night through Sunday. Meanwhile, 1 to 3 inches of rain are forecast across southern New York through southern New England beginning Saturday into Monday.
- Coastal threats: One to 5 feet of storm surge is possible in some coastal areas, particularly in inlets and rivers from around Surf City, North Carolina, to the Virginia Tidewater. Storm surge flooding could peak Saturday afternoon with another high tide, particularly in the lower Chesapeake Bay. The storm will also bring dangerous surf and rip currents along East Coast through the weekend, the hurricane center warned.
- Strong and gusty winds: Tropical-storm-force wind gusts – between 39 and 73 mph – will impact a wide area of the East Coast throughout the day Saturday. Winds will lessen with time, but stronger gusts could down trees and power lines.
- Severe weather: A few tornadoes also are possible in parts of the coastal mid-Atlantic and North Carolina.
Please stay safe and avoid unnecessary travel during Tropical Storm Ophelia.