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The North Carolina coast was hit with a heavy onslaught of downpours and heavy winds as tropical storm Ophelia landed on the east coast on early Saturday, September 22. Ophelia was given the status of a Tropical Storm on Friday as Virginia, Maryland, and North Carolina governors declared a state of emergency.
According to multiple reports, the storm fell just short of being a hurricane, bringing sustained winds of 70mph. The storm brought heavy winds and rains that extended well beyond its going, spreading out 310 miles of tropical storm winds. The storm will move north on Saturday and northeast the following day.
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Ophelia made landfall at 6:15 am on September 23
A hurricane carries sustained winds that go up to 74mph or higher. By that standard, Ophelia is as close as it gets. According to the Doppler Radar, Air Force Hurricane Hunter, and land observations, the tropical storm landed near Emerald Isle in North Carolina on Saturday at around 6:15 a.m.
The storm carried sustained winds of up to 70mph. According to the National Hurricane Center, A Cape Lookout observation reported sustained wind speeds of up to 60mph and a gust of 73mph. The latest update from the National Hurricane Center stated that the tropical storm was "Moving Inland Over Far Eastern North Carolina." However, they specified:
"Tropical Storm Conditions Continue Along the Coast and Inland."
On Saturday, the National Hurricane Center released a few critical messages for the tropical storm Ophelia. They stated that tropical storm conditions were expected along parts of the southeastern and mid-Atlantic coasts within the Tropical Storm warning area. They warned:
"There is a danger of life-threatening storm surge inundation over portions of eastern North Carolina and southeastern Virginia,"
These areas were specified as those with storm surge warnings in place. Residents in these areas were requested to follow the advice given by local officials. There was also a warning of flash and urban flooding across parts of North Carolina to New Jersey through Sunday. They also stated:
"Swells generated by this system (weather system) will affect much of the U.S. east coast through the weekend, likely causing life-threatening surf and rip currents."
The tropical storm will move northeast through North Carolina and southeastern Virginia on Saturday before moving further North. A State of Emergency was declared by the North Carolina Governor, Roy Cooper, who said in a statement released on September 22:
"It is important for North Carolinians to prepare for potential impacts from the coming storm,"
He added:
"The storm's path has been difficult to predict and we want to ensure that farmers, first responders and utility crews have the tools necessary to prepare for severe weather."
The declaration temporarily waived transportation regulations that pertained to the movement of livestock and agricultural products. It also issued transportation waivers to make preparations in anticipation of Ophelia and provide for quick recovery and response after Ophelia passes.
Friday also witnessed the start of storm-surge flooding and the submergence of roads alongside the North Carolina coast. According to the State Transportation Department, NC12 was left with the residue of sand and water. Still, it remained open, with the department cautioning that conditions could worsen later in the day. The department warned people to go out cautiously, only if necessary.
Parts of North Carolina and Virginia may witness heavy rains up to 7 inches on the weekend, while other mid-Atlantic states could see 3-4 inches of heavy rain. Poweroutage.us reported that the electricity to more than 40,000 homes in North Carolina and around 20,000 homes in Virginia were out when writing this article.
