North and South Carolina are facing the threat of heavy winds, rain, possible flooding and tornadoes as Potential Tropical Storm Eight approaches on Monday.
The National Hurricane Center said the “low pressure system” was not yet classified as a tropical storm as of Monday morning, but it gained some strength on its path northwest toward the coast of South Carolina and its speed increased to 5 mph. About 100 miles east of Charleston, it had maximum sustained winds of 50 mph.
The hurricane center said in an advisory Monday morning that the storm was expected to reach South Carolina on Monday afternoon and reach both states by Wednesday night.
If it becomes a tropical storm, it will be named Helene – the next name on the list. Forecasters say that has diminished in likelihood as the storm's structure became less organized Monday morning, and its maximum winds are expected to slow as it approaches the coast.
Tropical storm warnings were in effect for a 300-mile coastal strip across both states Monday morning, with the area expected to see “strong winds, heavy rainfall and coastal flooding,” according to the National Hurricane Center. Those areas could still see tropical-storm-force winds. An earlier tropical storm warning for a 100-mile area of South Carolina's coast was discontinued at 11 a.m.
According to the advisory, up to 8 inches of rain is expected in the hardest-hit areas, while some areas could see up to 10 inches. The center said “a few” tornadoes could also develop in eastern parts of both states by Monday night.
According to the advisory, the rainfall could cause “locally significant flash and urban flooding” in the Carolinas, and isolated flash flooding is a risk throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. Rivers in southeastern North Carolina and northeastern South Carolina may also experience minor flooding through Monday night.
More:Tropical storm tracker: Cyclone in the Atlantic could hit the Carolinas on Monday
latest developments:
∎ The National Hurricane Center said the storm is expected to strengthen slightly before it makes landfall. Forecasters said it will continue to weaken until it ends Wednesday.
The weather service said high waves, large swells and strong northeasterly winds associated with the full moon could produce high waves along the coast, which could lead to minor or moderate coastal flooding early in the week. Additional storm development could further increase the risk of coastal flooding.
∎ According to the National Hurricane Center, Gordon lost its ferocity in the Atlantic and weakened to a tropical depression by 5 p.m. The weather service said Gordon poses no threat to land.
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Tropical storm or not, 'the impacts will be the same'
Although the storm's maximum sustained wind speeds exceed the 39 mph needed to be classified as a tropical storm, its center is highly fragmented.
“It doesn't have a definite center at this point,” said Alex DaSilva, AccuWeather's lead hurricane specialist. He added that to become a tropical storm, “it would essentially need to form a closed center of circulation.” He estimated the probability of that happening Monday morning at about 70%.
Still, whether or not it becomes a tropical storm and is named, “the impacts will be the same,” DaSilva said.
According to DaSilva, these include potentially dangerous flooding from heavy rain overnight from the Southeast to the Mid-Atlantic, and winds gusting up to 60 mph in the Carolinas. While it's not widespread, “there could be some power outages, some trees could be down,” he said.
He said tornadoes could occur overnight. “These tornadoes can develop very quickly, which can make them even more dangerous.”
The storm could also cause erosion on the local coastline – which is already weakened after Hurricane Debby struck last month. “The shoreline is already weakened from previous storms, so it won't be long before there are some significant problems there,” DaSilva said.
More than 15 inches of rain fell on the North Carolina coast
As the storm approached, some locations in New Hanover County, North Carolina, received more than a foot of rain since midnight Monday, according to the National Weather Service. Carolina Beach, about 12 miles south of Wilmington, was drenched with more than 15 inches of rain.
In a message sent to the Washington Post, the weather service warned of “very severe flooding” that was expected to get worse in Brunswick County to the west.
Some North Carolina schools closed due to weather
Some schools in North Carolina will not open on Monday because of the possibility of a tropical storm.
Brunswick County Schools posted on Facebook Monday morning that students should stay home while teachers alternate work days.
Meanwhile, Brunswick Community College will also be closed Monday due to inclement weather. Classes will be conducted remotely where possible.
Students in Bladen, Columbus and Whiteville counties will also attend school remotely.
According to a Facebook post, New Hanover schools will dismiss students two hours early due to the weather and “flooding on roads.” Pender County schools will operate on a normal schedule.
— Sherry Jones, Wilmington StarNews
Risks to swimmers on North Carolina's Outer Banks
North Carolina's Outer Banks has currents that could be dangerous for swimmers. The weather service said in an update Sunday that the new system has further increased the risk.
The good news: The highest chance of strong waves Sunday was a few hours either side of low tide, which occurred before noon. Still, the threat of waves remained, and the update warned inexperienced swimmers to stay out of the water.
“Strong currents can sweep even the best swimmers into deep water far from shore,” the update warns. “Dangerous shore breaks can throw a swimmer or surfer head first into the bottom, potentially causing neck and back injuries.”
Contributors: John Bacon and Thao Nguyen, USA TODAY