Tropical Storm Ophelia will hit the mid-Atlantic coast of the U.S. with high winds and potentially life-threatening storm surge over the weekend, the National Hurricane Center said Friday.
Tropical Storm Warnings have been issued all along the coast, from Cape Fear, North Carolina, up to Fenwick Island, Delaware. Most of coastal Virginia and North Carolinas Outer Banks are also under a Storm Surge Warning.
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin issued a state of emergency Friday ahead of Ophelia’s landfall.
According to the centers 5 p.m. ET update on Friday, the storm was located about 165 miles south of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, with maximum sustained winds of 70 mph.
A Hurricane Watch was issued for the coast of North Carolina from Surf City to Ocracoke Inlet, meaning conditions could be more similar to a hurricane in that area.
While forecasters predict the storm will make landfall Saturday, conditions will be felt on the coast of North Carolina Friday and spread north into Virginia throughout the night.
Tropical Storm Ophelia could produce up to 6 feet of storm surge in some areas, like Neuse River and Pamlico River in North Carolina. The surge could reach up to 4 feet along the Chesapeake Bay and the Albemarle Sound, the center said.
Rainfall amounts could total 7 inches in certain parts of the warning area on Saturday, with 1 to 3 inches of rain headed for southern New York and New England on Sunday. Officials warned the amount of rainfall could cause localized flooding in urban areas.
The center said the combination of a dangerous storm surge with the tide will cause areas that are normally dry near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shore.
Swells from the storm system will likely create life-threatening rip currents all along the East Coast this weekend, forecasters said.
A few tornadoes are possible for portions of the coast from Friday night through Saturday.
“There is a danger of life-threatening storm surge inundation over portions of eastern North Carolina and southeastern Virginia, including the Pamlico and Albemarle Sounds, and the lower Chesapeake Bay, where Storm Surge Warnings are in place,” the National Hurricane Center wrote. “Residents in these areas should follow advice given by local officials.”
Officials urged residents to stay up to date on the storm’s progress, and gather supplies and prepare for the arrival of hazardous weather conditions.
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