Janice R. Andrews
Devastating floods are expected in southeast North Carolina after record winter rain
A possible tropical storm dumped over a foot of rain in just 12 hours on Monday, causing terrible flash flooding in the southeast of North Carolina. The Wilmington office of the National Weather Service (NWS) says that the towns of Carolina Beach, Boiling Springs Lakes, and Southport were hit the hardest by a flood that only happens once every 200 years. NWS officials said that 18 inches of rain fell on Carolina Beach alone, which is something that only happens once every 1,000 years.
Even though the system hasn’t been called a tropical storm yet, it brought the kind of weather that tropical storms usually bring, like 77-mph gusts of wind and widespread flash floods. Monday at 5 p.m. ET, the storm was 45 miles west of Cape Fear, North Carolina, and had winds that didn’t stop.
Flash flood and tornado warnings that could kill you
AccuWeather meteorologist Bernie Rayno said that the weather system has had effects that are similar to those of a named tropical storm. In the coastal Carolinas, people have had to deal with flash floods, tornado threats, rough waves, and beach erosion. “That’s exactly what this system is in every way,” Rayno said.
At least three feet of water was covering the roads in Carolina Beach, so NWS officials told drivers not to drive through flooded areas. The North Carolina Department of Transportation also issued a warning, showing pictures of Southport roads that had fallen and telling people to stay off the roads unless they had to be there.
Flash flood danger goes beyond the Carolinas
The storm is expected to keep moving through the Carolinas from Monday night into early Wednesday morning. The heavy rain will make flash floods more likely in the Mid-Atlantic area. Even though the National Hurricane Center (NHC) says the storm probably won’t get stronger before it hits land, it could still do a lot of damage.
The risk of coastal floods has grown because of the strong northeast winds and high waves caused by the full moon. Officials from the NWS warned that more storms could make beach erosion and floods even more likely.
Strange “Homegrown” Storm Forming
Potential Tropical Cyclone Eight is the name of the storm that is currently affecting the Carolinas. The system doesn’t have a clear center, even though its wind speeds are higher than the 39 mph needed to be classified as a tropical storm.
Alex DaSilva, the lead hurricane expert for AccuWeather, said that on Monday morning, there was a 70% chance that the system would turn into a tropical storm. “It will need to essentially form a closed center of circulation to be classified as a tropical storm,” DaSilva said. He did say, though, that the effects would be the same no matter what classification was used. These effects would include dangerous flash floods, strong winds, and localized power failures.
What the Storm Did
The most dangerous part of the storm is likely to be flash floods. Heavy rain is expected to spread from the Southeast to the Mid-Atlantic. Up to 60 mph winds are possible in the Carolinas, which makes people worry about trees and power lines that might come down. There is also a chance of tornadoes, especially at night when they are harder to spot.
Another big worry is beach erosion, which is especially bad now that Hurricane Debby hit the coast last month. “The coastline is already kind of weakened by previous storms, so it won’t take much to cause some pretty significant issues there,” DaSilva said.
NC’s coast is getting ready for dangerous rip currents.
Along North Carolina’s coast, the storm has also made rip currents more likely to be dangerous. The NWS said that everyone, even skilled swimmers, should stay out of the water. Rip currents are very dangerous because they can quickly pull swimmers away from the shore and into deeper water. The NWS also warned of dangerous beach breaks that could hurt both surfers and swimmers in the neck and back.
Bad weather affects schools and businesses
Some schools in North Carolina had to cancel Monday classes because of the bad weather. Brunswick County Schools said they would be closing for the day, and teachers were given the choice to work from home. Brunswick Community College shut down too, and where possible, lessons were moved online. Because of the bad weather, students in Bladen, Columbus, and Whiteville counties also learned from home.
Chance that the storm will get worse
Another Atlantic storm, Tropical Depression Gordon, has weakened a lot, but the NHC warned that more storms could form in the next few days. Gordon stopped being a tropical storm over the weekend, so it is no longer a threat to land. However, experts are still keeping an eye on the Atlantic for new systems that could be dangerous to the U.S.
The storm that is affecting North Carolina is moving inland. By Wednesday, it should have weakened and gone away. But it might take days or even weeks to fix the damage it caused.
As the situation continues to change, local officials and weather experts are telling people to stay alert and follow safety rules. More rain is expected, and there is a chance of more floods. Southeastern North Carolina will have a long time to heal.
