As Tropical Storm Ophelia buffets the mid-Atlantic coast with rain and wind, more than 30,000 people in Virginia and North Carolina are without power, according to PowerOutage.us.
The storm made landfall in North Carolina early Saturday morning and is expected to trek up the coast, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC).
“A continued northward motion is expected today, followed by a gradual turn toward the northeast by Sunday,” the NHC said in a public advisory. ‘On the forecast track, the center of Ophelia will soon enter southeastern Virginia this evening, and then move over the Delmarva Peninsula tonight into Sunday.”
“Maximum sustained winds have decreased to near 45 mph (70 km/h) with higher gusts,” the agency continued. “Additional weakening is expected through the remainder of the weekend, and Ophelia is likely to become a post-tropical cyclone by Sunday.”
The governors of North Carolina, Virginia and Maryland declared states of emergency related to the storm. Parts of eastern North Carolina and southeast Virginia are “expected” to see “3 to 5 inches” of rainfall, “with isolated higher totals of 8 inches through” Saturday night, the NHC said.
“Since this storm has the potential to have a range of impacts across numerous localities in the commonwealth, I encourage all Virginians and visitors to keep up with the latest forecast for their area from a trusted source, make a plan, and have their emergency kits ready,” Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin wrote on Friday.
Other areas in the Mid-Atlantic could see “2 to 4 inches” of rainfall “through Sunday,” with southern New York through southern New England being predicted to see “1 to 3 inches through Monday morning,” the center said.
“This rainfall may produce locally considerable flash, urban, and small stream flooding impacts, particularly across the Mid-Atlantic region from North Carolina to New Jersey,” they added. “Isolated river flooding is possible in areas of heavier rainfall.”