Topline
A hurricane watch was issued Friday afternoon for a portion of eastern North Carolina after Air Force hurricane hunters found Tropical Storm Ophelia strengthened Friday evening to near hurricane strength, ahead of an expected landfall that could bring the threat of flooding rains and gusty winds to much of the mid-Atlantic over the weekend.
Key Facts
The National Hurricane Center issued the hurricane watch for the coast of North Carolina from north of Surf City to Ocracoke Inlet, while tropical storm warnings were in effect from Cape Fear, North Carolina to Fenwick Island, Delaware, including Chesapeake Bay south of North Beach, the Tidal Potomac south of Cobb Island and the Albemarle and Pamlico sounds.
Maximum sustained winds have increased to 70 mph as the storm is about 120 miles Southeast of Cape Fear.
Ophelia was designated a tropical storm this morning, prompting widespread tropical storm and storm surge warnings for North Carolina and the mid-Atlantic.
Ophelia is projected to make landfall on the North Carolina coast early Saturday morning accompanied by heavy rainfall and a “danger of life-threatening storm surge inundation,” according to the National Hurricane Center.
Strong surf and heavy rain, including “drenching downpours,” are expected to materialize in Washington D.C., Maryland, Pennsylvania and northeastern states, according to AccuWeather.
Key Background
First identified as Potential Tropical Cyclone 16, Ophelia strengthened into a tropical storm Friday afternoon, marking the sixteenth named storm of the season. Hurricane Lee was the most recent storm to threaten the East Coast, weakening from Category 5 major hurricane status as it pushed through the Atlantic and eventually making New Brunswick, Canada, last week. Two months remain before the end of hurricane season, which the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted would bring above-normal levels of activity this year. The organization noted record-warm Atlantic sea-surface temperatures that increase the potential for hurricane activity have been present this season.
Further Reading
Tropical Storm Ophelia Forms Off North Carolina, With Tropical Storm Warnings Along East Coast (Forbes)
East Coast Braces for Heavy Rain and Wind From Tropical Storm Ophelia (New York Times)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/antoniopequenoiv/2023/09/22/ophelia-strengthens-hurricane-watch-issued-for-nc-coast-as-large-storm-nears-east-coast/