After forming in the Atlantic Ocean, and being classified as a tropical storm on Friday, Ophelia ended up making land fall on Saturday, September 24, 2023 about 6:15 a.m. along the North Carolina coast, near Emerald Isle. Just shy of hurricane strength winds, Emerald Isle obtained winds at about 70 mph.
Ahead of the storm’s arrival, governors of North Carolina, Virginia, and Maryland declared a state of emergency, closed some schools early and canceled weekend events. Many areas along the coast of the northeast from the North Carolina to New Jersey are dealing with flooding due to the rainfall, high tides and storm surge. Wind gusts could reach up to 50 mph in some areas.
The entire Mid-Atlantic and New England areas are expected to get several inches of rain, flash floods, and strong winds. Winds initially caused more than 70,000 power outages, but there are currently only about 14,000 that remain in the dark. Coastal Flood Warnings and Coastal Flood Advisories will remain in effect through Tuesday night for Delaware, New Jersey and Connecticut areas. No deaths have been reported, but the Coast Guard has rescued 5 people from a catamaran in Lookout Bight in Cape Lookout, North Carolina on Friday. Ophelia has been downgraded to a tropical depression after reaching landfall Saturday.
By - FZ
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