Hermine coming for North Carolina
By Rochelle Moore
Published in News on September 2, 2016 1:46 PM
Gov. Pat McCrory issued a state of emergency late Thursday for 33 North Carolina counties, including Wayne, as the area remains under a flash flood watch and wind advisory through Saturday morning.
Heavy rains, strong winds and flash flooding, which could lead to downed trees and power outages are possible as Tropical Storm Hermine moves across land toward North Carolina today, said Michael Strickler, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Raleigh.
"It's going to be a fairly impacting system," Strickler said. "The main impacts are going to be (Friday) night. The rain will increase in the afternoon and particularly in the night hours."
The storm was packing maximum sustained winds of 80 miles per hour when it made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane near St. Marks, Fla., just after midnight, said Ryan Ellis, NWS meteorologist.
The hurricane weakened into a tropical storm as it moved north-northeast across land toward Georgia. Rainfall is expected to intensify throughout the day as the storm heads toward North Carolina.
Depending on the track of the storm, Wayne County could receive anywhere from 4 to 6 inches of rain, Ellis said. Wind speeds are predicted to be 30 to 40 mph, with wind gusts topping 40 mph. Wayne County is under a wind advisory starting at 2 p.m. today and continuing until 8 a.m. Saturday.
Sustained amounts of rain today could result in ground saturation and lead to falling trees, snapped power lines and potential property damage, Strickler said.
A Thursday night cold front that moved into the area from the northwest brought with it a half-inch of rain in northern Wayne County and 2 inches of rain to the southern area of the county, Ellis said. The rain will add to ground saturation expected from the tropical storm.
Wayne County is under a flash flood watch until 8 a.m. Saturday. Localized flooding is expected, especially in flood prone areas and along creeks and streams.
Counties east of Wayne, including Duplin, Lenoir, Greene and Pitt, are under a tropical storm warning with increased chances of higher rainfall, wind speeds and potential storm-related damage. The warning is in effect until Saturday morning.
The governor's state of emergency declaration will help move state resources to areas needing assistance with response and recovery. In addition to Wayne, the counties of Duplin, Greene, Lenoir and Pitt, are included in the 33 counties under a state of emergency. The governor also issued an executive order waiving certain truck restrictions on weight and service hours in an effort to promote quicker transport in response to the storm.
"We are working together across multiple agencies throughout North Carolina to make sure we are over prepared and underwhelmed for this storm because we want people to safely enjoy their Labor Day vacation in North Carolina," McCrory said. "Safety always remains our top priority."
Thursday's cold front pushed temperatures into the 70s where they will remain today. The Saturday forecast includes a Saturday high of 77 degrees and 81 degrees on Sunday.