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12:30 p.m. Thursday: Cities start assessing damage, electric companies await lower wind speeds to begin restoration
Initial storm assessments are underway after Tropical Storm Idalia passed over Eastern North Carolina today. Coastal and riverside areas experience localized flooding from the storm. In Jacksonville, some cars were trapped and immobilized throughout the city and a few businesses submerged. The overall impact was light, however, says Norman Bryson, Onslow County's Emergency Management Director.
"We've not really had much activity," Bryson said. "We've had some flooding in some of the towns but we're looking to be in pretty good shape."
Floodwater began receding around 9 a.m. as heavy rain gave way to a light mist. Bryson said a road in Swansboro off the Main Street Extension will likely be closed for several days due to erosion, but that all other roads are open. The City of Jacksonville received a total of 6 inches today. Bryson is waiting to assess beach erosion once the tides settle.
As for electric companies, they're waiting for wind gusts to dip below 35 mph to begin restoration work. Craven Carteret Electric Cooperative reports more than 2,200 customers are without power, spanning from Emerald Isle to Cedar Island. Downed power lines have been confirmed in Carteret County. The electric outages began piling up after 6 a.m. when winds from Tropical storm Idalia were strongest. Melissa Glenn is the Communications Director for the coop. She says restoration depends on when winds gusts start to finally settle down.
"Right now because of the wind, we are not doing any bucket work, so we're taking care of all that we can on the ground," Glenn said. "As soon as the winds stop gusting over 40 mph and get below 35 mph wind speed, we'll resume bucket work."
Glenn says once it's safe to start using the lift, they'll work round the clock to restore power. CCEP customers can follow updates with their power outage map, including when a crew is assigned and estimated restoration time.
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The National Weather Service in Morehead City provided its final update for Tropical Storm Idalia. Warning Coordination Meteorologist Erik Heden said winds and rain became less of a concern after noon today, but that some river systems may continue to see levels above normal because of a north wind.
"Pungo and Pamlico Rivers gradually your water should come down pretty quickly," Heden said. "It's holding steady up the Neuse River. The north wind is holding that water in place. The area where we may continue to see some rise this afternoon are Cedar Island and some of these creeks on the south shore of the Neuse River."
Winds are expected to remain gusty tomorrow, up to 35 mph, but are no longer a major concern to forecasters. Storm surge warnings remain in effect for Carteret and Craven County until early Saturday morning.
10 a.m. Thursday: Flooding and road closures reported, floodwaters start to recede
Coastal areas in Onslow and Carteret counties, as well as riverside areas in Craven county, are experiencing significant flooding. With total rainfall amounts decreasing as Idalia moves out to sea, city officials are surveying damage and assessing flooding.
Front Street and Union Point Park in New Bern are currently closed off due to flooding from the Neuse River. Several inches of water have prompted the city to close East Front Street at the roundabout up to Change Street, as well as portions of South Front Street. Oaks Road is closed, too, from Court to Neuse Drive due to overwash from Jack Sith Creek. Public works officials are out surveying damage now and assessing the situation. So far, New Bern has received three inches of rain from Tropical Storm Idalia. Between a quarter and half-inch more may be possible.
Jacksonville has received six inches of rain so far. Images from the City of Jacksonville show a strip mall along Country Club Road under several inches of water. Many streets are closed and officials said vehicles were disabled throughout the city. A downed powerline is reported on Kerr Street and Westminster Drive. City Public Safety officials are assessing flooding and report that water is starting to recede and that some streets are starting to reopen. Jacksonville has received six inches of rain so far.
Beaufort, too, is experiencing localized flooding. The town closed portions of Meeting Street and Glenda Drive, both in residential areas to northeast. Beaufort declared a state of emergency yesterday for downtown, a flood prone region, but photos posted to the town's Facebook page at 8 a.m. show cars driving on Front Street, right next to the water. So far, Beaufort has received more than seven inches of rain, according to National Weather Service data.
Duplin County has several road closures. The North Carolina Department of Transportation listed 12 state roads as impassible this morning, including a portion of NC-50 near Cool Springs Road southeast of Kenansville. Duplin County has suffered several inches of rain and strong winds from the storm, causing more than 1,000 rural residents to lose power.
8 a.m. Thursday: More outages reported as stronger winds move into ENC
More outages are being reported as winds from Tropical Storm Idalia intensify in Eastern North Carolina. Here's the outages as of 8 a.m. reported from Duke Energy.
From Wilmington down to Carolina Beach, 7,000 outages reported.
In Beaufort, 64 outages, and between Newport and Morehead City in the Wildwood area, 29 outages.
The number of outages has grown just across the Neuse River from New Bern in the Bridgeton area, with a total of 960.
The Jacksonville area has reached 210 outages, mostly outside the city in the Piney Green and Westgate areas.
Goldsboro and surrounding towns have reached 933 -- 300 more since our 5 a.m. update.
202 outages in Washington.
1,000 homes remain without power from Bayboro down to Oriental.
1,200 homes remain affected in Duplin County.
Duke Energy says it will provide estimated times for power restoration once its able to assess the damage after the storm exits affected areas.
Wind speeds inland are between 20 and 30 mph, while in coastal areas and the Outer Banks, winds speed are between 40 and 50 mph.
7:30 a.m. Thursday: Center of Tropical Storm Idalia now over the Atlantic, moves eastward
Tropical storm Idalia has turned more eastward as it moves into North Carolina. Previous reports forecast the center to pass over Onslow Bay, but recent updates have it further out into the Atlantic. Rohan Jain is a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Morehead City.
"The tropical storm is off the coast right now, but we're still experiencing the effects of it despite the center being off the coast," Jain said.
As Idalia passes through North Carolina, Jain and the National Weather Service have updated their forecasts and priorities.
"The tornado threat has gone down," Jain said. "We are still keeping an eye on it right now, but it's taken a back burner to flooding issues.
Tornadoes are not likely in mainland areas as of now, but a risk still remains in the Outer Banks. Jain says NWS continues to monitor the situation.
Flash flooding events have been confirmed in Carteret County and the risk remains high across Eastern North Carolina, especially in coastal counties. Three to 5 inches of rain have fallen so far with an additional 2 to 3 inches expected. Some isolated areas have received up to 8 inches so far.
Rain is expected to leave Eastern North Carolina this afternoon, but the effects of Tropical Storm Idalia will still be felt in coastal areas tomorrow and into the weekend, says Jain.
"Despite the fact that the rain will be moving out later today, we'll still have some strong winds behind the storm, especially in the Pamlico Sound and the Outer Banks. With that stronger wind, we may see some storm surge in the Neuse, Pungo and Pamlico Rivers and sounds."
Two to 4 feet of storm surge is forecast for Beaufort, Harkers Island, and Cedar Island and areas further south. Counties further north, including Currituck, Tyrell and Hyde, are expected to receive 1 to 3 feet of storm surge. Warnings have been issued and remain in effect until early Saturday morning.
6:30 a.m. Thursday: Flash flooding underway in Carteret County, according to radar. Risk remains high across ENC
Tropical Storm Idalia is expected to track along Eastern North Carolina's coasts before going out into the Atlantic this afternoon, with the center of the storm passing over Onslow Bay. As of 5:25 a.m., Idalia is about 110 miles southwest of Morehead City, traveling northeast at 21 mph. Maximum surface winds at 60 mph.
Later today and tonight 2-3 ft of inundation along the coast will likely result in beach erosion and ocean overwash along the Outer Banks, especially north of Cape Hatteras where portions of Highway 12 could become impassable, especially during high tides, the NWS reports.
Tropical Storm Force winds of 30-50 mph inland and 40-60 mph along the coast (higher gusts are possible along the Outer Banks) will continue today into tonight.
At 6:00 a.m., doppler radar indicated flash flooding is already occurring in Carteret County. Flash flooding is mostly likely to occur along small creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses as well as other poor drainage and low-lying areas. Between 3 and 6 inches of rain have fallen. Additional rainfall amounts of 1 to 3 inches are possible in Carteret County.
The National Weather Service extended flash flooding risk for much of Onslow, Duplin and Carteret counties until 9:15 a.m. Duplin and Onslow counties have received 4 and 6 inches of rain so far, and another 1.5 to 3 inches is expected. Counties farther north and inland are under a flash flood warning until 8:00 a.m.
5 a.m. Thursday: First effects of Idalia felt in Southeastern North Carolina, Down East
More than a 3,500 homes are without power in the Eastern North Carolina as of 5am this morning as the heart of Idalia reaches Southeastern North Carolina. Duke Energy reports more than 2,000 homes in Wilmington are without power and more than 1,100 in Duplin County. A handful of homes in Jacksonville are reporting outages, close to 60, while Northern Onslow County in the Maysville area, nearly 400 homes. The New Bern area reported its first outages as of 5 a.m. with 280 homes, all northeast of the Neuse River in the Bridgeton area. One thousand homes from Bayboro to Oriental are without power. More outages are expected throughout the region as winds speeds pick up this morning and peak around noon.
Light and moderate rainfall from the storm began Wednesday evening and continued steadily throughout the night. As of 5:20 a.m., the National Weather Service reports, Onslow and Duplin counties have received between 4 and 6 inches of rain already. NWS forecasts between 5-10 inches of total new rainfall from the remnants of Idalia across the affected area.
As of 3 a.m., the latest update from NWS, Tropical Storm Idalia is about 20 miles southwest of Myrtle Beach, S.C., traveling northeast at 20 mph.
Eastern North Carolina remains under at Tropical Storm warning and Storm Surge Watch until 1:30 p.m. today. A risk of tornadoes in the Outer Banks, with little to no risk across the rest of Eastern North Carolina, according to an NWS alert issued at 5:25 a.m.
Wednesday: Eastern North Carolina prepares for flooding risk as Hurricane Idalia approaches
Now downgraded to a tropical storm, Idalia continues on a path toward Eastern North Carolina. Meteorologist Ryan Fuchect with the National Weather Service in Newport says the storm could arrive at high tide Thursday morning. During this king tide period, he said that could exacerbate the storm surge that is expected with Idalia.
Storm surge potential is between 3 and 4 feet along the Pungo, Neuse and Pamlico Rivers, with Hyde and Tyrell Counties likely to see 1 to 3 feet of storm surge.
"The biggest concern right now is the Down East, the Pamlico, Neuse and Pungo River areas," Fuchect said about storm surge risk.
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Many schools and government offices will be closed Thursday.
The following school districts will be closed: Jones, Onslow, Martin, Pamlico, Greene, Lenoir, Wilson, Nash, Duplin, and Bertie County Schools.
The following school districts will be closed and conduct remote learning: Pitt, Washington, Carteret, Craven, Beaufort, and Tyrell County Schools.
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Governor Roy Cooper provided an update yesterday afternoon as Hurrican Idalia makes its way toward the Carolinas. Idalia made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane in Florida and it's now traveling into North Carolina as a Tropical Storm.
"Heavy rainfall and localized flooding are our greatest threats as Idalia approaches the southeastern corner of North Carolina," Cooper said. "We also anticipate possible flash flooding across the Piedmont and Coastal Plain, so everybody needs to stay alert."
Heavy rainfall of 5 to 8 inches is expected today in the Eastern North Carolina Region, with a heightened flood risk in low-lying areas and near rivers. Sustained wind at 25 mph hour in Carteret and Onslow Counties and is expected to peak above midday today.
Governor Roy Cooper said the National Guard is stationed throughout Eastern North Carolina as well as swift water rescue crews to respond to emergencies.
"Our response teams here in the emergency operations centers are tracking the storm and preparing around the clock. About an hour ago I spoke with President Joe Biden, and yesterday I spoke with the FEMA Director. It's important for us to coordinate with our federal partners in times like this," Cooper said. "We're hoping for the best, and preparing for the worst."
Cooper declared a state of emergency on Monday to free up resources and staff to respond.
Beaufort declared a state of emergency for downtown today, effective 7 p.m. until the mayor and board of commissioners rescind the declaration. Beaufort is expected to receive 2 to 4 feet of storm surge from Tropical Storm Idalia.
