Hurricane Central - Tropical Disturbances Aim for the US - Is NC Ready?

As of August 28, 2008 - 11:00AM EDT

Current Conditions

Just as we have dodged the bullet of Tropical Storm Fay, Tropical Storm Gustav looks to make a run towards New Orleans next week.  We in Eastern NC too may be welcoming Hanna next week, if projected path maps are accurate.  The worst of a low pressure system has passed and Pitt County residents have a 50 percent chance of rain Thursday morning, according to the National Weather Service.

The county mostly escaped Wednesday's stormy weather, which produced a hazardous weather outlook and tornado watches for most of the east.  "I don't think we are going to see too much of a severe threat in the morning, especially in Pitt County," said Casey Dail, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Newport.

Unofficial data shows a half-inch of rain fell in Pitt County on Tuesday. Wednesday's data won't be available until later today. The low pressure system is part of the remnants of Tropical Storm Fay, which hit Florida last week a record 4 times before fizzling out through the Deep South.  Earlier Wednesday there were reports of tornado activity in Onslow and Jones counties but there was no evidence of a touchdown or damage, Dail said.

The rain overwhelmed storm drains and flooded streams throughout a wide swath of central North Carolina, The Associated Press reported.  Officials in Charlotte said flooding there was the worst in decades and numbers from the National Weather Service backed up that contention. In the 48 hours ending at 8 p.m. Wednesday, North Carolina's largest city had received 8.39 inches of rain.

About 12 inches of rain fell in an eight-hour period in the Jonas Ridge section of northwestern Burke County, causing rivers to spill out of their banks in the Fonta Flora community. Emergency officials called for a voluntary evacuation of about 15 homes in Fonta Flora, a historically flood-prone spot where the Linville River empties into Lake James.

Hurricane Season 2008

Hurricane Season Runs From June To November