North Carolina
Idalia moves to North Carolina after leaving Florida neighbourhoods underwater – live
Flood waters from Hurricane Idalia inundate Steinhatchee, Florida
Tropical storm Idalia has descended on the Carolinas on its way out to the Atlantic Ocean, leaving a trail of flooding and destruction throughout the southeast that stretched back to its landfall as a hurricane in Florida.
Idalia was downgraded to a tropical storm after it crossed both Florida and Georgia, the National Hurricane Center said.
The system made landfall at 7.45am on Wednesday hitting the Big Bend region of Florida as an “extremely dangerous Category 3” storm. It brought maximum sustained winds of 125 mph and a catastrophic 15ft storm surge.
A tropical storm warning was still in effect for Georgia, and the National Weather Service warned that Idalia could bring “life-threatening” storm surge to coastal areas in the Carolinas.
Idalia forced mass evacuations in low-lying areas.
The storm killed at least three people, two who died in auto accidents in Florida and a third man who perished attempting to dismantle a downed tree in Georgia.
Idalia could possibly hit the state of Florida twice in the coming week via a dramatic turn over the North Atlantic.
In a 5am ET update, the National Hurricane Center said that heavy rainfall and life-threatening flash flooding is continuing to hit North Carolina.
“Tropical Storm #Idalia Advisory 19: Heavy Rainfall and Life-Threatening Flash Flooding Continues in Portions of Eastern North Carolina. http://hurricanes.gov,” the agency tweeted.
Rachel Sharp31 August 2023 09:49
Powerful waves lashed the Sanibel Island causeway in Florida as Hurricane Idalia made landfall on Wednesday 30 August. The three-mile-long Sanibel Causeway connects the island with the mainland and portions of the bridge were destroyed by Hurricane Ian on 28 September 2022. It reopened less than one month later, in October. Idalia made landfall as a Category 3 storm on Wednesday morning, bringing “catastrophic storm surge” to parts of Florida. The hurricane slammed into the Big Bend area, near Keaton Beach, just before 8am local time, bringing 125mph winds.
Stuti Mishra31 August 2023 09:30
An NBC News photographer battled wind gusts of 100mph as he reported from Florida amid Hurricane Idalia’s landfall. Paul Rigney was on the ground in Perry at just after 8am on Wednesday 30 August when he was nearly blown off his feet. “The gust was so severe it lifted me, my camera and tripod off the ground. Hence the wobble halfway through,” Mr Rigney tweeted, responding to a video shared on Twitter of his report. He also explained that a billboard close to him “collapsed” in “roaring” winds.
Oliver O’Connell31 August 2023 09:00 Cleanup and recovery from Hurricane Idalia began along Florida’s Gulf Coast, where property damage, loss of life and power disruptions paled in comparison to the last major hurricane that struck the state nearly a year ago.
Idalia crashed ashore on Wednesday morning as a powerful Category 3 hurricane at Keaton Beach in Florida’s Big Bend region, lashing the coast with sustained winds of up to 125 miles per hour (201 kph), accompanied by torrential rains and pounding surf.
The surge of storm-driven seawater rushed inland for miles, flooding low-lying communities and roadways in its path.
Electricity outages from fallen trees, utility poles and power lines were widespread, as were wind-damaged and flooded buildings, in hard-hit communities such as Perry, a city about 20 miles inland and north of where Idalia came ashore. By nightfall, authorities were still trying to assess the full extent of damage.
Insured property losses in Florida were projected to run $9.36 billion, investment bank UBS said in a research note based on preliminary estimates.
Stuti Mishra31 August 2023 08:30
Florida residents shared heartbreaking photos of the destruction caused by Hurricane Idalia after the powerful storm swept into the state on Wednesday. Idalia made landfall around 8am as an “extremely dangerous” Category 3 storm with 120mph winds and warnings of “catastrophic” coastal surge up to 15 feet in places. More than 250,000 customers were left without power on Wednesday.
The hurricane came ashore near Keaton Beach in Big Bend, southeast of Tallahassee, an area known as “Florida’s nature coast” and less densely-populated than other parts of the state.
But that was cold comfort for the small, tranquil communities dotting the coastline with Idalia forecast to be the strongest storm to hit the region in more than 100 years.
Louise Boyle31 August 2023 08:00
Tropical storm Idalia has descended on the Carolinas on its way out to the Atlantic Ocean, leaving a trail of flooding and destruction throughout the southeast that stretched back to its landfall as a hurricane in Florida.
Rescue and repair efforts continued in the areas the storm passed and there was no immediate word on the toll from the ferocious winds and inundating waters, but three deaths have been reported so far in rain and wind-related accidents.
The storm has left as many as a half-million customers without power in Florida and other states at one point as it ripped down power poles and lines.
Still, it was far less destructive than feared, providing only glancing blows to Tampa Bay and other more populated areas as it came ashore with 125mph (201kph) in rural Florida.
The weakening storm still packed winds of up to 60mph (96kph) as it blasted through Georgia and South Carolina on Wednesday evening. Stuti Mishra31 August 2023 07:32
Stuti Mishra31 August 2023 07:00
Stuti Mishra31 August 2023 06:30 President Joe Biden says Hurricane Idalia is “still very dangerous” even though it has weakened after coming ashore in Florida.
Mr Biden said he had spoken to the governors of Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina, all states affected by Idalia.
He received his second briefing in as many days from Deanne Criswell, head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and directed her to spend Thursday with Republican governor Ron DeSantis to start assessing the hurricane damage and the needs there.
Mr DeSantis, who is a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, and Mr Biden have clashed in recent months over the socially conservative governor’s policies. as politicians from opposing parties will do. But he said there was no trace of politics in his storm-related conversations with the governor.
“I know that sounds strange,” Mr Biden said, noting how partisan politics have become. He recalled accompanying Mr DeSantis in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, the last major storm to wallop Florida.
“I think he trusts my judgment and my desire to help and I trust him to be able to suggest that this is not about politics,” the president said. “This is about taking care of the people of the state.”
Stuti Mishra31 August 2023 06:00
Storm surges are expected to impact much of the southeast coast through tonight as Idalia continues its path sustaining tropical storm-force winds of up to 60mph, according to an 11pm ET update from the National Weather Service (NWS).
Coastal flooding is also expected in Storm Surge Watch areas in North Carolina on Thursday, NWS noted its latest update.
Idalia is currently 15 miles northwest of Charleston, South Carolina.
Stuti Mishra31 August 2023 05:30
Life-threatening flash flooding continues to hit North Carolina
Waves lash Sanibel Island causeway 11 months after it was partially destroyed
Journalist battles 100mph winds as he reports from Florida during Idalia landfall
Florida’s Gulf Coast begins cleanup from Hurricane Idalia
Florida residents share heartbreaking photos of Hurricane Idalia’s wrath: ‘Houses everywhere are submerged’
Tropical Storm Idalia descends on North Carolina
Video shows devastation caused by Idalia at Horseshoe Beach
Watch: Time-lapse shows rapid intensification of Hurricane Idalia as it reached Florida
Biden warns Idalia still dangerous, says no ‘trace of politics’ in conversations with DeSantis
Storm surges expected along southeastern coast overnight, NWS says
North Carolina
NC has some of the most dangerous roads in the US: See how Wilmington-area counties rank
With a recent study revealing North Carolina as one of the states with the riskiest roads to travel, some may wonder how safe the roads are here in the Cape Fear region.
MarketWatch Guides, a site that provides “reviews of consumer products and services to help readers make educated purchasing decisions,” focuses in part on car insurance comparisons, vehicle safety and more.
A recent study by the site analyzed factors including annual miles driven per 100,000 system miles, percentage of rough roads and fatal injuries per 100,000 licensed drivers. States were given a rating out of 10 points, with 10 being the most dangerous.
More: Distracted driving in Wilmington: How big of a problem is it?
North Carolina’s ranking among the most dangerous
According to the study, the states with the most dangerous drivers based on the factors studied are:
- Louisiana – 7.55/10
- California – 7.21/10
- New Mexico – 6.74/10
- Hawaii – 6.73/10
- Delaware – 6.67/10
- New Jersey – 6.53/10
- Mississippi – 6.47/10
- North Carolina – 6.39/10
- Massachusetts – 6.33/10
- Maryland and Texas – 6.26/10
According to the study, North Carolina had 32.5 fatal injuries per 100,000 licensed drivers, but only 2.1% of rough roads, which was the lowest percentage out of the other ranked states.
For a more localized perspective, the North Carolina Department of Transportation releases annual traffic crash facts data. The most recent 2022 report includes a ranking of counties based on several factors, including reported crashes, crash severity, crash rates based on population, registered vehicles and estimated vehicle miles traveled.
The most dangerous county for drivers, ranked at No. 1 for the past five years, was Robeson County. The county had 60 fatal crashes in 2022 with 1,136 non-fatal injury crashes. The rest of the total 4,056 crashes were property-damage-only. The county with the best ranking was Hyde County, coming in at No. 100. The county had one fatal crash in 2022 and 10 non-fatal injury crashes. The county had a total of 45 crashes, the rest of which were property damage only.
More: MyReporter: Which intersections see the most red-light camera violations in Wilmington?
Here’s where the Cape Fear region counties ranked.
Brunswick County
Ranked No. 76 in 2022, Brunswick County had 25 fatal crashes and 715 non-fatal injury crashes. The total crashes for that year were 3,146. The remainder of the crashes were property damage only.
New Hanover County
Ranked No. 58, New Hanover had 19 fatal crashes and 1,313 non-fatal injury crashes, both of which went down from 2021. The total crashes in New Hanover were 5,617. The remainder of the crashes were property damage only.
Pender County
Ranked No. 47, Pender County had the worst ranking despite having the lowest number of crashes. The county had 12 fatal crashes and 374 non-fatal injury crashes, and a total of 1,156 crashes. The rest of the crashes were property damage only.
Iris Seaton, USA Today Network, contributed to this report.
Tropical Storm Debby already has parts of Florida under tropical storm warnings. The Florida Big Bend is currently under a Hurricane Warning. Debby is forecast to briefly strengthen into a category 1 hurricane as it moves over the Gulf of Mexico where water temperatures are near 90 degrees.
As it continues its path over land it is expected to dial back to tropical storm strength as it reaches the Carolinas mid to late next week. Moderate rainfall is possible for northeast North Carolina and southern Virginia by the end of the week.
Higher amounts of rain are possible for southernmost portions of the Outer Banks but generally models show 2-4 inches for northeast North Carolina and 1-2 inches for southern Virginia through Thursday.
Stay with News 3’s First Warning Weather Team for the latest updates as the storm develops.
The National Hurricane Center continues to monitor a tropical depression over Cuba. It’s expected to become a tropical storm later Saturday, bringing impacts to the Carolinas around the middle of next week.
Heavy rainfall and flooding are the primary impacts expected, according to the National Weather Service in Wilmington.
“Gusty winds are also possible, but it is too early to predict specific impacts in great detail at this time,” the weather service said.
At the same time, there is the potential for heavy rainfall and some flooding associated with front expected to stall inland this weekend.
As of 11 a.m. Saturday, the center of the tropical depression, which would be name Debby if it becomes a tropical storm, was over Cuba and moving west-northwest near 15 mph. The hurricane center said a turn toward the northwest is forecast for Saturday, followed by a northward motion on Sunday and then a slower northeastwardmotion Sunday night and Monday.
Maximum sustained winds were near 35 mph. Slow strengthening is expected throughout the day Saturday. Faster strengthening is possible Sunday, with the storm nearing hurricane strength when it reaches the Florida Gulf Coast, the hurricane center said.
STORM TRACKER: Monitor the latest tropical developments here.
Here’s a look at what we can expect in the Wilmington area, according to the latest briefing from the National Weather Service in Wilmington.
Wind
The probability of tropical storm force winds has increased, especially for the South Carolina coast. The most likely time of arrival of for northeast South Carolina is Tuesday night into Wednesday morning, and for Southeastern North Carolina is during Wednesday morning.
Rain
The potential for significant rainfall exists with 8 to 12 inches possible from near Cape Fear to portions of thenortheast South Carolina coast. Flash flooding and urban flooding are possible. Some rivers, including the North Cape Fear River and the Waccamaw River, could exceed flood stage next week.
INTERACTIVE MAP: Enter your address to see hurricanes, tropical storms that have passed nearby
Marine impacts
Rough surf, including dangerous rip currents, and hazardous marine conditions are expected this weekend and will persist into the upcoming week.
Are you prepared for a hurricane?
Hurricane season runs from June 1 to Nov. 30. Even if this system won’t pose a threat to the NC coast, it’s never too early to be prepared.
GET READY: Are you prepared for a hurricane? Here’s what to know if you live in the Wilmington area.
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