Current:Home > ScamsTropical Storm Ophelia tracks up East Coast, downing trees and flooding roads -Triumph Financial Guides
Tropical Storm Ophelia tracks up East Coast, downing trees and flooding roads
View
Date:2025-04-12 21:51:59
Tropical Storm Ophelia crossed into Virginia on Saturday afternoon, leaving a trail of floodwater and downed trees in its wake after making landfall in near a North Carolina barrier island earlier in the day.
Forecasters warn the storm will bring impacts to major cities including Washington D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York City.
On Saturday afternoon, Ophelia had maximum sustained winds of 40 mph with higher gusts and some coastal towns were experiencing several inches of floodwaters.
The governors of North Carolina, Virginia and Maryland declared states of emergency Friday. Some schools closed early as communities prepared for the storm’s arrival.
Ophelia is predicted to move over land as it tracks north, passing over Virginia, Washington, D.C., Maryland, Delaware, southern New Jersey and southeastern Pennsylvania. But the storm's impacts will stretch further, with rain forecast as far north as Massachusetts.
AccuWeather forecasters said Saturday Ophelia will lose wind intensity as it travels over land Saturday and Sunday, but the potential for flooding and storm surge will be high in some areas. The storm is expected to exit off the coast of New Jersey and return to the Atlantic Ocean by Monday morning, AccuWeather reported.
Because the storm is expected to travel over so much land, its impacts across multiple states "will be much more significant when compared to Hurricane Lee which passed offshore last week," AccuWeather reported.
Tens of thousands of customers were without power in North Carolina and Virginia Saturday, according to poweroutage.us.
Trees down, roads closed in New Jersey
Ophelia's winds downed trees in New Jersey, with conditions expected to worsen along the coast later Saturday.
In Manalapan Township, about 20 miles from the coast, winds knocked a tree onto a bilevel home, temporarily trapping three people and two dogs on the upper level and rendering the residence uninhabitable, the Asbury Park Press, part of the USA TODAY Network, reported.
The tree fell shortly after 11 a.m., Sgt. Philip Accatatta said, trapping two women, a man and two dogs. The fire department helped the people get out through a window and down a ladder, he said. Firefighters also carried the dogs down the ladder to safety. One of the women had a minor injury.
"They were pretty wet, but the dogs are okay," Accetta said.
In Atlantic City, roads were closed and photos posted by city officials on social media showed flooded streets.
Ophelia brings inland storm surge, flooding risk
The National Hurricane Center warned of "life-threatening inundation" from rising waters moving inland and asked residents to promptly follow evacuation orders. Storm surge impacts can affect more than just coastal areas, as rising waters travel up rivers far away from the ocean.
Coastal towns in North Carolina, Virginia and Delaware saw flooding Saturday morning, with several inches of water pooling along neighborhood streets.
In Bethany Beach, Delaware, entire neighborhoods were under several inches of water, leading to streets being closed, AccuWeather reported.
Rain from Ophelia to impact about a dozen states
The National Hurricane Center says rain from the storm will impact about a dozen states from North Carolina to Massachusetts, and as far inland as West Virginia. Most areas are expecting less than 4 inches of rain, but a few areas could see up to 6 inches.
Wind is a concern too. On Saturday, tropical storm-force winds were extending over 300 miles from the center of Ophelia, the Hurricane Center said. Cape Lookout in North Carolina reported a wind gust of 71 mph.
Coastal Delaware and New Jersey are expecting wind gusts between 50 and 60 mph through Saturday evening, with the strongest winds coming mid-morning through early afternoon Saturday. Downed trees and power lines are also possible, forecasters said.
'Significant impacts' possible in Washington D.C. area
Rain was falling lightly but steadily with some moderate wind gusts across the Washington, D.C. region by Saturday afternoon.
But things were expected to pick up later in the day and residents in some areas should be prepared for potential “significant impacts,” said Austin Mansfield, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Sterling, Virginia.
Mansfield said heavier rain is expected through Saturday and overnight, and there could be some isolated incidents of flooding.
“Overall, flooding potential remains fairly limited across our area,” he said. But people living along the coast should still be on guard, he said.
“Just because we’re seeing some light rain right now doesn’t mean that we won’t see some more significant impacts later today,” he said.
Wind could have more of an effect in the region, he said. Saturated ground from the rain plus strong gusts of wind up to 40-50 mph could lead to some trees toppling.
“We've already seen some instances of trees down, so certainly could see that happen over the next 24 hours,” Mansfield said.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul warned heavy rain would bring a flooding risk in New York City, Long Island and Hudson Valley this weekend. Forecasters said light to moderate rain has begun in the area as winds continued to increase in strength, peaking later in the day Saturday.
Tropical Storm Ophelia path tracker live
This forecast tracker shows the most likely path of the center of the storm. It does not illustrate the full width of the storm or its impacts, and the center of the storm is likely to travel outside the cone up to 33% of the time.
Tropical Storm Ophelia spaghetti models
A note about the spaghetti models: Model plot illustrations include an array of forecast tools and models, and not all are created equal. The hurricane center uses the top four or five highest-performing models to help make its forecasts.
Contributing: Associated Press
veryGood! (933)
Related
- Former Danish minister for Greenland discusses Trump's push to acquire island
- Icebreaker, 2 helicopters used in perilous Antarctic rescue mission as researcher falls ill
- Tom Brady shares when he will join Fox Sports as NFL analyst after taking 2023 season off
- Maya Hawke Roasts Dad Ethan Hawke for Trying to Flirt With Rihanna
- Why Sean "Diddy" Combs Is Being Given a Laptop in Jail Amid Witness Intimidation Fears
- Aryna Sabalenka is about to be No. 1 in the WTA rankings. She could be the new US Open champ, too
- 20 years of pumpkin spice power
- United Airlines resumes flights following nationwide ground stop
- Intellectuals vs. The Internet
- Lili Reinhart and Sydney Sweeney Prove There's No Bad Blood After Viral Red Carpet Moment
Ranking
- Paula Abdul settles lawsuit with former 'So You Think You Can Dance' co
- Alex Murdaugh's lawyers allege court clerk tampered with jury in double murder trial
- Steve Harwell, former Smash Mouth frontman, dies at 56, representative says
- Owner of collapsed Iowa building that killed 3 people files lawsuit blaming engineering company
- A South Texas lawmaker’s 15
- Jerry Jones speaks on Dak Prescott's contract situation, praises Deion Sanders for CU win
- Mark Meadows, 5 more defendants plead not guilty in Georgia election case
- Rent control laws on the national level? Biden administration offers a not-so-subtle push
Recommendation
Justice Department, Louisville reach deal after probe prompted by Breonna Taylor killing
Alexander Payne makes ‘em like they used to: Fall Movie Preview
2 adults, 2 children and dog found dead in Seattle house after fire and reported shooting; 11-year-old girl escapes
Injured pickup truck driver rescued after 5 days trapped at bottom of 100-foot ravine in California
Backstage at New York's Jingle Ball with Jimmy Fallon, 'Queer Eye' and Meghan Trainor
Congress returns to try to stave off a government shutdown while GOP weighs impeachment inquiry
America’s small towns are disbanding police forces, citing hiring woes. It’s not all bad
Heavy rain in areas of Spain leads to flooding, stranded motorists and two deaths: Reports