Idalia downgraded to post-tropical cyclone, three tornadoes hit NC on Wednesday
Idalia turned streets to rivers in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina as it moved up the coastline.
Idalia impacted North Carolina as a tropical storm, with the biggest impacts east of Interstate 95 to the coast, where close to 7 inches of rain fell.
Between Tuesday and Thursday, the WRAL Storm Tracker followed the storm from Florida to South Carolina, driving more than 1,300 miles.
See photos of storm damage in NC and SC
Idalia downgraded to post-tropical cyclone
Idalia has become a post-tropical cyclone with maximum winds of 65 mph. The National Hurricane Center is expected to continue to provide advisories.
Idalia is in the Atlantic Ocean about 165 miles southeast of Cape Hatteras. It is moving east at 21 mph.
There is a tropical storm watch issued for Bermuda.
Three tornadoes – an EF1 tornado near Wilmington, an EF1 tornado in Leland and an EF0 tornado in St. James – hit North Carolina on Wednesday.
EF0 tornado hit St. James
An EF0 tornado with max wind speeds of 80 mph hit the town of St. James on Wednesday, the National Weather Service said.
The tornado formed near Highway 211 near Four Paws Veterinary Hospital, where it damaged the roof.
The NWs said the tornado moved northward near Executive Park Boulevard where it damaged another roof, downed a large tree and ripped off an air conditioning unit off the top of another building.
EF1 tornado hit Leland
An EF1 tornado with max wind speeds of 110 mph hit Leland on Wednesday, the National Weather Service said.
Tropical Storm Idalia spawned the tornado. It touched down near Clarendon Plantation Road along North Carolina Highway 133A.
An NWS storm survey team found several oak and pine trees down in the woods north of Clarendon Plantation Road. No buildings were impacted.
EF1 tornado hit near Wilmington
An EF1 tornado with max wind speeds of 100 mph hit near Wilmington on Wednesday, the National Weather Service said.
The NWS said a waterspout caused by Tropical Storm Idalia came ashore and became a tornado along Myrtle Grove Road near Tidalwalk Drive and lifted near Country Place Road in southern New Hanover County.
An NWS storm survey found several oak trees and pine trees snapped or uprooted along the tornado's path.
According to the NWS, a tree fell on a storage shed, and one home had a piece of aluminum siding pulled away from the home.
The NWS has confirmed three tornadoes on Wednesday in North Carolina due to severe weather conditions from Idalia.
Outer Banks business owners work to regroup after Idalia
Reef Beachwear manager Tom Cohen said Tropical Storm Idalia wasn't bad compared to other tropical storms and hurricanes he's endured in the past.
"This one's pretty calm, chill, compared to others," Cohen said. "I've had worse, mandatory evacuations.
"I had to go out here one time on a boat."
Cohen said customers can't visit his shop at 24782 North Carolina Highway 12 in Rodanthe because they can't drive due to flooding from Idalia.
"Usually, there is a lot more customers, and we tend to get more people this time of year, and now, we don't," Cohen said.
Cohen said he's worried about the financial effects.
Ocean Gourmet and Sea Treasures owner Tina Insley has been in business for 28 years.
"This is pretty typical," Insley said. "You'll see the water go out, and then, you'll watch the water come back in and it'll actualy fill up the lot."
Insley acknowledged every tropical storm and hurricane causes problems.
"Most of these businesses down here are seasonal businesses," Insley said. "They're not open year-round. so they're here when the customers, the tourists, are here."
Insley said the information provided by the state helped her make the necessary preparations.
Joanie Navitsky insisted Idalia didn't ruin her vacation to the Outer Banks.
"It's a sight to see," she said. "Lots of good videos. I've been adding day-by-day coverage of vacation."
Sufer Ryan DiMaria visited the Outer Banks from Pawleys Island, South Carolina.
"We enjoy chasing the different hurricane swells," DiMaria said. "We saw it on the forecast that it was going to be a good swell, and we had the time, so we made the trip up here."
DiMaria was leaving for home on Thursday.
Roof blown off near Myrtle Beach
The NWS confirmed there was an EF0 tornado on Wednesday in Cherry Grove.
Some of the most severe damage occurred Thursday in Cherry Grove near Myrtle Beach, where an unconfirmed tornado ripped a roof off a beach house. The roof blew behind the house and into a canal.
The homeowner, who lives in Southern Pines, was there when it happened. He said he was watching television when he received the tornado warning. When he opened his front door to move to the ground floor for shelter, he said his roof blew off "within seconds."
The man was uninjured, although part of the roof fell on top of him. His home was destroyed.
The National Weather Service will be in the Cherry Grove area Thursday to survey the damage.
Flooding brief along NC coast
WRAL reporters were stationed in Cumberland and Lee counties and along the NC coast, where our beaches saw the worst conditions late Wednesday and early Thursday.
Due to high surf and wind gusts, streets in Ocean Isle Beach were flooded by 4 p.m. on Wednesday as Idalia hugged the coast, dropping heavy rain. Flooding conditions were already improving at the coast Thursday morning.
Maximum wind gusts recorded at the coast were 56 mph in Wrightsville Beach and 52 mph in Wilmington. Locally, winds gusted as high as 39 mph in Fayetteville.
Tornadoes spotted in Brunswick County
In Brunswick County on Wednesday, two confirmed tornadoes touched down. One tornado was spotted on N.C. Highway 211 near St. James. Video shared on Facebook by the sheriff's office shows the dark funnel cloud.
The ceiling and roof at Four Paws Veterinary Hospital in Southport was badly damaged in the storm, and cleanup was underway Thursday morning as the worst winds and rain moved away.
In Ocean Isle Beach, most residents escaped major flooding and structure damage, although at least 5 inches of rain fell in 24 hours, causing isolated flooding in low-lying neighborhoods and homes near the sound. Storm debris also littered the beach and roads.
High surf remains dangerous for Labor Day weekend
In Wrightsville Beach and Ocean Isle, people were walking on the shores Thursday morning as the rain pulled away. According to WRAL meteorologist Anthony Baglione, the rain should move away from the coast completely late Thursday afternoon, although much of southeastern North Carolina remains under a flood watch until Friday.
Steven Still, director of emergency management for New Hanover County, said conditions were improving Thursday afternoon.
He urged people to be cautious in and about the water.
"If you are uncomfortable with your swimming abilities, don’t venture out," Still said.
Bacteria, rip currents both risks for NC beaches
Headed to the beach for the holiday weekend? North Carolina is asking people to stay out of coastal waters from Wright Memorial Bridge in Kitty Hawk all the way to the South Carolina state line due to stormwater runoff, which could contain harmful levels of bacteria.
Excess rain from Idalia forced some cities to pump floodwaters into the ocean, and people should "avoid swimming near ocean outfalls, including the wet sand where the floodwater is pumped, even if no sign is posted," according to the state.
As conditions continue to improve and Labor Day weekend arrives, there is some good news for beachgoers and people staying in the Triangle. Friday and the weekend will be dry, clear and sunny, with cooler highs in the 80s.
Between Hurricane Franklin and Tropical Storm Idalia, the main threat at the coast will be dangerous rip currents. It's a good idea to stay out of the ocean this weekend, WRAL meteorologists cautioned.
Rain totals for Tropical Storm Idalia
Idalia did not cause many trees to fall east of the Triangle, even at the coast.
In Fayetteville, some trees fell, and low-lying areas were flooded Wednesday night, especially in Festival Park due to Cross Creek overflow.
According to WRAL meteorologist Elizabeth Gardner, rainfall estimates in central NC as of Thursday morning were:
- Triangle: 1.1 inches
- Rocky Mount/Wilson: 2 inches
- Goldsboro: 3 inches
- Fayetteville: 5 inches
- Clinton: 5 inches
Much higher rain totals fell at the coast, including totals up to 7 inches in Southport. In Myrtle Beach on Wednesday, the tide gauge was above 9 feet, the sixth highest tide on record since 1987.
At one point, more than 26,000 customers were without power in North Carolina. By 11 a.m. on Thursday, outages in North Carolina were under 11,000, with most outages in coastal communities.
