NC warily watching 2 tropical weather systems


Associated Press

RODANTHE, N.C.

Beachgoers, boat captains and business owners on North Carolina’s Outer Banks warily eyed a potent tropical weather system Monday that could rain out one of the last busy weeks of the summer.

The first system was expected by forecasters to become a tropical storm before brushing the North Carolina coast today, bringing heavy rain and high winds to barrier islands popular for serene beaches.

Another tropical depression in the Gulf of Mexico could hit northern Florida as a tropical storm later in the week and possibly head toward the Atlantic coast, forecasters at the National Hurricane Center in Miami said. They cautioned that the storm’s exact path remained uncertain days in advance.

Coastal Dare County in North Carolina could face winds of up to 45 mph with higher gusts and heavy rain that could flood low-lying areas, according to an emergency management news release. To the south, Carteret County officials also warned of flooding and advised residents to monitor forecasts.

A tropical storm warning was issued for areas of the coast from Cape Lookout to the Oregon Inlet along the Outer Banks.

“I would advise everybody to take a look at the weather,” Dare County emergency management director Drew Pearson said when asked whether visitors should keep their travel plans.