Tropical depression Claudette to restrengthen back into tropical storm before leaving North Carolina, NHC says

Nelly Ontiveros, Orlando Sentinel
·2 min read

Tropical depression Claudette, the third named storm of the year, will restrengthen back into a tropical storm before leaving North Carolina as it exits Georgia and continues to move across South Carolina on Sunday night, according to the National Hurricane Center.

As of 8 p.m. EST, the tropical depression was located about 25 miles north-northwest of Columbia, S.C. and 190 miles west-northwest of Cape Fear, N.C., with maximum sustained winds at 30 miles per hour.

“On the forecast track, the system should continue to move across portions of the southeastern U.S. through tonight, move over the coast of North Carolina into the western Atlantic Ocean on Monday, and pass near or just south of Nova Scotia on Tuesday,” NHC meteorologist Richard Pasch said.

A tropical storm warning remains in effect for a portion of the North Carolina coast from Little River Inlet to Duck, including Pamlico and Albemarle Sounds.

A Tropical Storm Watch has been issued for the coast of South Carolina from South Santee River to Little River Inlet.

Claudette is forecast to become a tropical storm again when it moves across the Carolinas tonight or early Monday and downgrade to a post-tropical cyclone Tuesday, based on NHC reports.

Rainfall totals could fall between 1 to 3 inches with isolated maximum totals of 5 inches across portions of southeastern Georgia, central and coastal South Carolina, and south-central to eastern North Carolina, according to the latest NHC advisory.

The NHC warned of flash, urban and small stream flooding as a result of the heavy rainfall and said river flooding could occur as the storm hits areas with elevated rivers. Tropical storm conditions, including high winds, are expected to continue along the coasts in the storm’s path through Sunday, the NHC said.

Isolated tornadoes are possible this evening across parts of the central and eastern Carolinas.

Storm surge could reach between 1 to 3 feet in areas from Cape Lookout, NC to the North Carolina-Virginia border.

Staff writers Joe Mario Pedersen, David Harris and Katie Rice contributed to this report.