Downpours from Potential Tropical Cyclone 8 flood coastal areas along North and South Carolina
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Heavy rainfall and gusty winds clammed parts of the Carolinas on Monday as an offshore low-pressure system inched closer to land.
While the center of the low-pressure system remained off the coast, the bulk of the rain and wind associated with the storm pushed ashore, dumping more than a dozen inches of water along coastal areas.
Matias Vera and his wife Jennie were at an appointment in Wilmington when they got word that their children's elementary school was closing because of serious flooding.
"This definitely caught us by surprise," Matias said.
After they picked up their children, they realized there was no way they could get home. Flood water blocked their path back to their home.
"I wasn't expecting this at all. This is wild," Jennie said.
According to the National Weather Service in Wilmington, Carolina Beach was placed under a state of emergency Monday after getting 18 inches of rainfall in 12 hours.
Carolina Beach Mayor Lynn Barbee said the heavy rainfall caused several water rescues throughout the town.
"It was raining sideways. We've never had water on our windows or our balcony. Our slider doors for our balcony are probably 12 feet back, under a covered roof and we've got water cascading into the bedroom," Debbie Michel said.
Barbee said, fortunately, there are no reports of injuries related to this storm. However, many people have been displaced from their homes by the rising flood water.
"Never seen this much rainfall in such a short period of time," Mark Michel said.
Forecast
It is still being called Potential Tropical Cyclone 8 because it hasn't become organized enough to be classified as a tropical or subtropical storm. The latest forecast from the National Hurricane Center now says it is nearly impossible for this storm to become a tropical storm.
All tropical storm warnings along the coast have been canceled.
ABC11 meteorologist Kweilyn Murphy called that early Monday morning. She said she did not expect the storm to strengthen and organize enough before it moved over land in the Carolinas Monday night through early Wednesday.
The system will likely dissipate over the Carolinas by late Wednesday, forecasters said.
Areas near the North Carolina and South Carolina border, including Wilmington, were under a level 3 of 4 risk of flooding rainfall, according to the Weather Prediction Center. A larger level 2 of 4 risk area is across most of NC and northern SC.
This storm comes as much of the region has already seen above-average rainfall this year, largely due to Debby. As a tropical depression, Debby brought a flash flood emergency to Charleston, SC, and widespread rainfall of 6 to 12 inches across the Carolinas just over a month ago.
Triangle Impact
Heavy rainfall peppered central North Carolina Monday and is likely to remain a threat through late Tuesday.
The ABC11 viewing area experienced heavy rain and gusty winds. It caused some flooding and power outages.
Rainfall totals of 2 to 4 inches were possible with some areas experiencing more. Flood warnings were issued for several counties across central North Carolina, including Wake, Harnett and Johnston counties.
Wind gusts over 40 mph were possible, as well as an isolated tornado risk from around Raleigh and other areas south late Monday.
CNN and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
